Classic Lolita Lifestyle

Drinking a nice warm cup of tea and reading a book on a rainy afternoon, or perhaps flipping through the pages of your herbarium; the epitome of a Classic Lolita lifestyle.

Classic Lolita is considered the baseline of Lolita style, mainly for it features all the crucial Lolita elements; bell-shaped dresses, lace details, bow headbands, delicate white ruffly shirts etc. It is the basic style, and the wellspring of all the other Lolita styles. Though Classic Lolita style could be considered plain and too simple, often in the shadow of the more popular Lolita style such as Sweet Lolita and Gothic Lolita, it is very mature, refine, elegant and deeply rooted in Victorian Fashion. Perhaps that is the reason why I prefer Classic Lolita style over all the others; whenever I feel like dressing in Victorian style, I turn to Classic Lolita for it is the perfect reinterpretation of the Victorian era.

Classic Lolita dresses and head decorations capture the spirit of the Victorian era so splendidly. Classic Lolita dresses with their bell shaped skirts, high collars often decorated with ruffles, interesting sleeve styles, ribbons and cameos really evoke the Victorian spirit, for me at least. Colour pallette varies from sentimental floral prints, to elegant and sophisticated greys, lilacs, deep blues, muted reds, mauve purples and browns. Classic Lolita headdresses look as if they could with no trouble, belong to a 1840s lady, the same goes for the curly hairstyles. Movies such as Jane Eyre (2011) and Young Victoria (2009), and even Sense and Sensibility (1995) could all serve as fashion inspiration for Classic Lolitas.

Source: all the pictures found on pardonmybloomers.tumblr.com

Classic Lolita dresses have the same silhouette as all Lolita dresses; bell shaped, however, baby doll style are also popular, and you can’t believe how baby doll cut fits nicely in the overall Victorian theme. Lots of ribbons, cameo necklaces, delicate pearl bracelets, subtle colours, interesting sleeve shapes, more often than not influenced by Victorian fashion, 1840s most popularly; these are all keywords when it comes to describing Classic Lolita fashion. It is subtler and simpler than Sweet Lolita, which probably comes first to your mind when you think of Lolita fashion, but this subtlety give a touch of mystery and richness in clothing.

All those prevailing Victorian and other historical influences, Regency era for example, make the Classic Lolita style so alluring to me, so indescribably tempting. It is however, the Classic Lolita lifestyle that appeals me the most, even though Gothic Lolita culture is quite interesting too. Classic Lolita lifestyle resembles the life of a Victorian lady, reinterpreted in a modern way while still capturing that spirit of the era.

While reading about classic Lolitas, I realised how my own daily activities match the Classic Lolita ones. Classic Lolitas are generally more withdrawn from society, they prefer spending time in solitude, reading or embroidering, quietly, or perhaps having a small gathering with friends, sipping tea and eating cupcakes. Elegance and modesty are two words that best describe the over all Classic Lolita lifestyle.

Credit: first (unknown) via Pinterest, other ones here

Other Classic Lolita activities may include reading classic literature, listening to or playing classical music, perhaps the great works of Chopin or Schubert, gazing at the rain falling down and daydreaming, sipping tea, a lot of tea, writing elegant letters with ink on antique papers, making a Victorian style scrapbook, collecting flowers and pressing them, later, in winter, cataloging pressed wildflowers, enjoying Victorian poetry in quiet evenings at home.

When it comes to literature, a typical Classic Lolita reading list would include works written between 1600-1900. in Europe or North America, novels that are now considered classics but were scandalous for their time. Works of Bronte sisters, such as Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, works by Jane Austen, Frances Hodgson Burnette (The Secret Garden). If a Classic Lolita is in the mood for something more sentimental and romantic, she’d probably read Shakespeare’s or Lord Tennyson’s poetry, or Il Canzoniere (Song Book) by Petrarca. A Classic Lolita my also relish reading The Lord of the Rings for example, there are no limits as long as things stay refined.

Classic Lolita may also be interested in Pagan history, nature, tea culture, biographies of Victorian era women, art in general, calligraphy, a little bit of history, different cultures, dolls, scrapbooks, painting or writing stories, baking old fashioned dishes, collecting antiques and vivifying the atmosphere of Victorian era.

Source: first picture here, second (unknown) via tumblr, third via wikipedia.

Even in Classic Lolita home decor, one can feel the spirit of the Victorian era. Furniture is not however, as dark and massive as a typical Victorian furniture would be, it is lighter and sweeter, mixing the opulent Victorian style interiors with shabby chic and French country style. An isolated mansion or a snugg little cottage in a picturesque nature would be perfectly suitable for a Classic Lolita.

Still, when it comes to decorating, a Classic Lolita would probably be surrounded by things reminiscent of Victorian era such as nicely carved wooden jewellery box, antique tea cups and a tea pot, old dolls, doll’s house, Victorian style stationery with gorgeous floral printed notebooks and lots of old-fashioned paper with ink for writing letters, bookshelves and books with nice covers, lots of cushions, Victorian style wallpaper (William Morris print perhaps), fresh roses and wildflowers in spring and summer, and dried flowers in colder months. Classic Lolita may also have her diary or a scrapbook on hand.

Classic and Gothic Lolita Lifestyles are quite similar for they are both deeply rooted in Victorian tradition, and, as such, they often intermingle.