The tiny torso of a living doll sprouts from a pile of tulle spread across the grass like flower petals. With her lace-gloved hands, she grasps her tea cup and takes a sip. This little Lolita is not alone. She is soon surrounded by several fluffy petticoat clad girls, each a visual representation of Victorian porcelain dolls. Maybe someone should tell them Halloween was last month?

The Lolita fashion trend is slowly creeping across the Pacific from Japan and washing the adorable style onto our shores. Lolitas, or "Lolis," are young women and men who dress in Alice-in-Wonderland-type outfits, covered from head to toe in ruffles, lace, and bows. Lolita fashion was born in Japan in the 1970s.

Jennifer Filo, a Lolita that is embodied in a fluffy black jumper covered in violet ribbons and has a gold crown discovered the fashion through exploring Japanese rock and Visual Kei bands like Malice Mizer.

The term Lolita has developed a bad stigma in the West. It often describes a sexually precocious young girl. This is due to Vladimir Nabokov's 1955 novel Lolita, where the narrator becomes obsessed and sexually involved with a 12-year-old girl. As a result of Nabokov's depiction, Lolitas are often misunderstood and misrepresented as sex objects. In actuality, many Lolitas do not consider themselves to be sexualized, according to self-proclaimed Lolita Monique Hernandez-Fuentes. "Lolita is not about being sexualized. It's about being who you are, doing what you want, and wearing what you want," Filo adds.

Because of its Victorian-inspired and doll-like aesthetic, at first glance Lolita presents itself as a costume. To a certain extent, it is just that, Hernandez-Fuentes points out. "Some people only wear it to certain events and conventions so it kinda gets lumped into that category," she explains. "But at the same time, it's a fashion. Some people wear it on a daily basis."

Classic Lolita is the most basic of Lolita styles. The fundamental element of the aesthetic deemphasizes the bust and hips with a flattened bodice, high waistline, and full knee-length skirt. Considered refined and mature, it utilizes floral prints with cream, burgundy, and navy as its main color palette. Classic brands include Innocent World and Victorian Maiden. All Lolita styles include elements of Classic Lolita.

Sweet Lolita is exceptionally popular and best portrays a Victorian doll. Usually pastel and light in color, the style incorporates fabrics with childlike prints such as carousels, unicorns, and cakes. And are usually adorned with bows, ruffles, and laces. There is a lot of emphasis on jewelry and accessories. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright is one of the most famous Sweet brands.

The opposite of the Sweet Lolita is the Gothic Lolita. They place an emphasis on darker colors, primarily black, using an arrangement of fabrics including satin, velvet and white or red ruffles with lace as embellishments. Accessories include crosses and platform shoes. The brand Moi-même-Moitié, designed by Malice Mizer's lead guitarist, Mana, is the stamp of Gothic Lolita approval.

Shopping for Lolita clothing is not easy, but it has been made more accessible in America in recent years. Old school Western Lolitas had to either travel to Japan to buy their outfits or sew them by hand. Online retailers only began translating their websites to English about six months ago. Still, many sellers require a Japanese credit card, bank account, and address or they cancel the order. To offset this problem, Lolitas use online shopping services in which a Japanese third party would purchase garments in Japan and ship them to America. Luckily, Lolitas can now flock to Baby, the Stars Shine Bright and Black Peace Now to get their fashion fix. Both stores opened their only locations in the United States over the summer in San Francisco's Japantown.

The average Lolita jumper ranges from $200 to $500, a blouse from $100 to $200, and a skirt from $150 to $300. To complete their outfit, most Lolitas pile on lots of expensive frilly bonnets, bloomers, gloves, knee highs, bows, broaches, lace cuffs, necklaces, and rings. An average outfit can cost up to $1,000 or more. Lolita brands cater to a specific and limited market, driving their prices up. It is about exclusivity, Lolita Julia Williams explains.
Whereas Lolita fashion is considered expensive by American standards, in Japan, Lolita has a different value. It is considered "disposable fashion." Filo, who lived in Japan for five years, says petticoats and jumpers are often found spilling out of trashcans because Japanese girls throw out their outfits after six months.

Lolitas in the Bay Area, on the other hand, do not take their fashion for granted. They gather to trade and buy each other's precious used dresses and accessories at small flea markets inside each other's homes where they mingle over cupcakes and punch.
Despite the fashion extending from Japanese culture, there is a big disparity between Western and Japanese Lolitas. In the West they do not share the same attitude as their demure Japanese sisters. Misako Aoki, a famous Lolita model, says good Lolitas are never crass or rude. Most Lolitas in America, however, do not have the same lifestyle. Filo points out a common misconception that Lolitas are dainty. "We have the lewdest conversations you've ever heard," she reveals with a laugh.

While some Western Lolitas dress up daily, most do not. Male Lolita Danny Hong, who works in the financial software business, says he could never dress up to work because it can be "hot, uncomfortable and time consuming." Fellow Lolita Ari Fisher agrees. "I'm lazy," she says, dressed in a black and red plaid overcoat with black skull button details. "I like jeans and band t-shirts."

Just like other communities, Lolitas unite and build strong friendships in spite of being labeled 'weird.' "A lot of people who have outrageous personalities are attracted to Lolita because in a lot of aspects, Lolita is pretty outrageous," Williams says of Lolitas in the Bay Area. The online community, Elegant Gothic and Lolita (EGL), on LiveJournal, unites Western Lolitas. They organize monthly meet-ups in Golden Gate Park for tea parties or share sushi in Japantown. "Many come for the fantasy," she says. "They stay for the people."[X]