Find Your Niche

28 April, 2013

By Abigail Merelman

Find Your Niche

Alternative fashion is growing in popularity.

While most people swoon and obsess over Chanel and Louis Vuitton, a growing segment of the population waits impatiently to get that one exclusive dress from brands like Baby the Stars Shine Bright, Alice and the Pirates, and Clockwork Couture. These are labels that cater to very specific aesthetics that are more like lifestyles than anything else. The market for this type of fashion is growing at an exponential rate but remains dominated by a few select designers that charge exorbitant prices for their clothing.

When first hearing the word “Lolita”, most people think of the famous Nabokov novel. In reference to fashion, however, it means not a promiscuous young girl, but instead a Japanese street style whose mantra is that one must dress sweetly, modestly, and have lots of ruffles. It is influenced by Victorian and Rococo ideals and styles and has a distinct silhouette: a knee-length skirt in a bell or A-line shape held out from the body with petticoats.

However, Lolita is just an umbrella term. As in most of these niche fashions, there are sub-groups such as “sweet Lolita” “gothic Lolita” “classic Lolita”, and so on. Even the sub-groups have sub-groups. Each of the smaller groups has its own style within the style- for example classic Lolita still has the basic shape and values as sweet Lolita, but it is more elegant and is quite staunchly Victorian.

The kind of commitment it takes to wear Lolita is huge. Because a dress can cost anything from $90-1,000, it is a very expensive hobby. As well as gaining a wardrobe of such dresses, skirts, blouses, coats, and so on, one must also acquire petticoats, bloomers, socks, shoes, and accessories that match your clothing pieces to create coordinates, which is the popular term for a complete outfit. On top of all this, brands are overwhelmingly located in Japan. Therefore,  one must translate the page from Japanese, convert yen to dollars, and then pay shipping rates and customs upwards of $30 extra. The reason prices are so high is that each brand only releases a limited amount of each piece in a small collection, with very high quality. Frequently, the piece is custom made specifically to one’s measurements. Also, there are only a few designers who cater to this type of fashion, so they may charge as much as they want because there is no other place to go.

What about buying second hand? Prices do not decrease much. Due to the limited nature of the clothing, the cost may only go down a few dollars. Still, many Lolitas buy second hand to get pieces that are not made anymore, and to lower shipping to a reasonable amount.

However, Victoria Suzanne of Parfait Doll says regarding the commitment, “I think primarily through photo shoots, magazines, the Internet, or media in general, we’ve made the ‘Lolita lifestyle’ into such a large, heavy topic or production, something akin to religion or devoting yourself to a cloister. But it’s not that at all – it’s a much more innocent thing, and a personal thing. It comes naturally, but it’s still a little fairytale inside yourself.”

The problem with such unabatedly high prices is that it leads to the proliferation of scam sites such as Milanoo, who claim to sell Lolita products at an unbelievable discount. In fact, they simply steal other people’s pictures and when you order the product, it is not at all what you expected. Sites such as these can be identified by the fact that they often sell more than just Lolita- they also offer costumes, wedding dresses, and other products along these lines.

Scam sites are not the same as replica sites- replicas are good quality reproductions of pieces made by the main brands, albeit with small variations that set them apart and are generally cheaper. Sadly, replicas are often looked down on in the community, because buying them is seen as being cheap.

Though not mainstream, Lolita and other niche fashions are gaining traction all over the world. Soon, the demand will outstrip the supply of clothing, and it will be hard for the designers to keep up. It would be wise if big names in the fashion industry hopped on the bandwagon- it is a lucrative business and the adherents to this style would most certainly appreciate the lower prices and greater variety that larger companies could offer.