How to Make Lolita Fashion Clothes

Creating your own Lolita fashion clothes is easy as long as you have the right materials and tools. Minimal sewing skills are needed, but be sure you know how to work a sewing machine. This trend originated in Japan in the Kansai region and trickled over to Tokyo, where it became very popular among youths in the 1990s. Lolita fashion takes inspiration from Victorian clothing, with lace, tulle and plaid playing large roles. These details take on a very child-like appearance--thus the name "Lolita," as in the young female character created by author Vladimir Nabokov. The Lolita fashion trend has spread to parts of the Western world, where it has earned its place as a subculture.

Things You'll Need

• Material (bright colors, tulle, and lace)
• Existing clothes to which you can add Lolita qualities
• Sewing machine
• Thread

Instructions

1. Find clothes you can alter. Take clothes you already own, or do a quick run to the thrift store to find clothes to which you can add Lolita clothing qualities. Great items for this include black dresses, skirts and vests. Remember that the Lolita subculture stems from the Lolita character, so a mix of strong and soft materials and colors is always the underlying theme.

2. Get lace and tulle to make your alterations. Hit a local fabric shop and find lace and tulle in bright colors to add to your garments. Use colors such as neon green, yellow and pink to add soft, young, whimsical qualities to black clothing. Lace and tulle are common materials in Lolita-esque apparel due to their association with young girls.

3. Add trim to your black clothing. Lolita fashion is all about trims. Everything from a simple black blouse to a plain black skirt has a contrasting brightly colored trim. Measure the length of the garment of section thereof, and measure your lace accordingly. You can hand-sew trim on something small such as a sleeve if you have beginner sewing skills, while using a machine will likely make things more durable in the long run.

4. Shop for plaids and white fabric. To create your own Lolita fashion clothes from scratch, start with white and plaid fabrics. Materials for blouses should be soft and have a feminine demeanor, while plaids should follow the traditional schoolgirl look.

5. Use patterns to create simple apparel pieces. To create blouses and skirts, use patterns. Even with minimal sewing skills, patterns allow you to create the garment and customize it after it's made. Cut your fabric following the pattern and sew it to complete the garment. Once you have integral pieces such as blouses and skirts, you can go about adding trim as suggested in Step 3.

Resources

• Free Lolita patterns