Ethnographic Comparison of a Niche Fashion Group, Lolita

Lolita fashion is a small youth fashion that originated in Japan but is inspired by
historical western clothing. The clothing is not sexual in nature. Most studies look at the
style in Japan, but the fashion has also found popularity overseas. This paper takes an
ethnographic approach to studying the Lolita community in the United States by
comparing two regional communities, Houston and South Florida. The research found
that the largest difference between the two groups was size and community involvement,
with Houston as the larger group and the smaller South Florida group being more
concerned with group activity. The study found that compared to the strong subversive
element of the wearers in Japan, the United States community at large appears to be
motivated by Lolita as a creative outlet. There was no support of the idea that aging
played a role in what kind of Lolita fashion was worn.