[discussion] Cosplay lolita... bringing the pain.

I'll be discussing the concept of cosplay lolita in depth here. It's an ita topic, to be honest, but I want to get my thoughts out.

There are many ways to build lolita coordinates, and one such way is bringing a theme into your outfit, perhaps to match a favorite concept or to celebrate an event. For example, photoshoots or a tea party around a holiday are popular times that lolitas can incorporate a fun theme. Alice in Wonderland, fairy tales, Christmas, Halloween, maid/butler cafes, sailor/pirate nautical outings; all of those can get a little... whimsical, but brands have been incorporating such motifs into their prints and advertisement photoshoots for forever. It's just a core concept of what a lolita is all about.

But when we talk about cosplay lolita, we're talking about these different and somewhat painful subjects below:

• Cosplaying an actual character from an anime/game/film who is wearing something lolita-like
• Example: characters from lolita-inspired manga series such as Rozen Maiden, which has collaborated with Innocent World
• Cosplaying an actual character from a series, but in lolita clothing they don't normally wear
• Example: dressing up as Hanji Zoe from Attack on Titan... but now wearing lolita, which I've done lmao

(Me wearing my concept of lolita Disney's Cinderella)

In these instances, it is no longer "I'm dressing in ouji, but I sorta look like a generic Mad Hatter with this hat and this teacup I'm carrying," it is more "I am Johnny Depp's Mad Hatter but in ouji." Of course, it is up to everyone on how they feel about calling cosplay lolita "lolita" or if they should even acknowledge it. But you know what, lolita designers are into the anime scene (even if just for the money), and many people who dress up in lolita, if not most of them, are or were weebs. So do your cosplay lolita if you want! Who cares what people say about you conflating lolita with cosplay? Look at your life choices, then look at your friends and their life choices. There is no dignity here, let's all be honest.

I think the main reason purist lifestyle lolitas don't want to be associated with cosplay lolita is simply because it usually looks bad. Other than the few collaborations, most cosplay lolita has to be handmade, and unless you're a seasoned seamstress, it will never look as polished as brand. Plus all those crazy wigs and accessories. Not to mention, sometimes the characters are just too sexual lolicon for many lolitas to be comfortable around. Who wants to be associated with fetish material? No one.

Cosplay lolita can be fun, especially to wear to an anime convention, but I won't lie, it's hard to pull off. Not recommended for beginners, that's for sure. As the occasion arrives, I'll keep doing some cosplay lolita, but honestly I'm pretty lazy and prefer to buy brand these days lmao.