Japanese Fashion Inspiration Pt. II: Dolly-Kei

Dolly-kei is a genre of Japanese street fashion that draws inspiration from European medieval times and fairy tales, but also has elements of decora and kawaii fashion here and these. Sometimes, it seems hard to distinguish between lolita and dolly-kei, as I imagine they draw inspiration from each other. It's so pretty! Japanese youth seem to have a lot of fun with their clothes. I am jealous!

Dolly-kei captures what I miss about being a little girl. I loved fairy tales, folklore, fantasy -- all of it. This look captures a sense of whimsy that reminds me of "the good old days" to be cliche and cheesy.

[caption id="attachment_566" align="aligncenter" width="490" caption="Photo credit: TokyoFashion.com"][/caption]

Grimoire Shibuya (pictured above) is a dolly-kei store in Tokyo -- elaborately decorated in whimsical leaves, forest critters, and old-world looking dolls. Truly looks like an amazing shopping experience. TokyoFashion.com has a nice article about it here.

I love the gold-leafed handbag and the corset. This girl captures a renaissance-y feel but somehow it doesn't look too costumey. At least not to me, but I have loose standards.

[caption id="attachment_570" align="aligncenter" width="467" caption="These girls look more costumey, but still cute. It looks like they are mixing elements of kawaii, decora, lolita, cosplay, and dolly-kei. Neat!"][/caption]



Human beings have been decorating their bodies for thousands of years -- and I see fashion as a part of that. If you have the means, why not have fun with what you clothe your body in? I see nothing wrong with it. Dressing up makings the dullness of my day-to-day life (especially now in my poor financial/career situation) just a little bit more exciting and fun. And if someone thinks it's stupid, then fine. I dress for ME, first and foremost, but it's always nice to connect with kindred spirits and share ideas! Blogs are the modern day "salons"! Okay, I am getting out of control. My cat is snoring next to me, and I keep mistaking it for someone talking outside my window -- scaryyyyy.

Japanese Fashion Inspiration: Gyaru Ganguro Fashion

I really admire Japanese fashion. Ganguro is a subgenre of the "gyaru" fashion group, gyaru being the Japanese equivelant of the word "gal." Ganguro has been declining in popularity since the early 2000s, but it is still interesting to see how far some of the girls took their style. Ganguro girls are identifiable by their dark tans, which they highlight with white make-up around their eyes and the bridges of their noses. They usually also have dyed hair, sometimes in neon or pastel colors. Looking at the ganguro style, you can kind of see how some of the Japanese styles popular today evolved.

Gyaru styles all seem to focus on femininity, cuteness, and innocence -- but the ganguro style evolved into something that took those elements to the extreme.