With the resurgence of 2000’s fashion and aesthetics having taken the fashion world by storm it’s no surprise that this wave of nostalgia has also touched the lolita community. As an avid wearer of old school myself I’d say I’m just part of this influx of Lolita’s adopting the more old styles and looks of lolita.
Let’s make one thing clear though, old school isn’t a style, it’s an umbrella term! There’s old school sweet, old school gothic, etc. I personally enjoy old school sweet but that’s probably because old school gothic is so expensive (moi meme moitie my beloved and scorned).
I’m getting off topic now though, today I wanted to talk a little bit about what I’ve personally observed and my thoughts on the matter.
Lolita prices have always been insane but old school pieces prices just continue to rise! Once deemed as too frumpy and out of fashion to be worn by anyone lolita’s of past would just sell their old school pieces at a lower price and the lucky few old schoolers would bask in their new pieces but today is a different story. Old school pieces are seen as coveted and rare now, with their prices rising as interest in vintage pieces rise with them.
There is also what I’ve observed on Instagram, there’s a whole slew of old school wearers, a community if you will, people who appreciate and enjoy the simpler times of lolita, it’s definitely nice for when I’m looking for inspiration.
Next let’s look at Japanese releases, while the main three brands still continue to release OTT sweet dresses there’s also been a couple of releases that I’d say reminisce old school, for example, and I’m sure you know where I’m going with this, Angelic Pretty’s Poupe de l’Eve dress set took the old school community by storm when it was released, it’s definitely something you could imagine the youth of Harajuku wearing in the 2000’s. Not only are big brands releasing old school inspired pieces but indie brands are as well, there’s been an influx of old school indie brands popping up onto the scene, brands like RR Memorandum, Moonlight Theater and Summertales Boutique all cater to nostalgic lolita fans.
And lastly the resurgence of interest in visual kei, visual kei has always had ties to lolita fashion and many old school lolita’s also listened to visual kei. You could even say the two are intertwined. While visual kei has lost its relevance in lolita today interest in visual kei has risen these past few years and so has the interest for old school lolita as it’s accompanying style.
I hope you all enjoyed my silly little thoughts about the rise in popularity of old school! Please leave a comment of your thoughts on the matter down below! Thank you for reading.
See you next time - Mizz
