† Name: Anachronistic Coquette
† Age: ???
† Location: Tokyo, but I’m actually from the south in the United States.
† How were you introduced to Gothic Lolita fashion?
I choose to describe it as a gradual transitioning into the scene from a young otaku in middle school to moving to cosplay and J-rock when I got older. A lot of the Visual Kei artists (i.e. Malice Mizer) I saw wore similar outfits and I had already loved Renaissance and Victorian clothing since I was small. When I discovered there was a whole eccentric fashion style that catered to that, I fell in love.
† What do you find appealing about GL style and culture?
As previously said, I’ve always loved dressing up and costumes. (I went to the Renaissance Festival every year in proper attire and my wardrobe looked like it belonged in a theater dressing room.) As I got older, I became a creature of the night and a fan of the general gothic aesthetic. Unfortunately, the ‘standard Goth’ scene on the Western side of the globe in my opinion looked cheap or too trashy for me. Gothic Lolita (and it’s subcategories) combine a fabulous mixture of cuteness, darkness, and timeless beauty into a fashion style. And honestly I feel more comfortable or “at-home” in period style clothing more so than modern styles. It definitely ‘fits’ me and my persona.

† What are your favorite GL clothing brands?
I like to dabble in all styles but I favor classic and gothic styles more. Atelier Pierrot, Black Peace Now, Juliette et Justine and Eccentrique are a few Japanese brands I like. And because I am a Mana and old-school Malice Mizer fan, I do love his delicate prints in Moi Meme Moitie.
† Any other comments (inspiration, tips, favorites)?
A point I would like to make known is that to choose your pieces wisely. Quality matters, A LOT, and I can’t stress this enough. High prices or brand names honestly do not matter in my opinion as long as the item in question LOOKS GOOD. Know what looks (or feels) cheap and stay far, far away from it, no matter how cool the design is. You will only end up looking like a joke (or a Halloween costume shop reject). There will always be people who naturally have a better eye for fashion but sticking to high quality looking pieces, 90% of the time you’ll never look bad. Good Luck!

Film of the Week #35: Born into Brothels (Zana Briski, Ross Kauffman). I am usually not fond of children, but I was surprisingly drawn to this documentary about the kids of Calcutta prostitutes who struggle to climb out of the slums. The children take surprisingly compelling photos of their unfortunate surroundings, and their personalities seep into the darkest, most jaded heart…

If you would like to be the next Gothloli of the Week, please read the submission instructions here. For all your Lolita shopping needs, check out the links to clothing brands on the right column of my blog.

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