Fashion & Style: Gothic Lolita

Gothic Lolita (or Goth-Loli as it is sometimes known) is a form of Lolita fashion. Lolita fashion is a form of dress much popularized in Japan, worn by young women. This fashion style became popular during the late 1970s, but the exact date of origin is still unclear. Women that wear Lolita styled clothing wear many frills, knee-high socks, platform shoes, and stockings along with many other accessories.

Gothic Lolita is slightly different from typical Lolita fashion. With Gothic Lolita, much of western “Gothic” style is incorporated into the sweeter Lolita look. This means

Fashion & Style: The Japanese Uniform

Let’s face it, there is no where else in the world that has uniforms quite like the Japanese ones. Even the Taiwanese and Korean uniforms are based off them! Most schools in Japan make it mandatory to wear a uniform, whether it be a public or private school. The word for uniform in Japanese is seifuku (制服).

There are two main types of uniforms for boys and girls. The first uniform is the more traditional one. Girls would wear a sailor outfit while boys don a military style. These uniforms are based off the Meiji era formal military dress. It was once fashionable to wear the uniform out of school as well, but that is going out of style and most teenagers prefer dressing in casual wear.

The boys’ uniform is named gakuran (学ラン) or tsume-eri (詰め襟). It is usually black, but some schools also use navy or dark blue. The second button on the top of the uniform is given by the male owner to a female he wishes to express love to. It is said that the placement of the second button is closest to the heart. This practice was made popular by