The number one reading material for Lolitas is, of course, the Gothic & Lolita Bible. (It's an apt title: I picture girls clutching their dog-eared copies, reciting passages about Moi-Même-Moitié in somber tones as if pronouncing the Word...) However, it isn't the only Japanese magazine that covers the fashion. Alternate titles tend to take a more panoptic view of Lolita; some may not consider it rorita at all. But I find these "apocryphal works" to be a welcome respite from the same-old, same-old.
Cosmic Mook's guide for girls, for example, is a celebration of second-hand shopping. The April issue styles several of the models à la Lolita, entirely from vintage pieces.
This interpretation may not conform to the canon, but I must say I'm charmed by the Bonnie and Clyde beret and patterned grey stockings.
The Country Lolita look is too much for me, but I love this simplified look built from light, cotton 1970s dresses. (Sears Catalogue Lolita, anyone? )
Cosmic Mook shows you how to braid and pin up your hair to mimic the Lolita crowns worn to one side of the head. Brilliant! I can't wait to try it out.
Cosmic Mook's "used mix" issue can be ordered through Kinokuniya. What are your thoughts on the magazine's unconventional "Vintage Lolita" styling?
