Is This THE END Of Lolita Fashion? 

I swear everytime I get into a certain style there's always people saying its dying or dead 😭

Former local comm mod here. Nobody came to my events whether it was a cafe/restaurant meet, shopping meet, photo op, I even hosted ARTS AND CRAFTS meets. I spent my own money on AP's coloring books to photocopy and use at meets as a fun comm activity. Yet it was always "ohh I have too much homework" "ohhh this day doesn't work for me" or suddenly getting sick the day of the meet... every time. Getting stood up by an entire group of people at a restaurant I made reservations at burnt me out. Seeing comm members posting in other communities complaining that "my local comm doesn't do anything" when I had NEVER seen those people at meets burnt me out. People circumventing rules put in place to keep our members safe and allow for the vetting of new potential members burnt me out. Members complaining because I wasn't comfortable personally hosting meets during the height of the pandemic, rather than hosting meets of their own, and some specific unnecessary local comm drama, was the last straw for me. When you say it's a thankless job you are SO. RIGHT.

Mainstream western fashion is currently so frilly and hyperfeminine, I think it's 'competing' with lolita fashion and drawing away some of the potential lolita consumer base.

if Lolita didn't die when the only way to buy it was through learning how to use a Japanese shipping service, or brave searching random roughly translated taobao sites, then I don't believe it's dying anytime soon lol

After seeing the new Angelic Pretty Spring collection they absolutely DO NOT think it’s the end. 2024? More like 2012 🥰

I feel like lolita is going through this phase where people are starting to be more casual & experimental with their looks again, and it's giving the impression that the community is dying simply because it doesn't match the rigidity we've been pushing for the past few years. We've tended to be very quick to write things off as "not lolita" even when 90% of the elements are there and now we're at a point where we can either redefine the 'rules' to go with the changes, or keep the rigidity at the risk of splitting up the community.

Lolita is NOT dying. I helped a total stranger choose their 1st coord at a Detroit anime convention 2 months ago. We were both strangers just admiring the Nightwhisper booth and she took my EGL advice when wanting to try on their stuff. People are unfortunately in a frugal state because the bad world economy. So newbies and vets are out there, we are just being thrifty right now.

I NEED a full Lor video on Princesscore now. Everytime she brought it up her reaction absolutely sent me 😂😂😂

I just got old enough to buy lolita fashion. I'm definitely going to buy lolita fashion when I have the money for it

I am so tired of every app pushing short form content. I swear to god. If I wanted to watch shorts I would go to tik tok.

I follow the fashion but don't wear it. From my view, the post-pandemic continued supply chain shortages and inflation have caused many businesses to fail after having clung on during the pandemic. I would think that, given the robust resell community for Lolita, if you want to see if Lolita is dying, look at those numbers: are there significantly more dresses and accessories for sale than in the past? Are resell prices crashing because more items are being sold but there is less demand for them? If not, then the fashion isn't dying.

I agree with your initial reaction that it really is the economy. I would love to be able to support every indie brand, but it’s just not realistic. Financially as well as personally I’m trying to limit how much I acquire as a consumer in general. I really hope to see these brands succeed and stick around so when I am in a position to afford a new piece I can support them. Marina Kei expressed this so well in one of her episodes of Frill Talk that running a Lolita brand truly is a labour of love. I also agree that just because people aren’t buying new all the time doesn’t mean that Lolita is dead. It means so much more. It means the second hand market is thriving, it means, people are enjoying items in their wardrobe. I love seeing coord video content that isn’t just a haul, but when creators use what is already existing in their closets and it really inspires me to do the same.❤

As a Taobao lolita shopper I have never seen so many lolita fashion brands and amazing prints coming from China. It makes me very happy that this seems to be growing in a country with so many people and with a high culture of online sharing. I always try to wear lolita to anime or gaming cons to mark a fashion presence and I've always had people coming to me, asking how they can get started on the fashion! Every single time! :) Makes so happy.

Princess core made me cry (my favorite subculture is hime lolita)

I can’t afford lolita anymore. But I really love the fashion, so I started sewing my lolita myself.

I'm a lonelita in rural areas of a mid-eastern state. I've been wearing the style over 5 years on my own time. I live a hundred miles or more from any meet, and I don't think I can drive in a large city as I am a country bumpkin. I've considered going to conventions before, but honestly I wear the style to the store of post office sometimes because I'm not shy and I'm not afraid of people approaching me. I have slowed down buying lolita fashion because of 4 reasons. 1. The economy. Food prices have inflated so much I have to allocate more of my budget to that. I am not wealthy, and I like frozen foods which are pricey. 2. I bought a car last year and spent a lot of my savings on a downpayment so I have less to spend on hobby items. 3. I've been putting more of a focus on travel and sightseeing. I went to England and Texas this year. I hadn't been to either before. I'd like to go to more places while I'm at a good age to do so (almost 35) 4. My wardrobe is already large (60+ main pieces) and I am not a lifestyler so there's no reason for it to grow unless it's a must-have piece. I sometimes sell stuff less in line with my style as my tastes have developed since 2018 when I first started buying. I did buy the MTO of Milky Planet and Sugar Hearts this year. If anything, rather than buying in excess, I should downsize because I have more than I probably should in my rotation and a lot of pieces get neglected. I wear about once a week, but I skip some weeks if I feel lazy or just uninspired.

People have been saying "lolita is dying" or "lolita is dead" since 2008. There are multiple reasons for it, some of which were already mentioned. Styles change, there's less lolita coverage by the mainstream media, some brands close or become almost inactive, etc. And we're still here. I'm still buying from brands, there's still a local comm near me. So I never take it seriously until I notice there's a sharp decline in actual interest in lolita fashion, which hasn't happened yet. The fashion has survived a boatload of brands closing before 2005 even rolled around. The only thing you can do if you don't want your favorite brand to close is to buy directly from them. If they're no longer making what you want to buy then contact them.

Yeah I definitely notice that there's a lot of people interested in lolita, just money exists and apparently you need money to buy things 😡/j source: i run a lolita meme account on twitter and a lot of people who follow are basically people who don't wear lolita but are interested in the fashion itself

I'm a newbie to Lolita. I initially saw stuff like Cottagecore and Harajuku fashion, then began getting interested in it. I bought my first Lolita dress recently and I love it ! The ribbons, ruffles etc. Because all this stuff is so expensive, I don't know if I'll ever build a huge wardrobe of it. But I would enjoy getting more outfits.

“There are definitely lone lolitas out there that don’t have a local comm and don’t pay online” it’s true we exist 😭😭😭 lonelitas unite! (For once lul)

I've only recently been able to fully express my love for lolita fashion and start buying pieces so i sure hope it's not going anywhere anytime soon lol! But with new people getting into the subculture (such as myself), and people who have been in it for years still continuing it I'm sure it's not "dying" like some people may say is. I'm excited to watch this video and see what you have to say on the topic! :)

As you said, I think the biggest problem is money. I created a local community here in my city on November 2022 after I found out I wasn't a lonelita. Sure we were just 3, but it wasn't a problem for me. I started even a ig page and a youtube channel hoping that someone interested in the fashion discovered us, and it was. Now we are 18, all active. And most of them have between 16 and 21 years, while I and other 2 are 90s girls. Unfortunately it's normal that people in our age loose interest, but they are also the people who have money. There are always New lolitas, but because of their age, they can't afford slow fashion and in 95% of the cases, parents won't buy them a 200€ set (talking about my brand Tomoyo's Atelier) or they won't be happy if their children save the money and then spend so much in fashion, even if it's their saved money

these things are also a struggle with Ouji fashion, Ouji has always been a little more niche than Lolita but lately I feel as though it’s even harder to find resources for getting into it :’)

For me personally it's definitely because of the economy. Like in 2020-2021 I was buying a lot, then my life situation changed and I also had to worry about more bills on top of the inflation and I did not attend enough events to wear the pieces I _do_ have so it's just not a priority. But I definitely still love it, the fashion can't get rid of me that easily lol

EU lolita here! I feel like the subculture is doing amazing here. There's cool events, succesful indie brands (there's actually blood baths for brands like Wirehead), and I even have a shop that sells Taobao in a physical store in my city. Not to mention there's a meet-up almost every weekend here. It's great :)

Bruh, the only reason I'm not buying real lolita is because I literally don't have the money right now, I'm a college student and so as you could surmise my income doesn't allow it. The moment I can I know I and so many other people my age will be buying from actual brands and getting those clothes, but in the meantime I'm gonna sew lace onto the T-shirts and Skirts I have because it's way cheaper (and also way less fun, but you get the gist)

Girl it ain’t dead, I’m just getting started!! I’m getting my honey cake jsk Friday!!

Can confirm lolita fashion seems "steady" in Japan as I see someone in full lolita at least once a week. Oh and I RARELY see any with petticoats here probably because the places you would most likely wear lolita to tends to have really packed trains.

Well, if it helps, I got my girlfriend into it. Buying her an atelier pierro jacket for Xmas. I hope it doesn’t ever die because I like seeing girls in poofy outfits that they put a lot of thought into.

Right now, it's definately the cost. Prior to the panini, I was doing pretty well focusing on lolita and lolita adjacent jewelry and accessories at cons. But once conventions were back, they just weren't moving like they had, even if I was making new and interesting stuff. I haven't made any new jewelry aside from a few pieces and have been focusing on other stuff and I'm doing better with that. People aren't making a lot of big purchases. Hell, I've even sat out on a lot of releases because my groceries are pricier now and I really don't need more. Poeple are still wearing the fashion, but I'm not seeing the influx of newbies I used to, at least at conventions and in my local comm. There's interest, definately. But it's a bit steep to start out now, I think. It can be a really big investment to build a small beginner wardrobe if you're just not going to wear it as much. You run into the issue of older, experienced lolitas being less active or opting to try other things (even if they don't leave the fashion per-se), but there's less new people filling the gap and you get stagnation. This is a bad thing in online communities for sure. But this is a worldwide niche fashion community that's always being fueled by new releases. The issue is that it hits the smaller indie brands hardest while the larger brands can afford to keep going. Baby and AP have plenty of support and interest in the future, but if you're someone starting out with a small indie brand or making lolita-specific items to sell at the local con's artist alley, you're probably going to have issues growing.

I am starting to get into Lolita fashion so I would hate to see it die out before I have even started

The part about every jfashion panel at a con being only Lolita fashion is so true 😭 I'm a decora kid and the last anime con I went to had ONLY Lolita panels and I was even kicked out of one because I "wasn't a lolita" ... it was a Lolita fashion history panel... 💀 I like the style but don't dress in it so I was super confused as to why I wasn't allowed in 😭 needless to say I was super sad cuz i was really bored most of the con, didn't even go on the 3rd day ☹️

Same reaction to "princesscore" tbh 😭😭 it's the naming,,, do you think one aspect of it is Instagram suppressing the main egl tags this year? I feel like that was a big blow... (Disclaimer I don't wear the fashion, just an interested learner)

I found the fashion back in 2015, but only got my first piece in 2020. I haven’t joined a community yet because my disability makes it a little hard to go new places by myself, but I went to Keicon and Anime North this year and had so many fun talking to other lolitas. My New Year’s resolution is to properly join a community and make more friends so I sure hope the fashion isn’t disappearing anytime soon!!

I tried to get into the style and the community but was quite literally turned away because my local community is all about gatekeeping. Additionally, as a plus size girl, it’s really difficult to source. It’s left a crappy feeling for me

Well, where I live, it's heartening to see new baby Lolitas stopping by our stall at a convention, surprised and overjoyed to actually stumble upon an actual Lolita stall (we are a small indie brand, make our own clothes and accessories) and two actual living Lolitas tending it and making all that stuff by themselves, lol🙂 Love the excited squeals and the hugs!XD I'd agree that part of it might be the economy. Even our established customers, who usually buy a skirt or a dress or some bigger item, are simply counting every penny - and some just don't come to the con at all, because it just costs so much. But there definitely is still a lot of life to Lolita yet! So let's not lose hope🙂 Thanks for the great video, Lor!

I'm seeing more interest in gothic and classic Lolita however the ott Sweet style of Lolita is nowhere near as popular as it used to be. Fashion trends come and go all the time though so in a couple years ott sweet looks could return and be as popular as it used to be, you just never really know.

in celebration of lolita fashion not dying, my christmas present to myself was ordering two of haenuli's preorder dresses because oh my god, it's such a dream that they're back. supporting the girlies for christmas!! (and hi lor, I met you at kumori recently and you were so lovely! I'm the circus lolita with no socials haha but just wanted to say thanks for talking with me and meeting you gave me a big boost of confidence wearing my coords out again after the pandemic!)

idk about everywhere else, but as a mod for my local comm, we get new members way more often than i would expect! (especially for a "dying" fashion lmao) whether they're referred by comm members, found us at conventions, or just sought out local community and happened upon our facebook page, new members are rolling in on sometimes a weekly or even daily basis. people still care! and folks get revved UP about meets.

I think you hit the nail on the head. It’s not dying, people are just readjusting their finances, and taking care of needs over wants atm. Shipping, manufacturing, designing , all of it is expensive, but nobody can really help that right now. I have shifted more to making my own dresses/accessories rather than buying them. Are they more basic and not as heavily detailed? Yes. But not many brand pieces that have been released lately have been appealing to me.

I’d love a video on your princesscore views! I feel like a lot of the aesthetic could easily be considered an incorporation of sweet leaning classic EGL and might even be contribute to modernizing part of the fashion in a similar way to the more punky elements that get accepted through all the substyles now. That’s said, it’s hard to navigate the conversation of not referring to EGL as princesscore despite both fashions being heavily inspired by the same historical style eras

I spied my ILD co-ord in this video 😎 also I completely agree with you Lor about the reason we’re having a lot of small brands struggle and it’s people’s loss of disposable income. A lot of people in my country are having to line up for food banks for the first time in their lives in order to eat, hard to justify new clothes when affording food and housing is so hard.

I was a Decora person, most of my friends in J fashion or Lolitas and pretty much every J fashion event I have been to besides one has been a lolita event. I literally own a few Lolita dresses just to wear for a lolita meet ups because you’re the only meet ups around where I live for J fashion. I’m also a furry and in my local furry community there are multiple Lolitas that will wear their first suits with lolita or just come to meet up with in lolita.

I do really think that the fact everything is really expensive and no one also has time to wear it. Most of us work jobs with uniforms and so we don't get to express ourselves. I'm sure it's also exhausting to put all of the stuff on as well as come up with a cord. (Also RU-vid unsubbed me it was super weird)

So I considered getting into the fashion again more recently, got a second hand btssb piece. But I came to realize what I like most about Lolita fashion is the intricate details, historical influence and prevalence of pastels. But with the cottage-core boom, coquette styles like ballet-core and even I guess what you're calling princess-core there are just so many other outlets for these types of aesthetic interests in western fashion. Obviously, it took the west 20 years to catch up to what's been popular in Japan, but we have now. So with these other western fashion outlets there are also a lot of benefits: A huge one is more size inclusivity in the west. I mean, the average brand Lolita piece doesn't even fit the average US size L. It's more accessible, and on top of that you don't get the people asking you why you're dressed like a cupcake or a haunted Victorian doll all the time. And not to be snobby but, like, 300 dollars on pieces that are usually polyester?? But I love the roots of the fashion and so much about the styles and will always appreciate seeing it around. I know it's not going anywhere but it might have to adapt a little more to current consumer demands at least.

And here I am, almost 40 years old, tipping my toes into lolita for the first time for real 😄💖 Edit: Thanks for links, I will check those shops out (I hope they ship in Finland)

I’ve been in Lolita since 2008 and it’s always had these ups and downs. I constantly see people saying that it’s dying or dead and then a big boom happens. Sometimes fashion subcultures get stagnant and then something comes along and reinvigorates it! I think it’s a healthy life cycle🧐

I would say i'm one of the Lone-litas somewhere in the wilderness and i'm new to wearing the Fashion. It's kinda hard to learn about all the Shops you can buy from. All Brands. All Indie Brands. I'm german and just recently learned about Violet Fane being an european Brand (good to know if you want to cut off extra custom fees) It's sad to hear they'll close (as well as Lady Sloth)

I literally just got into lolita fashion this year after admiring it for years and it does feel a bit like i might have missed the sweet spot for being into this fashion

KAWAII TILL I DIE !! 💞🎀🩷

Lolita is most definitely not dying, just last weekend I saw two sweet lolitas in the span of like 3 hours. Sure, two might not seem a lot but I live in Finland, and everyone dresses the same so seeing anyone in anything alternative is something new so seeing two sweet lolitas in the same place in the span of 3 hours was something new. Add to that, someone from my school is a lolita, they even make lolita content on youtube, so it definitely is still alive.

I will wear my Lolita regardless whether it's popular or not. I love it and less people wear it, thr more unique i look haha. I don't care about doing meets, im comfortable going out alone in it. I hope brands can survive. Love your channel from the UK x

Honestly I love Lolita but 1) I'm a minor, so I don't have money to myself or any money to spend 2) the only pieces I can afford is amazon sadly 3) when I wore a Lolita dress to school a few times, people stared and judged me for it :( 4) sizing is a bit difficult since even as a teen, I'm so petite so pieces won't fit me 😿 5) I'm still trying to find what I think fits me! My gender identity definitely affects what I choose, so I hesitate to buy any pieces since I'm genderfluid :) Overall I LOVE Lolita, I'm just a poor teen😞👎🏼 I hope that if I can afford sewing or fashion classes, I can make a Lolita brand for petite people! Idk if people would be interested in that though :')

A big change in mindset with younger people. They dont believe styles have "rules" and as long as they "have fun" they dont need to spend a dime on resources or artistry. And they certainly dont like "research". The laziness is super evident when viewing sub culture fashion through a doll collecting lense.

I really want to be a lolita. I hope someday I get the money

always love when you post, your content is so comforting! i live in a small town so i only usually meet other lolita’s at cons that are far from me so just listening to someone talk about the fashion is always such a nice time :))

been into lolita since 2007, and my comm's been super active lately (we've had meetups every week this past month or so? I actually am procrastinating on figuring out my coord for an ice skating meet for this weekend lmao) I feel like there was such a HUGE influx of people getting into the fashion in 2020 that just wasn't going to continue at that level because economy + amount of time people have where they can wear it freely, etc. also i feel like it feels worse right now because practically every single social media is exploding in some way atm (instagram doesn't give you an easy way to see the newest posts in a tag, twitter, tumblr is still pretty quiet in terms of fashions these days, discord is not actually a social media and you can't just find other posts, i dont know what goes on on tiktok and at this point i'm too afraid to ask) but also! i think expanding to other styles can be really fun, I went to japan recently and realized just how many different styles are out there that are also fun to wear (plus the shopkeepers were so encouraging, I ended up buying even more than I planned) the whole experience made me both consider ways I can wear other styles + wear lolita pieces and accessories in non-lolita ways for days when I can't wear the fashion

I'm actually kind of surprised to hear that Kumoricon DIDN'T have any lolita programming this year, it's been a couple of years since I've been, but they usually DO have a couple of things catered to the lolita community. Not surprising that there were still a lot of people from the community in attendance ig!

There are so many options now, and people do not have to buy from the big brands anymore. If no one is buying from a certain brand it could be because people do not know about the new release, they got a bad rep. in the community, what they are selling is too expensive, or what they are offering is not desirable at that time.

I definitely feel the pain of the economy point... This year, I only bought one main piece, a blouse, and 2 tights. I also think that lolita communities are still active/alive. I started going to lolita meetups in the beginning of 2023 and the discord is also very active!

NOO NEVER LOLITA WILL NEVER DIEEEE

I'm the lone lolita in the wilderness you're talking about. Just because I don't interact with the community and don't post much online doesn't mean I don't actively wear lolita on a nearly lifestyle basis, and even if it's not "in vogue" doesn't mean I'm not going to continue to wear lolita AS WELL as any other similar fashions that resonate with me.

It's the economy. Like I was buying a lot as I was getting into the fashion, but I've gotten the basics now and welp, having a new house built, have two little kids now and it's down to, do I want this release of XYZ brand that I probably will not be able to get again, or a pair of shoes... the dresses tend to win out. XD

Shout out to the dutch community for having a meet like every weekend, ya'll are crazy

While I've been working towards my masters I haven't had the time or energy to keep up with Lolita and actually wear it frequently. I might pair down my wardrobe some (especially pieces that never fit right or don't fit right anymore). But I still like having my collection of beautiful dresses even if I don't wear them all the time (or even frequently). It's not that lolita has died for me, it's just a luxury that I don't have the resources for at the moment (even if the resources are non-physical like energy or sensory tolerance)

I feel like in Europe (at least France and Spain, that's where I know the most people) the fashion is going really strong. There's quite a lot of events and associations being created and communities tend to have instagram accounts and show their meetups and communicate there (our comm does that). So I wonder if it's more of an American (as in the continent) centric feeling? But anyway people say lolita is dying every two years so I'm not too worried lol

It'w the economy for me. I had a major financial shift in 2022. But also all the brands I've really liked have stopped doing prints I like - or have gone completely under RIP.

I paused dressing in lolita in 2018 and put my wardrobe in storage and im so glad that i didnt sell it instead, bc i got back into it a few years later

Do you think the spirit halloween / hot topic "lolita costume" fad made people kinda embarrassed and focus on other things for a bit?

Nope still dress up, but its the weather cold is way harder to dress up in. 😂

I used to wear lolita in 2011 and quit a few years after that. But I'm back wearing the fashion again, especially now that I'm older and can actually afford stuff.

I'm so sad, because I'm a greek ouji fashion person, but the greek lolita community is so dead/hard to find, with the latest forums having their latest post being in 2011... I wish there was a bigger ouji/lolita community in Greece!

It better not be!! EDIT: I agree. People’s money just doesn’t go as far. People are struggling to just feed themselves. 2nd edit: another thought I had: I think we’re in an Old School boom. Have you seen the prices of Shirring Princess lately?! These are 13 year old dresses for crying out loud!! I think people are buying the older dresses right now, and the lolitas interested in those are generally experienced lolitas. So, yeah, new people aren’t joining right at this moment. But they will. Give it time.

Lor I had NO IDEA you were here in Portland at Kumoricon! There are a few reasons why there was no lolita fashion content there but we definitely still have a strong community here. I hope our city was good to you had a GREAT time.

i wasn't able to make it to kumoricon this year, but i went last year and saw so many lolitas! they really inspired me to wear lolita to a different convention in the pdx area :) its so fun to see in person, i don't think its dying at all!

EGL fashion and the stores and brands must adapt or die. I rarely wear EGL anymore (I actually need to sell some pieces) but I do know that I need to beef up my collection of essentials like different petticoat silhouettes and bloomer fabric weights so I can eventually wear it again. Right now I'm in a season of life where I just don't have many opportunities to wear it without risking damage to the dress, and I'm still avoiding large crowds without a mask, so the usual tea party meet ups are out. 🤷 ETA: Okay but that now Haenuli is fully returned I might need to save up for a new piece 😍😍 Also so cool that it looks like you got to take a picture with Sebastian Matsuda! What a legend.

I still wear Lolita and even though it’s a bit hard for me to afford brand Lolita I think taobao and 42 Lolita have good stuff for a not to bad of a price!

I am VERY much on the side of wanting to wear lolita full time but unfortunately I just don't have the income to do so

Lolita is hella expensive and also very difficult to pull off in most regions, besides east Asia, USA and western Europe. I just can't bring myself to be wearing expensive lolita cloths in my tropical and conservative country. I know the weather and conservative part extends the scope of this video, but yeah, there are many factors that just favor more affordable and casual fashions, which lolita checks as none.

I have no local community and I live in a larger city. Ive definitely slowed down on buying much of anything anymore and do focus pieces that I can make more casual. But I would never sell my dresses! I'm actually visiting friends in KC for Christmas and I'm so excited to go to the Lolita Collective store!

OMGG I didn't even know you were at kumo!!! I actually wore lolita when I was there and met a few who were so so nice!!

I vote for John Kramer Rilakuma to be the permanent voice it fits so well

i have been following your channel for years and years but only just started wearing lolita myself last year at age 29! i wasnt even aware there was a downshift in the community at the moment because i am always finding new lolitas to follow and my small local comm was recently resurrected. the closest friend i made in my comm used to wear lolita a ton before the pandemic and then they dropped out of the fashion for a few years but this year got back into it thanks to use having meet ups! just like you said, there will always be new lolitas and old lolitas coming back into the style. i would bet the number one reason brands are struggling is just because of the economy, not because people are losing interest in the fashion. ive seen more than one lolita post about how they want to avoid buying new pieces and focus on making different coords with the stuff they already have. people are just broke right now! but things will bounce back im sure :)

I'm a UK lolita and I seldom participate with my comm anymore due to most of it being upcountry and I'm just chilling in Cornwall. Most of my reason is literally that travel is incredibly expensive and I just couldnt justify it. (Also anxiety lmao)

I think lolita is more popular/mainstream now than ever but thats lead to it being more accessible (cheaper 2nd hand sales, taobao etc) which means more people than ever can try it once without commitment or really interacting with any comm irl or online aside from posting a photo, i think over the community side of lolita is dying especially lolita as facebook and livejournal are no longer popular there isnt really one online place to congregate anymore

im still starting out as a bit of one i have like 2 cords and have one in the way, im 19 and i was told it takes a while to build a wardrobe, i dont think its gonna die anytime soon since we have the rise of coquette fashion which is what i consider to be an entry to lolita fashion as it has some elements, most people from there are def gonna be into lolita fashion soon!

I got into lolita fashion in 2008, and started wearing it in 2009. I used to wear the fashion pretty often, and was an active member of my local comm, but in recent years I unexpectedly gained weight and no longer fit into most of my wardrobe. D: I've been in the fashion for so long, and I've seen all sorts of trends and rules rise and fall in the fashion (remember when it was only acceptable for gothic or classic lolitas to wear red lipstick?). Because it is, at its core, a counter-culture fashion I really don't think that the existence of lolita fashion relies on popularity. While I was devastated when the publication of GLB ended and Kera went digital, I believe that even if the main brands were to go out of business (heaven forbid) the fashion itself wouldn't disappear. So long as there are even a few women wearing the fashion, and sites like lace market and closetchild, there will be no end to lolita fashion.

I do think that the main issue right now really is the economy. I love the fashion, but i can barely afford my bills and rent. And it sucks because theres small shops i wanted to buy from that are now fully or partially shutting down becuase of cost. I dont participate in my local com because it seems like most lolita coms in my area are only really active on facebook and facebook is confusing to me. I prefer just getting tea with my sister occasionally anyway. Hopefully the economy gets better and more indie brands will pop up.

Just on the Cotton Candy Feet subject, as a business that caters to specifically Lolita fashion and kawaii/ princess fashion aesthetics etc, there’s obviously going to be a decrease in sales since as you said they are quite pricy for one pair of shoes. That and they have also been compared to bodyline in quality but bodyline are a much lower price range than what CCF is asking. (So obviously people are going to go from the cheaper same quality option) Lolita fashion IS a luxury item and not many people can afford it, especially younger people and newer fans like teens who are trying different styles to find one they like and don’t have a lot of money to buy a whole wardrobe or even a whole coord. I understand why CCF would be upset and think the fashion is dying, but it’s just business especially since the economy is terrible and no one is buying luxury items. Maybe they need to think about changing up their business model and offer more affordable options or do smaller/ less frequent releases to help with sales instead of just blaming it on a “dying fashion”. Btw no hate towards cotton Candy feet, I just personally think this Insta story was quite silly as all small businesses are suffering from low sales over the last few years- not just them. I’m sure plenty of people want to purchase from them (myself included!) but it’s just not what most people are able to afford atm. 🤷‍♀️

The lolita community is infamous for being hostile and unwelcoming and i think that contributes to the decrease in interest. The fashion is also inaccessible in every sense of the word. Its expendive, it lacks plus sizes and depending where you live brands may or may not ship to you at all. So it makes sense why a lot of people would rather turn to other fashion aesthetics like cottagecore that are more accessible and the community is less hostile.

I only had the confidence to wear lolita for the first time yesterday :) very much enjoyed it

I think over the last year or so my local comm has got a bit bigger, it had been shrinking for a while but then someone set up a discord in addition to the facebook page and that seems to have helped.

Hiii!! Newbie here!! If you're a newbie, say it! So we can show people that we exist!! Have hope, older lolitas!! :D (also you really inspire me Lor!! Watched your channel for years)

Most people said they stopped wearing Lolita fashion because it's way too expensive. Unless Lolita fashion can find a way to be affordable...

Went to harajuku last weekend and saw a good handful of Lolita’s which I was surprised about. Seemed like a lot of older people instead of younger newbies

I am a newbie, I have been interested in lolita fashion for years and finally bought my first dress!!!

I think its important to remember there are plenty of offline lolitas. I've been casually into lolita for a decade. Currently have 4 dresses i wear occasionally. I teach 5th grade, so ill wear lolita for special days and the kids get a hoot out of it. Ive gone through phases of being more or less into lolita but the love never died. Lolita certainly isn't dead. (Also you are so right about the subscribe thing, swore i was subscribed been watching you for years so sorry queen 😭 subscribed immediately)

Whilst the comms in the north of England are all very interconnected and active - a lot of people are members in at least 3 comms (I'm personally in Sheffield, Leeds, Nottingham and Cheshire, Lancashire & Manchester) and attendance is usually good when I've been to meets the past couple of years, mostly with Sheffield's comm, including when they celebrated their 10th anniversary last year with a BIG ILD event involving the other northern comms - but one thing I've noticed is that I feel like the amount of secondhand sales on LaceMarket has dropped a lot, like I used to see a lot of new stuff every day (searching within Europe, so I can't speak for other areas) but it's felt very dried up the past few times I've visited...

I can definitely relate to the "too poor for lolita fashion". I love this style so much and I have a few pieces but it's so hard to expand my wardrobe when it's already so expensive just to buy groceries.

haenuli/iris garden is the only brand i buy now days. The designs are diverse and size inclusive. They also look fantastic on any body type