Louise Holohan 

Lolita fashion can be observed as an outrageous spectacle to the oblivious eye. To its dedicated participants, the fashion serves as a portal to a meticulously constructed dream world. It is a world of pretty pink petticoats and laced blouses adorned with decadent silk bows, a world where the notion of childhood is perfectly perpetuated as the ideal state of being. My final year thesis explores the cultural context of the Lolita figure and her importance in contemporary Japanese society. By examining the socio-cultural context in which the contemporary Lolita grew up in, this thesis examines the validity in calling the Lolita culture an act of rebellion against the traditional social structures present in Japanese society. The Lolita culture is a complex form of insurgence which challenges the traditional values of Japanese culture, and the societal expectations imposed particularly on young people in Japan. Armed with tulle skirts and frilled stockings, their ruffles act as a resistant but passive force. The Lolita fashion not only challenges the harsh social structures and degrading patriarchal norms present in traditional Japanese society, but it provides a deeper social commentary on the youth subcultures of Japan. Labeled as a ‘rebellion with frills on’, the Lolita fashion reflects women’s empowerment as much as it highlights the darker truth behind Japan’s kawaii façade.