I had a difficult time finding my 'voice' within lolita fashion. I wasn't really sure what my style was and the first few years of me wearing the fashion I dipped my toes in classic, gothic, sweet, OTT sweet, otome/casual, and even punk. None of them I would say I really ever fully committed to or even successfully pulled off. I had a lot of fun experimenting though. Punk lolita as a substyle is one of my personal favorites but I never really did it justice. Today I want to show you some of my attempts and talk about what I think I did well and what I think I could have done better. I want to preface this by saying that I in no way think that any of these coordinates are successful punk lolita coordinates nor do I think that they are punk in the slightest.
2017
This was my most experimental year in lolita fashion and the year that I wore the most coordinates in general. I was wearing lolita fashion around 3 times a week and really exploring what substyles I was interested in. Enter the age of me forcing these Demonia boots places they did not belong. I got these boots as a birthday gift to myself, and I wanted to wear them with everything, in and out of lolita fashion. This was the year I decided that I wanted to attempt punk lolita and it was entirely because I wanted to wear these boots with my dresses.
Left: I really like this coordinate from the knees up. I like the mesh undershirt, the tartan dress, the belt, and the rectangle headdress. I do wish that I would have incorporated more jewelry. I was really bad at accessorizing at the time. I have both ears pierced twice so I really should have taken advantage of that and incorporated some fun dangly earrings. I think a spiky choker, as opposed to this plain black choker, would have worked better too. Some cool thrifted statement necklaces, preferably silver, would have been a nice addition. I can see that I attempted to tease my hair and give it more volume, but my hair has always been so limp and lifeless, so it is really a losing battle.
Right: This coordinate doesn't read as punk lolita in the slightest. It is a very casual sweet coordinate in a black colorway that I just happened to wear those boots with. I include it in this post because at the time, I was definitely going for punk lolita. I do really like this coordinate overall; I just do not think that it works for punk. I like how I incorporated one of my graphic tees and I can appreciate the concept behind the skull cardigan even if it looks a little silly. Honestly, I would just remove the boots and have this be a casual sweet coordinate.
2018
Don't worry, these ugly boots stick around for a few years. This was the year that I really started experimenting more with the idea of punk lolita and also the year that I got more into old-school lolita fashion. It was the year that I fell in love with tartan in general. 2018 was the year that I really started to think about what direction I wanted to take my wardrobe.
Left: This coordinate is honestly one of my favorite coordinates I have ever done. Note because it is a good coordinate, but because it was a fun coordinate. I just remember having so much fun putting it together and wearing it. I was so proud of how it came together. I really like the undershirt, the layered jewelry, the poofy pigtails, the mismatched socks, and the graphic tee over the JSK. I do think this coordinate could have benefitted from some earrings, some waist accessories (maybe some belts?) and a head accessory.
Right: This coordinate looks pretty much the same as the 2017 coordinate with this dress. I do like that I switched out the legwear for some striped socks and that my hair is in looped braids. I still don't think this reads as punk lolita, even if my 2018 self would argue that it was. It would be a cute sweet lolita coordinate if only I was wearing different shoes.
Left: This coordinate is kind of a mess. I like the idea of layering socks over fishnets, but I do not like the particular socks or fishnets that I chose for this coordinate. I also do not like the cutsew that I chose. I like that I attempted to tease my hair to make it fuller even if it didn't really work. I appreciate that I attempted to accessorize with a choker, but I hate the particular choker that I chose. The head bow feels out of place, and I wish that I would have used a different hair accessory. I really do not like this coordinate. I don't think I liked it at the time either.
Right: This coordinate is not one that my current self or my past self would have considered to be punk lolita. However, a few people at the time told me they liked my "casual punk" coordinate, so I am including it in this section. I think it is a cute casual coordinate and don't really have much to say about it.
These last two coordinates are not really punk lolita coordinates but I am including them because they were definitely part of my experimental phase and incorporated those damn boots I wore with everything.
Left: I have no idea what is going on in this coordinate. The boots do not belong. They need to go. I remember that dress being incredibly heavy and wearing even my poofiest of petticoats down. I never could get it to look right. I am not sure what I am wearing for a top. It looks like it may be some type of flowy duster cardigan that I tied at my waist? I like the pattern, but I do not think it works for this coordinate. I think I am wearing a black rectangle headdress on my head, but it is hard to tell from the photo. I do not appear to be wearing any accessories. I am going to assume this coordinate was around Halloween and I was going for a witchy theme?
Right: This is definitely a Halloween coordinate. I like the boots with this because the silver buckles match nicely to the silver print in my shirt. The entire coordinate is tacky and messy but in a fun way. I feel like holiday coordinates are allowed to look a little tacky.
2019
This was the year that my wardrobe really started to feel like it had an 'identity'. I was wearing primarily oldschool lolita at the time and my wardrobe consisted primarily of tartan dresses. I wore a lot of punk lolita, casual lolita, and did a lot of experimental coordinates. I was having a lot of fun with the fashion at this time. 2019 was the year that I moved to Seattle and started to feel like I was building a nest for myself. I think it really shows in my coordinates.
Left: I genuinely love this coordinate. I wore it for a convention, and I had so much fun putting it together and wearing it. The head bow was a bow that I had put together using the waist ties and it was not the best bow, but I was really proud of it at the time. I think the fact that it looked a little messy worked with the punk vibes. I loved the blouse in this coordinate, and I was so sad when it no longer fit me. The dress in this is an old Bodyline dress under their sublabel(?) Bloodstorm. It was really cool and had a batwing collar. I really loved that dress, but it was a bit too short on me and I also eventually phased black out of my wardrobe, so I got rid of it. I loved the asymmetrical cut of the overskirt though. I really like the mismatched socks and the layering over the fishnets. I even like the boots with this. My only note is that I wish I would have accessorized more. This coordinate could really benefit from some jewelry and some waist belts.
Right: I wouldn't consider this coordinate punk lolita but I am pretty sure that is what I was going for at the time. More specifically, I think I was trying to channel 2006 Avril Lavigne style pop punk or Myspace pop punk aesthetics. I love the combination of hot pink, black, tartan, stripes, and the necktie. I do really like this coordinate and would honestly still wear it today.
Left: This is one of my all-time favorite coordinates. I would not call this punk lolita but at the time that is definitely what I was going for. I love the combination of the stripes with the tartan, I love how my hair turned out, I love how my makeup looks (one of the rare times I actually wore makeup), I love the necktie, and overall, I just love how it came together. My only note is that I still do not like those particular fishnets. I think a more classic fishnet, as opposed to those floral fishnets, would work better.
Right: I am not a fan of this coordinate, and I was not happy with it then either. I love the idea of mixing different tartans together and I have seen other lolitas do it and make stunning coordinates. I just failed in the execution. I do not like the socks or boots with this either. I also think that my hair being down was the wrong choice. The entire coordinate feels disjointed.
Left: This Algonquins dress was so short and could barely fit a petticoat so I am not sure it really even counts as lolita anymore, but I will still put it in here as I counted it at the time. I do really like this outfit though. I love the dress itself, the holy leggings, and the buckle sleeve top. The boots don't look terrible, but they don't look great either. I wish I would have done something different with my hair. The buns are a bit too small and get a little lost behind the rectangle headdress. I also wish that I would have accessorized more which is a running theme with these coordinates.
Right: This coordinate is actually featured in JBTK Issue 2 (the PUNK edition!) which came out in 2020. This is not one of my favorite coordinates, but it was a lot of fun to put together. I loved layering pieces over that Bodyline dress because the skirt portion was so cool. That top was really neat, and I sometimes regret getting rid of it but I doubt I would have gotten enough use out of it to warrant keeping it. I love the mismatched socks and I am glad to see that I am wearing different shoes. I also love that I am using my vintage Furbay backpack in this coordinate. I dislike the skeleton hand hairclips. This photo is also heavily edited.
Left: My goal for this coordinate was specifically to channel 2008 Myspace scene vibes as opposed to punk lolita but I feel like it shares enough of the same elements as my other coordinates to include it in this post. I genuinely really like this coordinate. I love how I layered a graphic tank over an OP, I love the mixing of tartan with stripes, I love the color palette, and I like my hair. I wish that I would have used a different hair accessory and that I would have included more accessories in general. Some cool waist belts, some wrist accessories (maybe jelly bracelets to fit the theme?), and some jewelry would have helped bring this coordinate together.
Right: This coordinate was simply because I was hot that day and did not want to wear a blouse. I had some cute graphic tanks that I thought would work for some punk lolita coordinates and figured I would style one. I hate those fishnets but otherwise I like how this coordinate looks. I know that I chose to wear the fishnets because I do not like how my legs look bare, but I think the coordinate would have looked better without them. I can also tell that I was suffering from body image issues at this time because this photo is heavily edited.
This is the same coordinate twice, with and without the vest. I actually really like this coordinate. My biggest critique is those damn fishnets. I really hate them. I am also getting tired of seeing these shoes though I am glad to see that I seem to have branched out from the boots by this point. I really liked that Putumayo skirt, but it was really tight on me. I loved the asymmetric handkerchief hem. I really like how it looks paired with the tartan top and also with the denim vest. I wish I was wearing a hair accessory. If I remember correctly, I struggled to figure out what to wear at the time. Nothing seemed to fit the vibe. This photo is also heavily edited. I think this was around the time that I started gaining weight and feeling really self-conscious about it.
Left: This coordinate is not a punk lolita coordinate. I am not sure if I would have considered it as such then, but I definitely do not now. However, it does include that asymmetric skirt that I used in a lot of my more punk leaning coordinates so I figured I would go ahead and include it. I like the more preppy vibes of this coordinate. It is really cute. I don't really have much else to say about it. This photo is also heavily edited.
Right: I can see what I was going for with this coordinate, but I honestly just hate it. I do not like how the black legwear blends in with the boots, I am tired of seeing the boots constantly, the vest looks like it is too tight on me, my hair looks flat and unkempt, and the headwear doesn't match the overall vibe. This just looks lazy and slapped together...which it probably was. This photo is also heavily edited.
2020
This was a hard year for me, as it was for a lot of people. I actually thought I was leaving the fashion. I sold off most of my wardrobe the summer of 2020 and didn't wear lolita fashion for most of the year. Not only were we going through a pandemic, but I was going through a lot of health problems, gaining a lot of weight, going back to school (virtual), unemployed, and figuring out my mental health. I had a lot of things to figure out in my life and my love for this fashion got pushed aside to the back of my closet...quite literally.
Left: I would not consider this coordinate as punk lolita but I think back then I probably did? I am not entirely sure. I do think it is a cute casual coordinate. I love the combination of tartan with stripes and the addition of the denim jacket is a nice touch. I still hate those fishnets. I wish I had worn a different head accessory though. The black rectangle headdress gets lost in my hair since they are too similar in color. This photo is also heavily edited. I doubt I was even wearing makeup that day.
Right: This was the last in person lolita specific social thing that I did in 2020. I went to have coffee with an acquaintance of mine from the local community and we both did punk inspired coordinates. I wish I would have gotten to know them better. They moved during the first year of the pandemic and this was the last time I got to see them. This wasn't my favorite coordinate, but it does hold good memories for me. I do like the idea of styling an entirely sweet piece in a non-sweet way, even if my execution wasn't the best. This photo is also heavily edited.
The End?
When I 'came back' to the fashion in mid 2021 I wasn't entirely sure what my style was anymore, but I knew that it wasn't the same as it was before. I was back in an experimental era. I haven't worn any punk lolita, or even really any oldschool or tartan lolita, since 2020. My style changed to a more casual and colorful kitschy sweet aesthetic with motifs such as popcorn, circus, and ducks. My color palette changed to red and navy primarily. This isn't to say that I won't ever attempt punk lolita again, I just haven't in a few years. Well, I hope you enjoyed looking at all of my questionable attempts at this substyle over the years. Thanks for reading.
