Elegant Gothic Lolita

Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL, Gothic Lolita, Goth Loli, etc., for short) is a quasi-antiquarian fashion style that emerged in Japanese subculture around 1997 and has since spread to Europe and North America. It was heavily influenced and popularized by the public images of Visual Kei bands (rock bands that placed emphasis on image, often wearing elaborate costumes for this purpose), the most obvious of which was Malice Mizer. Mana, the cross-dressing former leader of Malice Mizer and current leader of Moi Dix Mois, coined the term "Elegant Gothic Lolita" to describe his fashion line "Moi-meme-Moitie" (something like "Half Myself" in English) in 1999. Elegant Gothic Lolita imitates Victorian and Edwardian styles, and outfits are generally composed of knee-length puffed-out dresses or skirts, smocked bodices or blouses, knee-length (sometimes shorter or longer) socks or tights, platform "doll" shoes or boots, headpieces like bands of cloth or miniature top hats that tie under the chin or bonnets, sometimes crinolines, capelets, smart fitted coats, corsets, petticoats, bloomers, drawers, gloves, lacy parasols, and cute handbags that do not seem to particularly match with the rest, and often crucifixes or neck bands/"neck corsets." They are black, white, black trimmed with white, gray, red, pastel pink and blue, and sometimes have a flower print. The style features embroidery, lace, laces, frills, ruffles, ribbon, shirring, artificial corsages and roses adorning hats, etc., and often remarkable elaborateness. There are subcategories that vary in their degree of "Gothic" and "Lolita," some of which are more punkish or "gothy" as Westerners view it (i.e., more similar to Western goth fashion). The "classic" Lolita look is most antiquarian and instantly recognizable, though, like I said, there are variations. Gothic Lolitas are young females ("Elegant Gothic Aristocrat" is the male counterpart) who do not collectively listen to any particular genre of music or even necessarily display a "dark" or "rebellious" inclination; the fashion style is simply that, and is not related to musical taste (although influenced by bands) or lifestyle, as American goth, etc., is. Although "Lolita" implies a precocious, seductive young girl (the term comes from Nabokov's novel Lolita), EGL is meant to be cute (sometimes almost to the point of innocence), not sexy, and I suppose whether it's sexy or not is a matter of personal opinion. Some of it is too cutesy for my taste, but on the whole I like it immensely, and in fact any anachronistic, elegant style. Below I have assembled images galore, of classical EGL, Lolita and Lolita-influenced clothing by various designers and outlets, Mana (he makes a pretty if excessively melodramatic-looking girl), scans from the Gothic & Lolita Bible (Japanese magazine often used as a standard), and the like.