Lolita Fashion and Being (Unabashedly) Yourself
Hello, Marina here! As of late, I've been wanting to write an entry on this topic. It'll likely be longer than the last one– I have many, many thoughts on this.
I've been into Lolita fashion since I was a little girl. Probably around 10 or 9, I believe? Maybe younger. Regardless, it's always been something that's held my interest; I would spend hours upon hours watching brand reviews and looking at coords on Tumblr and Pinterest. I still do, actually. I like seeing other Lolitas in their favorite dresses and doing what makes them happy. (I also saw the cutest Tenna-inspired coordinate the other day. How awesome is this?)
What I'm trying to say is that Lolita fashion was there for me in some pretty awful times in my life. The culture around lolita too is so wonderful; seeing other women and men get to fulfill their childhood dreams of being a princess. It makes me so happy for them.
I got to fulfill my dream of wearing lolita out of the house on 6/5/25, I believe? I had gotten my first coord with my own money for my birthday, and it felt like a dream. I've never been super confident in my femininity– I have dark thick eyebrows, pesky facial hair, and a voice that's been called 'too manly' by many– but in lolita, all of that melted away. My insecurities were no longer the focus of myself. When I looked in the mirror, I didn't see any of those imperfections. I saw a young lady dressed up like a princess with a big smile on her face. Even without makeup, without hours spent shaving and waxing and trying my best to sound feminine, I felt like a girl. I felt like myself.
For many lolitas, this story will sound similar to theirs. That's what's so beautiful about EGL and its subculture. We're all just people looking to be cute, to be elegant, to dress up and have fun and not care who looks at us strangely. Being a lolita is acceptance of what most consider 'odd,' 'weird,' or 'cringe,' in a way.
To quote a lolita featured on a 2013 NHK program on the fashion, "Lolita is battle armor that shields me from my insecurities." I feel a similar way. Lolita is my gateway into my inner self— the me that doesn't worry what others think or say. The me that is unashamed for who she is. I think more people should indulge in things that feel 'cringey' or 'awkward.' After all, how will you grow if you don't ever let your roots spread?
I guess I can't end this without showing a coord of mine, can I? Well, here's one that's fairly recent. Click me! I'm not confident enough to show my face on here, but I'm delighted to be able to share my coordinates. Hopefully I'll be showing more with every update. As always, I'm Marina, and thank you for reading.