Being completely honest, the Japanese fashion community’s attitude towards styling is leagues ahead of the western community. I feel that the western community gets caught in the trap of only purchasing from established Lolita brands. We’re great at supporting indie brands sometimes, but it almost seems like incorporating items and pieces into Lolita that aren’t “Lolita brands” is seen as such a rarity or “advanced” skill. It’s important to understand what Lolita is if you wanna call it Lolita. But I feel we sometimes emphasize the label of Lolita over do we like how we look and feel in our clothes. I agree that just appreciating an outfit (I don’t even wanna use coord in this context) for what it is is not done enough.
I think the differences between the community mindsets is very understandable though. The western comm has always seemed a bit more (not a lot more, I remember older japanese lolita forums had their rule police as well) particular about following the guidelines because of a general understanding that this isn't our place to change. I don't mean that western lolitas aren't lolitas, or that western lolitas are only guests in this fashion, but that lolita fashion as an idea originated in japan and that's also where (at least in the past) nearly all of the changes and trends originated. So japanese lolitas feel a bit more at ease with experimenting and improvising. But they also have a lot of non lolita kawaii brands making goods that are widely available now. If I could just go to any mall and pick up some 500yen cotton lace trimmed crew length socks I'd do that too. Another factor is that lots of (especially younger) lolitas in the western comm think being part of the group and being recognized as such, having a good reputation, getting validation, etc, is important to them. Getting all of your stuff from lolita specific sources is a safe choice. Knowing that a lot of lolitas list where all their items are from when they post outfits they might worry about how they will be perceived if "offbrand" or "home made" are terms that come up a lot in their coord summaries.
@@itsalwayshalloweenexceptwh5118 I totally agree with you! Culturally western and Japanese fashion have different mindsets. The need for validation really is strong and I think you’re right in that it stems from the older forums focus on rules. No one wants to feel ostracized or get kicked out of their comm for not following the rules closely enough.
I just want comment here with my personal perspective as Non-American I also find due to hyper competitive American culture , ocassionaly Lolita community in America tend to be treating the fashion somewhat like a competition to proves who stands out as being superior among all , which sounded make it forget this fashion meaning rooted from collective solidarity spirit and feminism movement that challenge hyper-sexualism of woman culture with conformist defying fashion which is not a competition to prove who is more superior And also its unrealistic to expect an Alternative fashion to remain stagnant as its nature is non-conformist
@@shanicestella2226 As a fellow non american I've also noticed this. That some north american lolitas take the competitive aspect and "keeping up with the Jones's" aspect of US culture and apply it to lolita. Some of them think it's more important to have a large wardrobe with as much brand (and especially highly popular and sought after pieces) than it is to buy things they love the most. For them it's really important how they are perceived. I'm not saying they don't like the stuff they buy but popularity/cred does influence their purchase decisions. This also includes bragging about being a brand whore and about saying you spend more than 3000$ per month on lolita. Don't get me wrong, I love btssb and most of my wardobe is btssb because I love their aesthetic, but I don't call myself a brand whore or think that it's something that makes you better than someone else. It literally doesn't matter where the stuff is from imo as long as the outfits are good.
The ONLY thing i hate about japanese fashion… is how small their sizing is. They never go into people that are plus size which sucks. They are leagues ahead with self expression, but not sizing
A lower waist made to fit a taller person makes sense for hot topic since theyre selling to a largely american audience. Most brands are manufacturing in Asian countries where the average height is smaller. I myself am 6ft tall. So a bodice that would come to natural waist on the original model is always going to be an empire on me. This is why I make my own JSK's for the most part. They actually fit me the way brand dresses fit on the og models
So I'm ngl, the hot topic draculaura dress is actually what made me start going down this lolita rabbit hole! I put it on and put a (shoddily handmade) petticoat under it and it just felt so right. I loved the silhouette and got a lot of compliments on it, and now here I am doing a bunch of research into the fashion hoping to get some legit pieces eventually!
Real talk I used to buy from hot topic relatively often, and the only thing I can say in regards to lolita, is their shoes. My god I bought these cute platform mary janes from hot topic and they’re actually really nice in terms of wearing with lolita, they’re not killing my feet, and they go with a lot of my outfits/coords. Literally just that one pair of platforms was basically able to match with my entire closet (makes sense since Im a hardcore gothic lolita lol) I can’t say much about anything else but, their shoes are pretty nice if you wanna look at them.
Hot topic is largely a resell store; very little of what they sell is produced under a hot topic brand. That means that how long lasting any given item is in their inventory depends on which fashion house they're buying from. Some of their sources are long-standing slow brands who produce (and then continue producing) the same items in addition to their new stock; this means their items can sell out and then be repurchased by Hot Topic; No one is surprised when HT continues to carry the same hair dye or body jewelry for years, and they carried Tripp pants for over a decade before they stopped. Some of the brands they carry are fast fashion brands who produce something at quantity quickly and then stop as soon as the trend shifts. This is the stuff that appears and the vanishes within a few months, even off the website.
American lolita confuses me so much more than it probably should. I was introduced to lolita by a now long defunct Japanese lolita on Tumblr, so the ideals that I was first introduced to were completely different to the ones the majority of the western lolita community sees as important. In my mind, because of the section of the community I started in, lolita is mostly about doing what makes you happy and wearing things that spark joy. The huge focus on specific brands and silhouettes and what counts as 'real' lolita just feels so strange to me because it's like the antithesis to what I was used to.
hahaha thank you! If you haven't seen it already, I have a video making that headpiece! If you search 'lovelylor making ott headpieces' it should come up! I'm thinking of doing another video like this again too :D
my local (latinamerican) community uses the term loliable (in spanish “loleable”) and it has never been used in a condescending way, it’s always used as a descriptor for not made for lolita items like you said, i guess there’s not a dislike for the word here cause there was never any exclusion of others in the community that way
Same thing in Brazil, when I was living there we would use the word "lolitável" (loliable) to say something was usable in a lolita coord, or that could be easily modified to pass as lolita fashion (like a cute t-shirt that had the perfect color and sleeves to become a cutsew). Also, we didn't have any of the bad meaning that Lor talked about. Maybe it depends heavily on your comm (on or offline).
i remember one of my first lolita coords i made used a skirt from hot topic. i posted it on tumblr and i was so scared about what others in the community would say, so i HAD to include the tag "i know hot topic isn't lolita." im so happy times are changing, and i just dont care what others thing, lol.
Hot Topic has re-released a LOT of the OG fashions from when I was young. Like the gothic sweater cape. I’m pretty sure it’s a re-release. I’m seeing tons of places do this, now that retro fashion from the 90’s and 2000’s is trendy. That gothic salopette is amazing it’s perfectly shaped like a bell and it’s a lovely length - it looks so well made and measured. I would probably buy it to make a pattern for other skirts. I’m astonished. There’s definitely a Lolita putting her input in at Hot Topic and they’re listening to her!! Giving me a new opinion on them! Ig a lot has changed!
this actually makes me more comfortable to style something that is not typically lolita more lolita-ish. I have this black dress that kinda has a bell shape but it was not sold as a lolita piece. I tried it with a petticoat and it works ! but I was scared to wear it at a meetup.. so I end up not wearing it. I might next time :)
You should! I think people always put too much emphasis on brands and labels. It's classiest and exclusionary which isn't the point of Lolita. Like if someone put in effort to make something fit into a a Lolita outfit I think it's possible. Like somethings are straight not Lolita no matter how you try, but if a dress is in that silhouette, and aesthetic then sure. Why not?
@@ShinBubblegumGaming The honest to god best place to start is accessories. You can also make most of them and if you can find some supplies second hand it'll be even cheaper. Good luck!
I think even if you may be able to get away with buying something that could work for lolita from hot topic, you should still try to support ACTUAL lolita brands. Not just the core japanese brands, but indie and taobao/Chinese brands as well. I don’t know, I feel like the brands dedicated to lolita actually care about the fashion, instead of a huge company like Hot Topic trying to just make a buck with low quality products. IMO that money should be saved and maybe put towards something from Taobao or something used if budget is the concern. I think the appeal of Hot Topic is instant gratification for some. That’s just my two cents, not trying to upset anyone.
I think I mentioned this at the end? or it may have been cut for time. I believe this too! This video is part of a series I do called "can you buy from" but I have many other videos on indie brands and other lolita fashion shopping options! I think more big company / mainstream stores carrying lolita inspired silhouettes helps us with representation, being respected and recognized by the general public. Ideally I'd love if everyone shopped indie but I know that I have a wide audience and for various reasons they might not be able to so this could be an option for some people. I see it as another potential tool in the grand arsenal of lolita shopping.
I agree with supporting indie brands but Japanese and Chinese brands fit so weird on taller or heavier people that I just can't get behind "supporting" them. Everything is short and too tight in the bust. Western fine companies are a yes but I'll say eastern Lolita companies do not make clothes to fit a black body lol
I think what other people do with their own money isn't really your business? I have dresses from Enchantlic Enchantilly, Angelic Pretty, Atelier Pierrot, Metamorphose, BTSSB and IW. I have dresses from Miss Point, Kidsyoyo and Soufflesong. And I have dresses from Bodyline, Hot Topic and Torrid. They all look great with a blouse and a petti under them, properly styled with appropriate accessories and shoes and headwear. The two HT dresses needed some work before I could wear them (most notably, removal of crap lace) so I wouldn't call them instant gratification at all. I saw dresses I thought could work with some TLC and they do. Also, for outdoor picnic meets and other situations where dirt and my dress may come into contact with one another, it's nice to have a few things that can be washed a little more aggressively and didn't cost me half my monthly rent. :)
I think you get what you pay for in this case, these dresses are obviously lower quality and have less detail than "brand" and taobao dresses (the first dress especially looked really thin and poor quality to me 🫣). Would have loved to see the dresses inside out to judge the construction but that's the sewing nerd in me hehehe ^^' I really dont like the brand worship aspect of lolita but idk if i like this fast fashion-ification of it either. I think it could be okay for beginners or people who want to try it out though!
Like Bodyline isn't fast fashion? Like people haven't been using blouses from Forever 21 since forever? I have several dresses that I cleaned up and nobody can tell they came from HT.
Omg I was just in hot topic and was like oop I'm noticing a lot more lolita silhouettes and accessories in there and I'm loving it! I know they're really short sometimes but that's the silhouette I like anyways so it works out for me😂
You should do a video on their sister store, Box Lunch! They have so many cute dresses that I feel could definitely be lolita. I’m talking BORDER PRINTS!!
it’s nice to see a video like this, I have a few dresses I’ve gotten from hot topic that I’ve always thought could be styled in a gothic lolita way but have been too nervous to do anything with. looks stellar with a petti under it though
I have a few of those supposed “Lolita” dresses and I get a lot of wear out of them. I think Lolita is more of a keyword than saying they have true Lolita clothes and a place where people can buy dresses inspired by Lolita yet aren’t super expensive. It’s funny that you are making the dresses work. That’s super cool for us plus size girls who don’t have much money but can copy the style, because HT goes up to 3X in their junior sizes and 5/6 in plus. I like also that you have a goth look too. I do both of these too!
i’m a gothic lolita, goth, and vkei. i hateeee hot topics items and even if they sold lolita stuff i wouldn’t buy it for quality reasons, and ethical reasons.
*just adding that i am already goth since i forgot to mention this before!* hi! just out of curiosity may i ask for a little more elaboration on this? i've been into both gothic lolita and vkei fashion for a long time now and have yet to build an actual collection of any sorts, but i've always considered playing around with pieces from there and styling them to fit either style. i've also never had any (serious) quality issues with them personally. i have never heard any ethical complaints about them other than occasionally stealing art (which is obviously terrible) and that it does fall under fast fashion, but so do almost any clothing company in the west. there have been more discussions about how boycotting fast fashion still does harm since instead of addressing the actual issue, it just puts the workers in danger. there's a chance i may have just been lucky with what i bought in terms of quality (i'm not counting band/graphic tees in this discussion as those are really standard and hard to screw up), but i would still love to hear more about the quality aspect! of course you don't have to buy from hot topic and i'm not saying you should for hopefully obvious reasons, but i would like to hear more about your perspective so i can be more mindful about them in the future. of course if you don't want to elaborate further that's more than alright! or if you learned about all of this info through other pieces of media i would love to be pointed in the right direction! regardless, have a lovely day, sorry if this is long!
@@maryamm.9 it’s all good! i feel for my takes on hot topic for quality reasons i think that last often is itchy and the materials are see though. for why i don’t want to buy from them is some of the reasons you said. i’ll use shen as an example they are a multi million company they can still provide to pay there workers if a person stops buying. and if they can’t pay them the working will be laid of, this is basic information you can find. losing your job at a sweat shop is like losing your job at mcdonald’s, some may be extremely dependent on their mcdonald’s job for money but if you get fired there is a wide market of jobs you can grab. same goes for working at hot topic working for hot topic and getting fired isn’t the end of the world you can just go and work at Spenser’s. also boycotting an issue is one of the most effective ways to address the issue because it spreads awareness to the issue and doesn’t give them more money. more money equals more demands equals needing more workers . for wearing vkei and gothic lolita i would recommend building up a blouse collection. gothic lolita and vkei share similar designs in blouses ( depends on the style of vkei but most of the time) . you can use simple items like skirts and fabrics you find at thrift shops to make your own skirts and accessories, this is what i do. to get lolita you can buy a petticoat and some jsks and ops. you can style these in a typical lolita way, or add vkei elements with leg wear, smaller petticoats, and rolling up the skirt. hair and makeup can also really add vkei elements .
@@maryamm.9 HT is fast fashion, all fast fashion is unethical by design unfortunately. From stealing designs to poor workers rights/pay and environmental issues. Sadly unless you are buying from a company you know has ethical manufacturing you are likely buying something that was made from some sort of oppression. As for their quality it is hit and miss, as someone who used to buy a good amount of things from them. I have a couple dresses that fell apart after a few washes, and some stuff (mostly "her universe" brand) that has held up well to time. Nonetheless, I've made an effort to stop shopping there since I am trying not to support fast fashion brands now that I have the budget to buy better more ethical clothing.
@@maryamm.9 Most there clothes don't hold up for a long time. I always recommend people to learn about fabrics. You can figure out what going to last you by just knowing what fabric lasts longer. Used to buy from Hot Topic a lot but it is only for certain pieces now. I bought a dress recently and the button kept falling off. So now I'm learning how to sew to fix it. One way to tackle fast fashion is to simply buy less. People in the past didn't have as abundant clothes as we do now. Nothing wrong with buying pieces every now and then. Also, learn how to sew and dye your clothes. It saves money down the road. We have to give fast fashion a reason to slow down. Simply not participating in it as much as possible. Even with good fate most products made in today's world are unethical. Some alternative stores to consider instead of hot topics. Foxblood is an all-black store. It has some pieces that could work for your style. Their sister store myviolet has stuff that can work with Lolita. "Die with your boots on" is another good store to look at. They sell stuff from smaller businesses. The Ossuary is good for goth lolita their dresses are a little expensive though ("Salemossuary" on Instagram).
I have an Instagram friend and she has been wearing Hot Topic skirts and dresses that she adds into her Lolita wardrobe and the way she does it is just so beautiful the one I found on Hot Topic that was so pretty was the Grimm fairytale it has the same waste line as the Mad Hatter and I love them both especially when I asked my one friend where she had gotten those beautiful skirts and dresses and she said Hot Topic
I love how thorough your review of each piece was! the measurements & comparisons, talking about how it felt and where it was falling on you while wearing it, testing how it fit with other blouses or pieces, all of it! Thank you!!!!!!
I'm so happy you made this video as I've been meaning to make one about this myself!! I've been keeping an eye on Hot Topic since they've been doing more and more lolita fashion inspired pieces lately! I love that they're selling these pieces as it's a very approachable and affordable way to get into the fashion and introduce the fashion to new people! 💕
For lolita, more than any other subculture, “commodification” is fine because lolita was already a commodity. When it reached an international audience it (and kawaii culture at large really) lost all of its countercultural traction. Most of the conversations are about buying things anyway. Lolita gets to worry about marketing itself and sales and cost effectiveness because it really is just clothes. EDIT: one thing about hot topic lolita that I saw mentioned in the other comments is that hot topic does stock fast cheap fashion, which is not ideal. That’d be the main issue really, not, like, the adulteration of “pure” lolita or whatever.
I remember in the mid 2000's when Hot Topic released what was then dubbed "the infamous Hot Topic dress". It was actually a really nice old school gothic lolita JSK (you can still find pictures of it through Google, if anyone's curious) , but it sparked a lot of controversy in the lolita community at the time because of concerns about what would happen if lolita went "mainstream". I remember one particular EGL member being concerned that it would lead to "slutty cheerleaders" wearing lace adorned mini skirts and calling it lolita fashion. It was that very 2000's anti-prep sentiment that was so prevalent in alternative communities back then, and I guess by lolita standards' even Hot Topic was too preppy. I'm glad we don't see as much of those kinds of attitudes anymore. I don't necessarily think the use of the term "loli" was meant to be a way to avoid saying lolita, it was just a common term at that time, even in the Japanese lolita community. There was even a Japanese magazine called "Goth Loli" at that time. And I never found "loliable" to be used in a way to demean certain fashion choices, either. When that term was coined, it was just harder to get lolita fashion in the west in general, so if you found a puffy sleeved blouse at Forever-21 that happened to look good under a JSK, "loliable" was a useful term for letting your fellow lolitas know that they found something that wasn't intended to be worn with lolita that could still be worn in a lolita way. I remember the days when it was common advice to look for square dance skirts on eBay because they were full enough to put a petticoat underneath and could be "loliable" if coordinated the right way. We really had to make do back in those days. I'm old lol
hot topic is known to steal designs from artists and even japanese brands so I don't think they should be recommended from an ethical standpoint. Not to mention their quality is quite bad, even if it passes for lolita. If you're a lolita on a budget, Taobao or secondhand from LM would be much better options. Simply put, in an era with a wealth of options out there, why go with Hot Topic?
big agree! EGL brands have been closing down or under the threat of closing down left and right. its crucial we support them first and foremost instead of getting instant gratification from a big company that has such a long history of art theft.
I think this is more accessible to plus size people who want a more casual style. While there are some brands that cater to plus size people, they are still often very expensive and harder to come by for people 3X and higher on Lacemarket. It's an argument over accessibility for plus size and lower income people versus supporting EGL brands that are already struggling. People should just continue to support EGL brands when they can and stop attacking and making people feel bad when they choose an option that is not an EGL brand. I'm sure the people who would buy this would much rather buy an expensive brand dress if they were able, but it's just not always an option for everyone.
I don't know why people recommend taobao for low cost Lolita. Not any are they hell to buy from but they use the same sweatshops hottopic and AliExpress use. I don't get how they're the better option.
@@strayiggytv Taobao is a purchasing platform that many, many shops use to sell their goods. They all have different practices and manufacturing processes. To claim Taobao in general "uses sweatshops" is a pretty big blanket statement.
@@gayvampire6168 it's true they don't all, but neither does AliExpress. It's basically a crap shoot for which shops are small run by individuals and which are shops made to look that way by larger manufacturers and which are just fronts purchasing from sweat shops
I love all your outfits, and the last one especially is giving Lydia Deetz vibes. I love your coffin bag and I think I'm going to pre-order one for myself!
I'd like to hear your thoughts on Maya Kern, it's a store that sells a lot of skirts and is mady by and for plus size people, and when I found out about it from a friend I noticed a lot of their midi skirts look like they could easily be styled in lolita coords with the right petticoat underneath them. It might be a good option for people who don't fit into the sizing of most Japanese brands and it'd be cool to see you cover it sometime
Omg I was just about to email you suggesting this. I’m very new to actually wearing Lolita fashion, but I’ve been in the “kawaii” or “cute core” community for a while, and as a high school student with sensory issues, having a physical hot-topic store to go to has been a big help for me. I personally think that there are some blouses that could work really well in some Lolita cords. I’d recommend searching up “sweet society” if you’re a sweet Lolita and you want to see if some pieces work :D
i love the idea of more accessible lolita, including cheaper options, and don't get me wrong I actually do like hot topic, but its still fast fashion, and I don't like the idea of lolita being fast-fashionizied. i know that probably wont happen but its so weird seeing a fast fashion brand partake (arguably pretty successfully) in the lolita subculture.
Late comment but Hottopic had some good quality plain color peter pan blouses that look great under JSKs, I own two one in black and one in red. I think they clearanced them out to make room for their in-house brands like Cosmic Aura and Social Collision. Also, I keep pestering HT to bring back the infamous black and white lolita dress from 2006. You know the one.
I also find due to hyper competitive American culture , ocassionaly Lolita community in America tend to be treating the fashion somewhat like a competition to proves who is stands out as being superior among all , which sounded make it forget this fashion meaning that rooted from collective solidarity spirit and feminism movement that challenge hyper-sexualism of woman culture with conformist defying fashion which is not a competition to prove who is more superior
maybe its because hot topic (and most companies lbr) use really tall models but whyy are like all the dresses way longer than they look on the site? hek. its 2023!! can we get more height diversity in fashion models like???
I actually have a dress from hot topic that I wore in a coord once ! It’s a really nice dress and it definitely felt like it had potential (although my petticoat didn’t do it justice lol,, the joys of being broke) the only issue w me was that it had a heart cutout that exposed part of my chest but that was easily remedied with a piece of fabric that I put under it !
while i personally don't think most of these are working as well as they are for your eyes (a lot of them look very very thin and borderline seethrough at times, and even if they can technically hold petticoats the shapes are often looking very odd to me, either overstuffed or the petti ending/starting at an odd spot ), what i think is the bigger issue with hot topic is the blatant stealing of designs, which i'm disappointed you didn't touch upon rojiroji has had a printed sock design (not a simple one, either ) almost exactly stolen by hot topic recently, for instance. they've also been taking designs from selkie (not lolita but a very distinct style ), smaller taobao brands, and both big and small japanese brands. i'm pretty sure they've done replica ap socks, the gothic lolita looking skirt in your video i'm almost certain i recognize from taobao, and i know there was the recent issue of the spank tights as well. even if you don't think any of this is actually stealing (even the rojiroji one, which is way too close to not be intentional ), it's disappointing you didn't even bring it up
i feel like the print on the mad tea party skirt also straight up stole designs from american mcgee's plushie dreadfuls series, one of them looks nearly identical.
For the first part I feel that comes that down to quality ( I've had some of those issues with actually lolita brands before unfortunately) But i feel they read as lolita to me I agree with the rest though, hot topic does steal a lot of designs
I have the same Mad Tea Party skirt! I love it so much, it was the last one available when I purchased it and was a size smaller than I wear. When I got it it's actually too big, but I loved it so much, I didn't want to return it. As someone who shops HT every so often, they sell out of fashions a lot, but will bring them back after some time, so it's always good to keep an eye out.
hot topic is one of the worst offenders when it comes to fast fashion design. they create patterns and cuts that are so garish that customers are obviously gonna get tired of them, and they go right back to the same place for more
Uh... I am ashamed to say I started actually started getting interested into Lolita via a dress from Hot Topic. And yes, I did buy a real Lolita dress from Bodyline (even though they're not really a Lolita brand, it is recommended for beginners) later. I have the Pink Clown Bear dress and it's pretty cute! I mainly wear it in fancy occasions like going to a performance. I mainly dress in sweet lolita/classic lolita when dressing lolita, and I wonder if I should try doing other styles like Gothic Lolita...
Ok I always used the term "lolitable" but hear me out: I came from a small rural town where i couldnt find any lolita fashion at all (any alternative clothing tbh) So me and my friends started with "cute clothing that fits lolita" aka lolitable clothing so idk, to me the term still very usable
I just got into lolita, and its one of my favorite fasion types. Hot topics stuff is very costumey sometimes, but i adore lacey dresses. But thier skirts are wonderful for lolita wear. The dark alice stuff they have is great. But I actually you recommended you check out more independent stores for the style, because their quality is usually better quality.
Just finished your video ❤️ i think hot topic is opening doors for people to look into different styles. For me its harder to find styles that fit my chest (way too large ugh) but thank you for saying you can use pieces as lolita :) i agree with you tho (and usually do. Youre always open minded)
Most short skirts/dresses can be fixed with an underskirt. Personally, I like lower waist on dresses. Glad to see hot topic make some lolita stuff finally. I need that dark alice skirt.
Dress 1 is super Lolita and the coord was super cute. I'm really excited about this series I've been Lolita at heart since 2005 and dabbled here and there but accessibility of money and being plus sized this gives me so much hope! Dress 2 blew my mind! Thank you Lor! 💜💜💜
This video is doing a lot for the community because in the west we're super hung up on brands and that's not in the spirit of Lolita. We police based on Western standards ignoring that it's not ours to dictate. But I think it's also fantastic that we have a sort of lexicon of what we like in the fashion.
I have a genuine question for you, Lor: You mentioned a few times that making lolita fashion more "mainstream" could contribute to its recognition and respect by the wider public (paraphrased ofc). My question is: Why do you think that the public's validation matters? I understand wanting people to know that lolita fashion is an actual fashion style, not a costume or cosplay; but please consider that many people have at least a vague idea of what goth is, and this doesn't stop people from disliking and even fearing goths. Why does it matter that the public know what lolita is? It doesn't guarantee that people will respect us; in fact, it might lead to the opposite. I don't mean to attack you with this btw so I apologize if I come across that way; I do honestly want to understand your perspective on this.
i'm not lor obviously and i don't speak for her, but it seems like it's an optimistic outlook rather than an actual prediction. i might be a bit more pessimistic, but while i adore lor's content i can't agree that lolita becoming more mainstream will lead to acceptance. it will however lead to, as we've seen with the goth/punk/kawaii subcultures, commodification - i mean, we'd almost finally escaped the replica era when taobao and indie brands were brought more to the spotlight (ones that actually offered plus size ranges!) and with a relaxing of the rules for situational things (australian egls tend to avoid blouses, for instance). then largely thanks to tiktok and instant gratification, the And Romeo replica made a comeback. that was a peek into a future where lolita becomes mainstream - the high quality and slow fashion nature of the style totally thrown out the window. the feminist, rebellious roots of the style would be cut away until it could be just another garbage alt fashion to get likes on instagram with. with punk, it being shit was the point, but its gentrification marked up the price. lolita's gentrification would be worse quality scratchy lace, thinner materials, and possibly even implementing elements of those who would outright fetishise lolita. i think lor's looking at an optimistic outlook but i think if lolita went mainstream it would be like other alt fashions - all the drawbacks of going mainstream but none of the benefits.
As someone that wears lolita often in public, its honestly frustrating seeing the stares people make. Like I'm aware I dress differently, and that it draws attention, but I always have to worry if someone is talking behind my back when I hear disparaging remarks just out of earshot (like a recent example, hearing someone say "youre so fucking stupid" MULTIPLE times after passing them in a Target parking lot with my partner). And I also get comments about "oh what a cute costume" or "is there an event or something?" and no.... this is just what I like to wear. I like being cute. I thankfully live in a very accepting area though, so people around my age (20s) give me compliments a lot of the time so its just a matter of that perspective shifting as the younger more accepting people become more of the mainstream.
@@DetectiveNyx I agree with you completely. It's not pessimism so much as realism, unfortunately; we may be slightly more fortunate than other subcultures because many platforms don't like our fashion's name, which makes it not very marketable and so much more difficult for outsiders to leech off of (a blessing and a curse?), but the more people know about our fashion, the more people will try to profit off of it. "All the drawbacks of going mainstream but none of the benefits" sums it up perfectly, and it's really not something I'd want to see happen to lolita fashion which is so near and dear to my heart.
@@mffngrffls I also wear the fashion daily, and I completely empathize with you. Some people have weird and even awful reactions to it at times, this is completely true, and I'm sorry you've had these experiences; that said, this isn't the kind of thing that would go away even if everyone in the world knew what lolita fashion was. Goths also get the stupid "it's not Halloween" type of comment, as well as a variety of other stereotypes (some more harmful than others), and their subculture is much more widely known than ours. Sadly what's more likely to happen in our case, in my opinion, is that our fashion's stereotypes would become much more known as well; and frankly, I would rather be a frilly cryptid, with people not knowing what to make of me, than be asked about Nabokov (or worse) by any random person that spots me on the street.
The very first dress you showed in the upper left corner looked absolutely amazing after I removed the crap lace from the underskirt and the nonfunctional hooks and eyes from the bodice, put a petti under it, and put a nice blouse under it. It is REALLY a very nice dress once the crap is removed. The skirt fits a petti really well. I have a couple of dresses from HT. Another dress from 2009 that can be styled in Lolita very well is the green taffeta dress with flocked roses that was Bella's dress from New Moon. I hate the term "loliable". I've been known to use "lolitable" though--except that I've mostly used it in discussions of blouse styles, for example the reason why, while many button up blouses available at regular American stores are great under Lolita, a blouse where the buttons stop half way up, the "v" is cut out so you can't possibly button it up all the way even if there were buttons, and the collar is pointed and weird, is not "lolitable".
the OPs seem like the "most lolita" items of the collection. but still, if i was a lolita i'd rather buy secondhand than to buy one from hot topic, so idk who they're really trying to appeal to.
4:27 I never had a problem with the term but tbh I barely see it at all Almost 10 years ago I saw one girl use it in her videos talking about how she’ll look for specific types of vintage and thrifted clothes to alter to make it Lolita and what she looks for in thay
I think you should talk about how Hot Topic has a habit of stealing designs from indie designers and small brands, and even well known Japanese Lolita fashion brands. Examples: the SPANK! Tights, Holy lantern. I'd be extra cautious buying things from Hot Topic if you don't want to support that fast-fashion habit of stealing art from artists. Yeah yeah something something gatekeeping, but there's a lot of baggage that comes with those low prices, and it's often that there's some theft somewhere along the line (art theft, slave wages, etc).
The nickname I acquired in high school was Loli, because I am a lot older than I look. Currently, a lot of people think im in high school but ive been out of school for almost ten years. When i think of clothing from non lolita stores (like hot topic, claires or Walmart) that work for lolita, I just call it transferable, or appropriate for use in lolita. I only heard of the word “loliable” yesterday or something, which is funny because I’ve been involved in the fashion to some extent for the last 12 years
I'm not a Lolita and I still really love your videos! I'm more into decora kei, but post pandemic made me focus on lighter and casual wear but I NEED a skirt to feel that inner feminine empowerment I need! HT kinda saved me, as they have hoop skirts for gamer or blackpink lovers! I want to try a petticoat (or similar) to the pink gamer hoop skirt, because it had a itch for one based on the item without the petticoat! I know its loved and hated at the same time, but just to have an in person easy access for a shopping expeeience feels nice! (Also on my budget too...) Oh yea. The Sanrio stuff is nice too. 😅
I don't necessarily recommend this for a total beginner. Hot Topic still sells the type of dresses people shunned back in the LJ days. I worked at Hot Topic for 6 years (2016 - 2022), and never saw a dress suitable for lolita in my time there; they were generally either skater skirts or rockabilly/retro, which have silhouette that differ greatly from the lolita silhouette. Being able to tell the difference while shopping and experimenting is really necessary. I absolutely think the 20dollarlolita link you posted under references is worth a read to illustrate the difference. This whole thing reminds me of the infamous H&M dress back in the day, though, lol.
Most of the pieces feel like they can be styled in a lolita way, but I have to hard disagree on the first dress. Fit aside, the drape and thickness of the fabric just looks wrong with a petticoat imo. The other items all had much better drape and the fabric looked either like cutsew OPs or an actual lolita skirt. The first dress just looks too light, you can see the petti through it.
I would say that dress shape is definitely for a bigger/taller person, plus the petticoat should be more A-line and less cupcake, and then maybe it could work...
i ususally go into hot topic for band tees but i do sometimes get small things for my coords. necklaces, bracelets, ankle socks, etc etc. however, i do not really see anything that would make a full coord. you would need the basic dress, petti, a blouse, and shoes if you wanna actually have the necessary building blocks for full coords...
While I appreciate the generous sizing and western dress lengths, I have seen these dresses in person. The material is not the greatest, the lace is cheap, and the waist is pretty long. Those long ribbons are super cheap as well. Most of these are not going to be big enough to hold a proper petticoat either, and Lor has waterfall skirt in a lot of these shots. I would suggest this to experienced lolitas only. It reminds me a lot of older bodyline pieces.
As a complete stranger to lolita fashion (i find it cool, it'd just make me dysphoric personally lmao), the word "loliable" would be setting off HUGE alarm bells if i heard it in the wild haha. Maybe best to leave that one to history. "Compatible" might be a better word for it :)
i didn't know abt the word loliable until recently but i had been using fauxlita in its place ive always defined fauxlita as stuff that is almost passing as lolita by a mainstream brand (hot topic, target, etc), either intentional or not
i got some really cute pastel striped thigh highs from hot topic, i actually wear them every day to go on walks in the forest to protect my ankles from ticks and itchy grass, they're actually really comfy!
I've bought a lolita skirt from a popular western alt brand and I'm not accepting criticism on it. They literally build in a peticoat because it wouldn't look right without one and the average person doesn't have one laying around. There's not even a "can I coord this" question. It fits in with my wardrobe flawlessly.
I feel like Hot Topic carrying Lolita is great for people who are held back by costs. Places overseas ship for a lot of money, and younger people trying to get into Lolita would have easier access to some of their first Lolita pieces. (I mean I can’t even afford any pieces myself, I’m improvising with thrift store clothing until I can afford something (I’m gunna save up birthday and Christmas money, and hopefully sell some jewelry on Etsy. I gotta buy it myself since there’s no way I would convince my mom to get it as a Christmas present because she thinks it’s childish…))
Turned 21 last week and I'm still tryna finish the dress I've been sewing since like MAY/JUNE . It's too hot to wear in 100 degree heat so I'll have to wait until it gets cooler since it's really layered. 😭
Regarding the hot topic vest gatekeeping thing, I think your friend is mistaken. It's not that hot topic keeps listings up with the intention to restock, it's that they seemingly never delete their listings. I have a Pride + Prejudice + Zombies dress that looks very similar to the Alice dress, just with a different print obviously, and it's still a listing on their site that says out of stock from 7 years ago. They're obviously never going to re-stock my P&P&Z dress lol.
I love gothic Lolita and I’m glad that it’s so flexible! I’ve seen some stellar gothic Lolita’s who push the envelope and cross styles! Btw I bought the bear dress because it’s exactly what I want and love in a cute simple Lolita piece
I'm not really a fan of you encouraging people to buy fast fashion right after a bunch of indie brands died due to not being able to keep up with cheaply made fast fashion.... Not to mention that hottopic is known for stealing from artists and isn't even that accessible to people outside of north America, it's weird to me that you keep mentioning accessibility when angelic pretty and btssb literally have stores in America and pretty much every major brand ships overseas? I don't think 'accessibility' should mean fast fashion :-//
taobao is also pretty readily accessible globally at this point thanks to shopping services and reseller sites, and with how expensive hot topic is (the black and white dress with the striped long sleeves, for instance, is $45, not including tax, or shipping if you don't have a store near you ), honestly pricing would be pretty comparable if not cheaper if you get a good deal on shipping
@@hinatot if you're going to spend 45$ on a main piece (shipping not included) you're much better off buying a main piece from one of the japanese core brands second hand. The quality will be better and it's more sustainable to re-use. I'm not anti taobao but if you want high quality for low budget your best choice is second hand jpn core brand.
I’ve seen a lot of the lolita-inspired dresses in person at HT, and the quality seemed pretty bad. I’m all for the fashion being more visible and widely available, but I feel like HT would be a terrible place to learn about it or for beginners to start
Love your looks in this video! Your makeup is stunning. I have been buying lolita pieces from hot topic because it's plus size friendly & more accessible. I won't lie, I was initially listing items from there as "offbrand" bc I didn't want to be labeled as an ita, but after talking to my comm I realized how silly it was to care about that & also how much of a barrier that might be for lolitas who are looking for plus-size friendly, accessible & affordable lolita. You can definitely find some of my coords in the reviews of their blouses. I've gotten a parasol, purses, mary janes, blouses, & a sh*t ton of legwear from there. They even occasionally have affordable plus-size friendly cutsews, which is damn near impossible to find! They also have easy returns, so you can order multiple sizes at first & return what doesn't work for you. As long as you know that the item wouldn't look out of place in your lolita wardrobe, it's lolita!
Being completely honest, the Japanese fashion community’s attitude towards styling is leagues ahead of the western community. I feel that the western community gets caught in the trap of only purchasing from established Lolita brands. We’re great at supporting indie brands sometimes, but it almost seems like incorporating items and pieces into Lolita that aren’t “Lolita brands” is seen as such a rarity or “advanced” skill. It’s important to understand what Lolita is if you wanna call it Lolita. But I feel we sometimes emphasize the label of Lolita over do we like how we look and feel in our clothes. I agree that just appreciating an outfit (I don’t even wanna use coord in this context) for what it is is not done enough.
I think the differences between the community mindsets is very understandable though. The western comm has always seemed a bit more (not a lot more, I remember older japanese lolita forums had their rule police as well) particular about following the guidelines because of a general understanding that this isn't our place to change. I don't mean that western lolitas aren't lolitas, or that western lolitas are only guests in this fashion, but that lolita fashion as an idea originated in japan and that's also where (at least in the past) nearly all of the changes and trends originated. So japanese lolitas feel a bit more at ease with experimenting and improvising. But they also have a lot of non lolita kawaii brands making goods that are widely available now. If I could just go to any mall and pick up some 500yen cotton lace trimmed crew length socks I'd do that too.
Another factor is that lots of (especially younger) lolitas in the western comm think being part of the group and being recognized as such, having a good reputation, getting validation, etc, is important to them. Getting all of your stuff from lolita specific sources is a safe choice. Knowing that a lot of lolitas list where all their items are from when they post outfits they might worry about how they will be perceived if "offbrand" or "home made" are terms that come up a lot in their coord summaries.
@@itsalwayshalloweenexceptwh5118 I totally agree with you! Culturally western and Japanese fashion have different mindsets. The need for validation really is strong and I think you’re right in that it stems from the older forums focus on rules. No one wants to feel ostracized or get kicked out of their comm for not following the rules closely enough.
I just want comment here with my personal perspective as Non-American
I also find due to hyper competitive American culture , ocassionaly Lolita community in America tend to be treating the fashion somewhat like a competition to proves who stands out as being superior among all , which sounded make it forget this fashion meaning rooted from collective solidarity spirit and feminism movement that challenge hyper-sexualism of woman culture with conformist defying fashion which is not a competition to prove who is more superior
And also its unrealistic to expect an Alternative fashion to remain stagnant as its nature is non-conformist
@@shanicestella2226 As a fellow non american I've also noticed this. That some north american lolitas take the competitive aspect and "keeping up with the Jones's" aspect of US culture and apply it to lolita. Some of them think it's more important to have a large wardrobe with as much brand (and especially highly popular and sought after pieces) than it is to buy things they love the most. For them it's really important how they are perceived. I'm not saying they don't like the stuff they buy but popularity/cred does influence their purchase decisions. This also includes bragging about being a brand whore and about saying you spend more than 3000$ per month on lolita.
Don't get me wrong, I love btssb and most of my wardobe is btssb because I love their aesthetic, but I don't call myself a brand whore or think that it's something that makes you better than someone else. It literally doesn't matter where the stuff is from imo as long as the outfits are good.
The ONLY thing i hate about japanese fashion… is how small their sizing is. They never go into people that are plus size which sucks. They are leagues ahead with self expression, but not sizing
A lower waist made to fit a taller person makes sense for hot topic since theyre selling to a largely american audience. Most brands are manufacturing in Asian countries where the average height is smaller. I myself am 6ft tall. So a bodice that would come to natural waist on the original model is always going to be an empire on me.
This is why I make my own JSK's for the most part. They actually fit me the way brand dresses fit on the og models
I have this issue, my dream dress literally becomes an empire on me ! I still wear it but it would look better if it fell down at my natural waist.
honestly the hot topic models from this video look like they're taller than 6ft with their heels
So I'm ngl, the hot topic draculaura dress is actually what made me start going down this lolita rabbit hole! I put it on and put a (shoddily handmade) petticoat under it and it just felt so right. I loved the silhouette and got a lot of compliments on it, and now here I am doing a bunch of research into the fashion hoping to get some legit pieces eventually!
Ayy dis u get any
Real talk I used to buy from hot topic relatively often, and the only thing I can say in regards to lolita, is their shoes. My god I bought these cute platform mary janes from hot topic and they’re actually really nice in terms of wearing with lolita, they’re not killing my feet, and they go with a lot of my outfits/coords. Literally just that one pair of platforms was basically able to match with my entire closet (makes sense since Im a hardcore gothic lolita lol) I can’t say much about anything else but, their shoes are pretty nice if you wanna look at them.
Hot topic is largely a resell store; very little of what they sell is produced under a hot topic brand. That means that how long lasting any given item is in their inventory depends on which fashion house they're buying from. Some of their sources are long-standing slow brands who produce (and then continue producing) the same items in addition to their new stock; this means their items can sell out and then be repurchased by Hot Topic; No one is surprised when HT continues to carry the same hair dye or body jewelry for years, and they carried Tripp pants for over a decade before they stopped.
Some of the brands they carry are fast fashion brands who produce something at quantity quickly and then stop as soon as the trend shifts. This is the stuff that appears and the vanishes within a few months, even off the website.
I never liked the word "loliable" either, I always thought it sounded stupid.
It was very interesting to hear why Lor doesn't like the word loliable, it never even occured to me!
Sounds outdated term i think
Agree either it's an accessory that works or it doesn't.
I thought Lolita was a controversial term?
LOL nope, watch any video by lor. @@h0ojn-c1j
I like to use “coordable”, as in “I can use this in a coord”.
Tbh thats a good description
American lolita confuses me so much more than it probably should. I was introduced to lolita by a now long defunct Japanese lolita on Tumblr, so the ideals that I was first introduced to were completely different to the ones the majority of the western lolita community sees as important. In my mind, because of the section of the community I started in, lolita is mostly about doing what makes you happy and wearing things that spark joy. The huge focus on specific brands and silhouettes and what counts as 'real' lolita just feels so strange to me because it's like the antithesis to what I was used to.
You are wearing so many bears on your head, and I love that. You look fantastic. ✨
hahaha thank you! If you haven't seen it already, I have a video making that headpiece! If you search 'lovelylor making ott headpieces' it should come up! I'm thinking of doing another video like this again too :D
my local (latinamerican) community uses the term loliable (in spanish “loleable”) and it has never been used in a condescending way, it’s always used as a descriptor for not made for lolita items like you said, i guess there’s not a dislike for the word here cause there was never any exclusion of others in the community that way
Omg de donde eres? :o
Yeah, I use loliable or lolitable as an not specifically lolita, but could work for lolita
Same thing in Brazil, when I was living there we would use the word "lolitável" (loliable) to say something was usable in a lolita coord, or that could be easily modified to pass as lolita fashion (like a cute t-shirt that had the perfect color and sleeves to become a cutsew). Also, we didn't have any of the bad meaning that Lor talked about. Maybe it depends heavily on your comm (on or offline).
i remember one of my first lolita coords i made used a skirt from hot topic. i posted it on tumblr and i was so scared about what others in the community would say, so i HAD to include the tag "i know hot topic isn't lolita." im so happy times are changing, and i just dont care what others thing, lol.
Hot Topic has re-released a LOT of the OG fashions from when I was young. Like the gothic sweater cape. I’m pretty sure it’s a re-release. I’m seeing tons of places do this, now that retro fashion from the 90’s and 2000’s is trendy. That gothic salopette is amazing it’s perfectly shaped like a bell and it’s a lovely length - it looks so well made and measured. I would probably buy it to make a pattern for other skirts. I’m astonished. There’s definitely a Lolita putting her input in at Hot Topic and they’re listening to her!! Giving me a new opinion on them! Ig a lot has changed!
this actually makes me more comfortable to style something that is not typically lolita more lolita-ish. I have this black dress that kinda has a bell shape but it was not sold as a lolita piece. I tried it with a petticoat and it works ! but I was scared to wear it at a meetup.. so I end up not wearing it. I might next time :)
You should! I think people always put too much emphasis on brands and labels. It's classiest and exclusionary which isn't the point of Lolita. Like if someone put in effort to make something fit into a a Lolita outfit I think it's possible.
Like somethings are straight not Lolita no matter how you try, but if a dress is in that silhouette, and aesthetic then sure. Why not?
@@vvitch-mist20 thank you ! This motivates me for wearing it as a lolita outfit.
@@ShinBubblegumGaming
The honest to god best place to start is accessories. You can also make most of them and if you can find some supplies second hand it'll be even cheaper. Good luck!
I think even if you may be able to get away with buying something that could work for lolita from hot topic, you should still try to support ACTUAL lolita brands. Not just the core japanese brands, but indie and taobao/Chinese brands as well. I don’t know, I feel like the brands dedicated to lolita actually care about the fashion, instead of a huge company like Hot Topic trying to just make a buck with low quality products. IMO that money should be saved and maybe put towards something from Taobao or something used if budget is the concern. I think the appeal of Hot Topic is instant gratification for some. That’s just my two cents, not trying to upset anyone.
I think I mentioned this at the end? or it may have been cut for time. I believe this too! This video is part of a series I do called "can you buy from" but I have many other videos on indie brands and other lolita fashion shopping options! I think more big company / mainstream stores carrying lolita inspired silhouettes helps us with representation, being respected and recognized by the general public. Ideally I'd love if everyone shopped indie but I know that I have a wide audience and for various reasons they might not be able to so this could be an option for some people. I see it as another potential tool in the grand arsenal of lolita shopping.
I agree with supporting indie brands but Japanese and Chinese brands fit so weird on taller or heavier people that I just can't get behind "supporting" them. Everything is short and too tight in the bust. Western fine companies are a yes but I'll say eastern Lolita companies do not make clothes to fit a black body lol
I think what other people do with their own money isn't really your business? I have dresses from Enchantlic Enchantilly, Angelic Pretty, Atelier Pierrot, Metamorphose, BTSSB and IW. I have dresses from Miss Point, Kidsyoyo and Soufflesong. And I have dresses from Bodyline, Hot Topic and Torrid. They all look great with a blouse and a petti under them, properly styled with appropriate accessories and shoes and headwear. The two HT dresses needed some work before I could wear them (most notably, removal of crap lace) so I wouldn't call them instant gratification at all. I saw dresses I thought could work with some TLC and they do. Also, for outdoor picnic meets and other situations where dirt and my dress may come into contact with one another, it's nice to have a few things that can be washed a little more aggressively and didn't cost me half my monthly rent. :)
I think you get what you pay for in this case, these dresses are obviously lower quality and have less detail than "brand" and taobao dresses (the first dress especially looked really thin and poor quality to me 🫣). Would have loved to see the dresses inside out to judge the construction but that's the sewing nerd in me hehehe ^^'
I really dont like the brand worship aspect of lolita but idk if i like this fast fashion-ification of it either. I think it could be okay for beginners or people who want to try it out though!
Like Bodyline isn't fast fashion? Like people haven't been using blouses from Forever 21 since forever? I have several dresses that I cleaned up and nobody can tell they came from HT.
Omg I was just in hot topic and was like oop I'm noticing a lot more lolita silhouettes and accessories in there and I'm loving it! I know they're really short sometimes but that's the silhouette I like anyways so it works out for me😂
You should do a video on their sister store, Box Lunch! They have so many cute dresses that I feel could definitely be lolita. I’m talking BORDER PRINTS!!
Might be hard to do; Box Lunch ain't in Canada.
it’s nice to see a video like this, I have a few dresses I’ve gotten from hot topic that I’ve always thought could be styled in a gothic lolita way but have been too nervous to do anything with. looks stellar with a petti under it though
Im obsessed with the coord change when you launched into the loliable rant, like yes the DRAMA i love it
I have a few of those supposed “Lolita” dresses and I get a lot of wear out of them. I think Lolita is more of a keyword than saying they have true Lolita clothes and a place where people can buy dresses inspired by Lolita yet aren’t super expensive. It’s funny that you are making the dresses work. That’s super cool for us plus size girls who don’t have much money but can copy the style, because HT goes up to 3X in their junior sizes and 5/6 in plus. I like also that you have a goth look too. I do both of these too!
the pink clown bear dress is so cute! it looks like something i would get
i’m a gothic lolita, goth, and vkei. i hateeee hot topics items and even if they sold lolita stuff i wouldn’t buy it for quality reasons, and ethical reasons.
*just adding that i am already goth since i forgot to mention this before!* hi! just out of curiosity may i ask for a little more elaboration on this? i've been into both gothic lolita and vkei fashion for a long time now and have yet to build an actual collection of any sorts, but i've always considered playing around with pieces from there and styling them to fit either style. i've also never had any (serious) quality issues with them personally. i have never heard any ethical complaints about them other than occasionally stealing art (which is obviously terrible) and that it does fall under fast fashion, but so do almost any clothing company in the west. there have been more discussions about how boycotting fast fashion still does harm since instead of addressing the actual issue, it just puts the workers in danger. there's a chance i may have just been lucky with what i bought in terms of quality (i'm not counting band/graphic tees in this discussion as those are really standard and hard to screw up), but i would still love to hear more about the quality aspect! of course you don't have to buy from hot topic and i'm not saying you should for hopefully obvious reasons, but i would like to hear more about your perspective so i can be more mindful about them in the future. of course if you don't want to elaborate further that's more than alright! or if you learned about all of this info through other pieces of media i would love to be pointed in the right direction! regardless, have a lovely day, sorry if this is long!
@@maryamm.9 it’s all good! i feel for my takes on hot topic for quality reasons i think that last often is itchy and the materials are see though. for why i don’t want to buy from them is some of the reasons you said. i’ll use shen as an example they are a multi million company they can still provide to pay there workers if a person stops buying. and if they can’t pay them the working will be laid of, this is basic information you can find. losing your job at a sweat shop is like losing your job at mcdonald’s, some may be extremely dependent on their mcdonald’s job for money but if you get fired there is a wide market of jobs you can grab. same goes for working at hot topic working for hot topic and getting fired isn’t the end of the world you can just go and work at Spenser’s. also boycotting an issue is one of the most effective ways to address the issue because it spreads awareness to the issue and doesn’t give them more money. more money equals more demands equals needing more workers . for wearing vkei and gothic lolita i would recommend building up a blouse collection. gothic lolita and vkei share similar designs in blouses ( depends on the style of vkei but most of the time) . you can use simple items like skirts and fabrics you find at thrift shops to make your own skirts and accessories, this is what i do. to get lolita you can buy a petticoat and some jsks and ops. you can style these in a typical lolita way, or add vkei elements with leg wear, smaller petticoats, and rolling up the skirt. hair and makeup can also really add vkei elements .
@@maryamm.9 HT is fast fashion, all fast fashion is unethical by design unfortunately. From stealing designs to poor workers rights/pay and environmental issues. Sadly unless you are buying from a company you know has ethical manufacturing you are likely buying something that was made from some sort of oppression. As for their quality it is hit and miss, as someone who used to buy a good amount of things from them. I have a couple dresses that fell apart after a few washes, and some stuff (mostly "her universe" brand) that has held up well to time. Nonetheless, I've made an effort to stop shopping there since I am trying not to support fast fashion brands now that I have the budget to buy better more ethical clothing.
@@maryamm.9 Most there clothes don't hold up for a long time. I always recommend people to learn about fabrics. You can figure out what going to last you by just knowing what fabric lasts longer. Used to buy from Hot Topic a lot but it is only for certain pieces now. I bought a dress recently and the button kept falling off. So now I'm learning how to sew to fix it. One way to tackle fast fashion is to simply buy less. People in the past didn't have as abundant clothes as we do now. Nothing wrong with buying pieces every now and then. Also, learn how to sew and dye your clothes. It saves money down the road. We have to give fast fashion a reason to slow down. Simply not participating in it as much as possible. Even with good fate most products made in today's world are unethical. Some alternative stores to consider instead of hot topics. Foxblood is an all-black store. It has some pieces that could work for your style. Their sister store myviolet has stuff that can work with Lolita. "Die with your boots on" is another good store to look at. They sell stuff from smaller businesses. The Ossuary is good for goth lolita their dresses are a little expensive though ("Salemossuary" on Instagram).
ive been looking to get more into “kawaii” fashion and have been lookig at Hot Topic stuff for inspiration, so this video is great timing!
I have an Instagram friend and she has been wearing Hot Topic skirts and dresses that she adds into her Lolita wardrobe and the way she does it is just so beautiful the one I found on Hot Topic that was so pretty was the Grimm fairytale it has the same waste line as the Mad Hatter and I love them both especially when I asked my one friend where she had gotten those beautiful skirts and dresses and she said Hot Topic
I love how thorough your review of each piece was! the measurements & comparisons, talking about how it felt and where it was falling on you while wearing it, testing how it fit with other blouses or pieces, all of it! Thank you!!!!!!
I'm so happy you made this video as I've been meaning to make one about this myself!! I've been keeping an eye on Hot Topic since they've been doing more and more lolita fashion inspired pieces lately! I love that they're selling these pieces as it's a very approachable and affordable way to get into the fashion and introduce the fashion to new people! 💕
For lolita, more than any other subculture, “commodification” is fine because lolita was already a commodity. When it reached an international audience it (and kawaii culture at large really) lost all of its countercultural traction. Most of the conversations are about buying things anyway. Lolita gets to worry about marketing itself and sales and cost effectiveness because it really is just clothes.
EDIT: one thing about hot topic lolita that I saw mentioned in the other comments is that hot topic does stock fast cheap fashion, which is not ideal. That’d be the main issue really, not, like, the adulteration of “pure” lolita or whatever.
I remember in the mid 2000's when Hot Topic released what was then dubbed "the infamous Hot Topic dress". It was actually a really nice old school gothic lolita JSK (you can still find pictures of it through Google, if anyone's curious) , but it sparked a lot of controversy in the lolita community at the time because of concerns about what would happen if lolita went "mainstream". I remember one particular EGL member being concerned that it would lead to "slutty cheerleaders" wearing lace adorned mini skirts and calling it lolita fashion. It was that very 2000's anti-prep sentiment that was so prevalent in alternative communities back then, and I guess by lolita standards' even Hot Topic was too preppy. I'm glad we don't see as much of those kinds of attitudes anymore.
I don't necessarily think the use of the term "loli" was meant to be a way to avoid saying lolita, it was just a common term at that time, even in the Japanese lolita community. There was even a Japanese magazine called "Goth Loli" at that time. And I never found "loliable" to be used in a way to demean certain fashion choices, either. When that term was coined, it was just harder to get lolita fashion in the west in general, so if you found a puffy sleeved blouse at Forever-21 that happened to look good under a JSK, "loliable" was a useful term for letting your fellow lolitas know that they found something that wasn't intended to be worn with lolita that could still be worn in a lolita way. I remember the days when it was common advice to look for square dance skirts on eBay because they were full enough to put a petticoat underneath and could be "loliable" if coordinated the right way. We really had to make do back in those days. I'm old lol
this this this so much!!!!
The Gosurori magazine had a lot of sewing patterns, if I'm not mistaken!
I loved the clowny coord you did with the skirt! so cute!
hot topic is known to steal designs from artists and even japanese brands so I don't think they should be recommended from an ethical standpoint. Not to mention their quality is quite bad, even if it passes for lolita. If you're a lolita on a budget, Taobao or secondhand from LM would be much better options. Simply put, in an era with a wealth of options out there, why go with Hot Topic?
big agree! EGL brands have been closing down or under the threat of closing down left and right. its crucial we support them first and foremost instead of getting instant gratification from a big company that has such a long history of art theft.
I think this is more accessible to plus size people who want a more casual style. While there are some brands that cater to plus size people, they are still often very expensive and harder to come by for people 3X and higher on Lacemarket. It's an argument over accessibility for plus size and lower income people versus supporting EGL brands that are already struggling. People should just continue to support EGL brands when they can and stop attacking and making people feel bad when they choose an option that is not an EGL brand. I'm sure the people who would buy this would much rather buy an expensive brand dress if they were able, but it's just not always an option for everyone.
I don't know why people recommend taobao for low cost Lolita. Not any are they hell to buy from but they use the same sweatshops hottopic and AliExpress use. I don't get how they're the better option.
@@strayiggytv Taobao is a purchasing platform that many, many shops use to sell their goods. They all have different practices and manufacturing processes. To claim Taobao in general "uses sweatshops" is a pretty big blanket statement.
@@gayvampire6168 it's true they don't all, but neither does AliExpress. It's basically a crap shoot for which shops are small run by individuals and which are shops made to look that way by larger manufacturers and which are just fronts purchasing from sweat shops
I love all your outfits, and the last one especially is giving Lydia Deetz vibes. I love your coffin bag and I think I'm going to pre-order one for myself!
the silhouette you describe is called fit and flare!
this is very helpful thank you so much!
Oh that bear circus dress was VERY cute!
I'd like to hear your thoughts on Maya Kern, it's a store that sells a lot of skirts and is mady by and for plus size people, and when I found out about it from a friend I noticed a lot of their midi skirts look like they could easily be styled in lolita coords with the right petticoat underneath them. It might be a good option for people who don't fit into the sizing of most Japanese brands and it'd be cool to see you cover it sometime
Omg I was just about to email you suggesting this. I’m very new to actually wearing Lolita fashion, but I’ve been in the “kawaii” or “cute core” community for a while, and as a high school student with sensory issues, having a physical hot-topic store to go to has been a big help for me. I personally think that there are some blouses that could work really well in some Lolita cords. I’d recommend searching up “sweet society” if you’re a sweet Lolita and you want to see if some pieces work :D
i love the idea of more accessible lolita, including cheaper options, and don't get me wrong I actually do like hot topic, but its still fast fashion, and I don't like the idea of lolita being fast-fashionizied. i know that probably wont happen but its so weird seeing a fast fashion brand partake (arguably pretty successfully) in the lolita subculture.
Im also in between L and XL in hottopic and its so nice seeing someone with the same struggles! This was extremely helpful!!
my very first “lolita”-like dress was from hottopic, it was the pink circus bear one, may not have been lolita, but definitely brang me joy.
tbh the mad tea party skirt is EVERYTHING
tysm for the video lor! I'm trying to scrape together money to start wearing Lolita Fashion, you've been my inspiration to dress the way I like!
i love your videos, they make me want to dress in lolita fashion more often!! 🥰💕💕
Late comment but Hottopic had some good quality plain color peter pan blouses that look great under JSKs, I own two one in black and one in red. I think they clearanced them out to make room for their in-house brands like Cosmic Aura and Social Collision. Also, I keep pestering HT to bring back the infamous black and white lolita dress from 2006. You know the one.
I also find due to hyper competitive American culture , ocassionaly Lolita community in America tend to be treating the fashion somewhat like a competition to proves who is stands out as being superior among all , which sounded make it forget this fashion meaning that rooted from collective solidarity spirit and feminism movement that challenge hyper-sexualism of woman culture with conformist defying fashion which is not a competition to prove who is more superior
maybe its because hot topic (and most companies lbr) use really tall models but whyy are like all the dresses way longer than they look on the site? hek. its 2023!! can we get more height diversity in fashion models like???
And then there are others finding the same dresses too short. It is so frustrating that there is so little attention to shape as well as size
I actually have a dress from hot topic that I wore in a coord once ! It’s a really nice dress and it definitely felt like it had potential (although my petticoat didn’t do it justice lol,, the joys of being broke) the only issue w me was that it had a heart cutout that exposed part of my chest but that was easily remedied with a piece of fabric that I put under it !
while i personally don't think most of these are working as well as they are for your eyes (a lot of them look very very thin and borderline seethrough at times, and even if they can technically hold petticoats the shapes are often looking very odd to me, either overstuffed or the petti ending/starting at an odd spot ), what i think is the bigger issue with hot topic is the blatant stealing of designs, which i'm disappointed you didn't touch upon
rojiroji has had a printed sock design (not a simple one, either ) almost exactly stolen by hot topic recently, for instance. they've also been taking designs from selkie (not lolita but a very distinct style ), smaller taobao brands, and both big and small japanese brands. i'm pretty sure they've done replica ap socks, the gothic lolita looking skirt in your video i'm almost certain i recognize from taobao, and i know there was the recent issue of the spank tights as well. even if you don't think any of this is actually stealing (even the rojiroji one, which is way too close to not be intentional ), it's disappointing you didn't even bring it up
i feel like the print on the mad tea party skirt also straight up stole designs from american mcgee's plushie dreadfuls series, one of them looks nearly identical.
For the first part I feel that comes that down to quality ( I've had some of those issues with actually lolita brands before unfortunately)
But i feel they read as lolita to me
I agree with the rest though, hot topic does steal a lot of designs
I have the same Mad Tea Party skirt! I love it so much, it was the last one available when I purchased it and was a size smaller than I wear. When I got it it's actually too big, but I loved it so much, I didn't want to return it. As someone who shops HT every so often, they sell out of fashions a lot, but will bring them back after some time, so it's always good to keep an eye out.
I have that Through the Looking Glass dress. :) They also have that fabric in shorts and other items too.
hot topic is one of the worst offenders when it comes to fast fashion design. they create patterns and cuts that are so garish that customers are obviously gonna get tired of them, and they go right back to the same place for more
The gothic & dark Alice coords are super cute 😭😭😭 i wish I had hot topic in my country smh
hot topic blouses are fire for the plus size community, i have two and they’re great for my skirts
Uh... I am ashamed to say I started actually started getting interested into Lolita via a dress from Hot Topic. And yes, I did buy a real Lolita dress from Bodyline (even though they're not really a Lolita brand, it is recommended for beginners) later. I have the Pink Clown Bear dress and it's pretty cute! I mainly wear it in fancy occasions like going to a performance. I mainly dress in sweet lolita/classic lolita when dressing lolita, and I wonder if I should try doing other styles like Gothic Lolita...
Ok I always used the term "lolitable" but hear me out: I came from a small rural town where i couldnt find any lolita fashion at all (any alternative clothing tbh)
So me and my friends started with "cute clothing that fits lolita" aka lolitable clothing so idk, to me the term still very usable
I just got into lolita, and its one of my favorite fasion types. Hot topics stuff is very costumey sometimes, but i adore lacey dresses. But thier skirts are wonderful for lolita wear. The dark alice stuff they have is great. But I actually you recommended you check out more independent stores for the style, because their quality is usually better quality.
I have the clown bear dress lol, it is def not lolita but i still adore it
Wow, I am impresed how many cord you wear in this video. All cords are stunning ^^
I wanna see bad Lolita but elevated like I want camp ita to the max I want that to be an entire genre I don't know how to explain this
Just finished your video ❤️ i think hot topic is opening doors for people to look into different styles. For me its harder to find styles that fit my chest (way too large ugh) but thank you for saying you can use pieces as lolita :) i agree with you tho (and usually do. Youre always open minded)
literally put that hot topic suspender skirt in my wishlist since im still unsure about getting into gothic lolita and its cheap
when I saw the belt you chose on the pink bear clown dress I SCREAMED it was literally the perfect thing to tie the outfit together
Most short skirts/dresses can be fixed with an underskirt. Personally, I like lower waist on dresses. Glad to see hot topic make some lolita stuff finally. I need that dark alice skirt.
Dress 1 is super Lolita and the coord was super cute. I'm really excited about this series I've been Lolita at heart since 2005 and dabbled here and there but accessibility of money and being plus sized this gives me so much hope! Dress 2 blew my mind! Thank you Lor! 💜💜💜
This video is doing a lot for the community because in the west we're super hung up on brands and that's not in the spirit of Lolita. We police based on Western standards ignoring that it's not ours to dictate. But I think it's also fantastic that we have a sort of lexicon of what we like in the fashion.
I have a genuine question for you, Lor: You mentioned a few times that making lolita fashion more "mainstream" could contribute to its recognition and respect by the wider public (paraphrased ofc). My question is: Why do you think that the public's validation matters?
I understand wanting people to know that lolita fashion is an actual fashion style, not a costume or cosplay; but please consider that many people have at least a vague idea of what goth is, and this doesn't stop people from disliking and even fearing goths. Why does it matter that the public know what lolita is? It doesn't guarantee that people will respect us; in fact, it might lead to the opposite.
I don't mean to attack you with this btw so I apologize if I come across that way; I do honestly want to understand your perspective on this.
i'm not lor obviously and i don't speak for her, but it seems like it's an optimistic outlook rather than an actual prediction. i might be a bit more pessimistic, but while i adore lor's content i can't agree that lolita becoming more mainstream will lead to acceptance. it will however lead to, as we've seen with the goth/punk/kawaii subcultures, commodification - i mean, we'd almost finally escaped the replica era when taobao and indie brands were brought more to the spotlight (ones that actually offered plus size ranges!) and with a relaxing of the rules for situational things (australian egls tend to avoid blouses, for instance). then largely thanks to tiktok and instant gratification, the And Romeo replica made a comeback. that was a peek into a future where lolita becomes mainstream - the high quality and slow fashion nature of the style totally thrown out the window. the feminist, rebellious roots of the style would be cut away until it could be just another garbage alt fashion to get likes on instagram with. with punk, it being shit was the point, but its gentrification marked up the price. lolita's gentrification would be worse quality scratchy lace, thinner materials, and possibly even implementing elements of those who would outright fetishise lolita. i think lor's looking at an optimistic outlook but i think if lolita went mainstream it would be like other alt fashions - all the drawbacks of going mainstream but none of the benefits.
As someone that wears lolita often in public, its honestly frustrating seeing the stares people make. Like I'm aware I dress differently, and that it draws attention, but I always have to worry if someone is talking behind my back when I hear disparaging remarks just out of earshot (like a recent example, hearing someone say "youre so fucking stupid" MULTIPLE times after passing them in a Target parking lot with my partner). And I also get comments about "oh what a cute costume" or "is there an event or something?" and no.... this is just what I like to wear. I like being cute.
I thankfully live in a very accepting area though, so people around my age (20s) give me compliments a lot of the time so its just a matter of that perspective shifting as the younger more accepting people become more of the mainstream.
@@DetectiveNyx I agree with you completely. It's not pessimism so much as realism, unfortunately; we may be slightly more fortunate than other subcultures because many platforms don't like our fashion's name, which makes it not very marketable and so much more difficult for outsiders to leech off of (a blessing and a curse?), but the more people know about our fashion, the more people will try to profit off of it. "All the drawbacks of going mainstream but none of the benefits" sums it up perfectly, and it's really not something I'd want to see happen to lolita fashion which is so near and dear to my heart.
@@mffngrffls I also wear the fashion daily, and I completely empathize with you. Some people have weird and even awful reactions to it at times, this is completely true, and I'm sorry you've had these experiences; that said, this isn't the kind of thing that would go away even if everyone in the world knew what lolita fashion was. Goths also get the stupid "it's not Halloween" type of comment, as well as a variety of other stereotypes (some more harmful than others), and their subculture is much more widely known than ours.
Sadly what's more likely to happen in our case, in my opinion, is that our fashion's stereotypes would become much more known as well; and frankly, I would rather be a frilly cryptid, with people not knowing what to make of me, than be asked about Nabokov (or worse) by any random person that spots me on the street.
I am LIVING for that bear headpiece, 12/10 accessorizing
The very first dress you showed in the upper left corner looked absolutely amazing after I removed the crap lace from the underskirt and the nonfunctional hooks and eyes from the bodice, put a petti under it, and put a nice blouse under it. It is REALLY a very nice dress once the crap is removed. The skirt fits a petti really well. I have a couple of dresses from HT. Another dress from 2009 that can be styled in Lolita very well is the green taffeta dress with flocked roses that was Bella's dress from New Moon.
I hate the term "loliable". I've been known to use "lolitable" though--except that I've mostly used it in discussions of blouse styles, for example the reason why, while many button up blouses available at regular American stores are great under Lolita, a blouse where the buttons stop half way up, the "v" is cut out so you can't possibly button it up all the way even if there were buttons, and the collar is pointed and weird, is not "lolitable".
Where can I get the popcorn shirt? I want one so bad 😅
the last dress reminds me of putumayo i miss them omg
the OPs seem like the "most lolita" items of the collection. but still, if i was a lolita i'd rather buy secondhand than to buy one from hot topic, so idk who they're really trying to appeal to.
4:27 I never had a problem with the term but tbh I barely see it at all
Almost 10 years ago I saw one girl use it in her videos talking about how she’ll look for specific types of vintage and thrifted clothes to alter to make it Lolita and what she looks for in thay
I think you should talk about how Hot Topic has a habit of stealing designs from indie designers and small brands, and even well known Japanese Lolita fashion brands. Examples: the SPANK! Tights, Holy lantern. I'd be extra cautious buying things from Hot Topic if you don't want to support that fast-fashion habit of stealing art from artists. Yeah yeah something something gatekeeping, but there's a lot of baggage that comes with those low prices, and it's often that there's some theft somewhere along the line (art theft, slave wages, etc).
The nickname I acquired in high school was Loli, because I am a lot older than I look. Currently, a lot of people think im in high school but ive been out of school for almost ten years.
When i think of clothing from non lolita stores (like hot topic, claires or Walmart) that work for lolita, I just call it transferable, or appropriate for use in lolita. I only heard of the word “loliable” yesterday or something, which is funny because I’ve been involved in the fashion to some extent for the last 12 years
The mad tea party skirt is so pretty!!! All of them were though. ✨
I'm not a Lolita and I still really love your videos! I'm more into decora kei, but post pandemic made me focus on lighter and casual wear but I NEED a skirt to feel that inner feminine empowerment I need! HT kinda saved me, as they have hoop skirts for gamer or blackpink lovers! I want to try a petticoat (or similar) to the pink gamer hoop skirt, because it had a itch for one based on the item without the petticoat! I know its loved and hated at the same time, but just to have an in person easy access for a shopping expeeience feels nice! (Also on my budget too...)
Oh yea. The Sanrio stuff is nice too. 😅
I don't necessarily recommend this for a total beginner. Hot Topic still sells the type of dresses people shunned back in the LJ days. I worked at Hot Topic for 6 years (2016 - 2022), and never saw a dress suitable for lolita in my time there; they were generally either skater skirts or rockabilly/retro, which have silhouette that differ greatly from the lolita silhouette. Being able to tell the difference while shopping and experimenting is really necessary. I absolutely think the 20dollarlolita link you posted under references is worth a read to illustrate the difference.
This whole thing reminds me of the infamous H&M dress back in the day, though, lol.
I feel like lolita is mostly how it is worn as opposed to the pieces
Most of the pieces feel like they can be styled in a lolita way, but I have to hard disagree on the first dress. Fit aside, the drape and thickness of the fabric just looks wrong with a petticoat imo. The other items all had much better drape and the fabric looked either like cutsew OPs or an actual lolita skirt. The first dress just looks too light, you can see the petti through it.
I would say that dress shape is definitely for a bigger/taller person, plus the petticoat should be more A-line and less cupcake, and then maybe it could work...
Loliable has always rubbed me the wrong way! But I definitely know I want the cute magical girl themed pink dress and the Mad Hatter skirt now!
i ususally go into hot topic for band tees but i do sometimes get small things for my coords. necklaces, bracelets, ankle socks, etc etc. however, i do not really see anything that would make a full coord. you would need the basic dress, petti, a blouse, and shoes if you wanna actually have the necessary building blocks for full coords...
Babe Come Quick ! Lor is Posting a New Video !
While I appreciate the generous sizing and western dress lengths, I have seen these dresses in person. The material is not the greatest, the lace is cheap, and the waist is pretty long. Those long ribbons are super cheap as well. Most of these are not going to be big enough to hold a proper petticoat either, and Lor has waterfall skirt in a lot of these shots. I would suggest this to experienced lolitas only. It reminds me a lot of older bodyline pieces.
As a complete stranger to lolita fashion (i find it cool, it'd just make me dysphoric personally lmao), the word "loliable" would be setting off HUGE alarm bells if i heard it in the wild haha. Maybe best to leave that one to history. "Compatible" might be a better word for it :)
i didn't know abt the word loliable until recently but i had been using fauxlita in its place
ive always defined fauxlita as stuff that is almost passing as lolita by a mainstream brand (hot topic, target, etc), either intentional or not
i got some really cute pastel striped thigh highs from hot topic, i actually wear them every day to go on walks in the forest to protect my ankles from ticks and itchy grass, they're actually really comfy!
I've bought a lolita skirt from a popular western alt brand and I'm not accepting criticism on it. They literally build in a peticoat because it wouldn't look right without one and the average person doesn't have one laying around. There's not even a "can I coord this" question. It fits in with my wardrobe flawlessly.
I hate that we don't have hot topics in Quebec, shipping is way too expensive
I feel like Hot Topic carrying Lolita is great for people who are held back by costs. Places overseas ship for a lot of money, and younger people trying to get into Lolita would have easier access to some of their first Lolita pieces.
(I mean I can’t even afford any pieces myself, I’m improvising with thrift store clothing until I can afford something (I’m gunna save up birthday and Christmas money, and hopefully sell some jewelry on Etsy. I gotta buy it myself since there’s no way I would convince my mom to get it as a Christmas present because she thinks it’s childish…))
Turned 21 last week and I'm still tryna finish the dress I've been sewing since like MAY/JUNE . It's too hot to wear in 100 degree heat so I'll have to wait until it gets cooler since it's really layered. 😭
Regarding the hot topic vest gatekeeping thing, I think your friend is mistaken. It's not that hot topic keeps listings up with the intention to restock, it's that they seemingly never delete their listings. I have a Pride + Prejudice + Zombies dress that looks very similar to the Alice dress, just with a different print obviously, and it's still a listing on their site that says out of stock from 7 years ago. They're obviously never going to re-stock my P&P&Z dress lol.
loved this video!!
OMG LOR UPLOADS MY DAY IS AUTOMATICALLY BETTER
yessss ty for this vid
I did get a great blouse from Hot Topic as well a purse. Personally I wouldn't go for a skirt or dress that wasn't made to be lolita.
You need to look at there button up tips
It would be SO cute to have a lil beaded chain belt with circus theme lockets on with the circus bear dress!!!
I love gothic Lolita and I’m glad that it’s so flexible! I’ve seen some stellar gothic Lolita’s who push the envelope and cross styles! Btw I bought the bear dress because it’s exactly what I want and love in a cute simple Lolita piece
I'm not really a fan of you encouraging people to buy fast fashion right after a bunch of indie brands died due to not being able to keep up with cheaply made fast fashion....
Not to mention that hottopic is known for stealing from artists and isn't even that accessible to people outside of north America, it's weird to me that you keep mentioning accessibility when angelic pretty and btssb literally have stores in America and pretty much every major brand ships overseas? I don't think 'accessibility' should mean fast fashion :-//
taobao is also pretty readily accessible globally at this point thanks to shopping services and reseller sites, and with how expensive hot topic is (the black and white dress with the striped long sleeves, for instance, is $45, not including tax, or shipping if you don't have a store near you ), honestly pricing would be pretty comparable if not cheaper if you get a good deal on shipping
@@hinatot Brand is easier to buy than taobao and looks better though, just sayin'.
@@hinatot if you're going to spend 45$ on a main piece (shipping not included) you're much better off buying a main piece from one of the japanese core brands second hand.
The quality will be better and it's more sustainable to re-use. I'm not anti taobao but if you want high quality for low budget your best choice is second hand jpn core brand.
What is the "Sailor" Lolita style called?
I’ve seen a lot of the lolita-inspired dresses in person at HT, and the quality seemed pretty bad. I’m all for the fashion being more visible and widely available, but I feel like HT would be a terrible place to learn about it or for beginners to start
Love your looks in this video! Your makeup is stunning. I have been buying lolita pieces from hot topic because it's plus size friendly & more accessible. I won't lie, I was initially listing items from there as "offbrand" bc I didn't want to be labeled as an ita, but after talking to my comm I realized how silly it was to care about that & also how much of a barrier that might be for lolitas who are looking for plus-size friendly, accessible & affordable lolita. You can definitely find some of my coords in the reviews of their blouses. I've gotten a parasol, purses, mary janes, blouses, & a sh*t ton of legwear from there. They even occasionally have affordable plus-size friendly cutsews, which is damn near impossible to find! They also have easy returns, so you can order multiple sizes at first & return what doesn't work for you. As long as you know that the item wouldn't look out of place in your lolita wardrobe, it's lolita!
i didn’t even realize “loliable” was a term, i’ve been saying “lolita-ify” instead 😅