Country Lolita
I think many country lolitas get started as sweet or classic lolitas and then add the other style in to their wardrobe little by little. Country style is a sort of hybrid between sweet and classic. It has the "cute" motifs such as bunnies or other animals, the fruit motifs such as cherries or apples, and it generally features more elaborate pieces and accessories. However, it also has more classical elements such as flower prints, the use of unique headpieces featuring flowers,
and using vintage items such as straw baskets, boater hats, and vintage jewelry. It all depends on how you coordinate and accessorize. Now what I said above about brands not making pieces for this style, doesn't apply here. Because you can take a sweeter piece and accessorize it to make it more country, or you can take a classic piece and make it more country. This also allows for a very flexible wardrobe with a few pieces coordinated in multiple ways. The one factor of country lolita that sets it apart from classic or sweet is its abundant use of gingham. Gingham prints can go more towards the sweet side of things, as they're often printed with fruits and flowers on top.
This is a country coordinate using gingham. This Metamorphose dress screams country, and the open sandals make it feel summery. Baby the Stars Shine Bright has been making these "bunny ear" hairbands, and I kind of like them. They give the idea of bunnies, without actually
being bunny ears. Plus, they have wire inside them, so they can be positioned in different ways. This coordinate is most definitely made with more sweet influences.
I think I posted this coordinate here before, but it's a great example of a classic print made into a country coordinate. The straw boater hat and cardigan make it perfectly suited to walking down a country road in the springtime. There are a few sweet influences with the bow, key, and heart jewelry motifs, but this is a pretty and simple coordinate with a more classical style overall.
Sailor Lolita
I have a bit of an obsession with making sailor coordinates. In addition to the ones on my polyvore, I have one that I'm making for me to wear. Most sailor coordinates use some combination of navy, cream or white, and red, with other colors acting as accents. Some brands have made pieces reminiscent of the Japanese sailor school uniform. Some sailor lolita pieces have sailing motifs, such as boats, anchors, and shells printed onto them. I personally feel like sailor lolita is suited to a more casual style, but that's just me.
This is one of my favorites! It's casual, using a Moi Meme Moitie skirt and an off-brand top. All of the ship themed jewelry really drives the sailor aspect over the top. And the anchor bag has been sitting in my saved items just waiting for a purpose.
This is a bit more formal, but I didn't put a blouse under it. This is an Angelic Pretty dress from earlier this year, but it's reminiscent of some of their older stuff. The colors are very saturated, and it's just so cute! Red tights with big white shoes really pop. If I had done white next to the white frill edges of the dress, it wouldn't have quite as much visual interest. I've been sort of obsessed with these big chunky shoes recently too, these specific ones are from Bodyline.
Pirate Style
This is a style which I greatly admire those who pull it off. Pirate style is a very tricky line to walk. Go too pirate and it becomes a costume. Don't go enough and it's not recognizable as pirate style. Pirate style is one of those styles with both male and female parts. It even has its own brand, Alice and the Pirates. AATP is a sister company to Baby the Stars Shine Bright. They share a website, and many BABY stores in Japan, as well as the ones in San Francisco and Paris stock Alice and the Pirates items regularly. The designs can range from more gothic to classic, to even somewhat sweet items. AATP also has put out a few miniature tricorn hats. These things are amazing. They can give a coordinate another element of pirate-ness. I only have one coordinate I've made for this style, but I have something even better, an actual pirate lolita.
I found this photo on a website called Hello Lace. I then went to the EGL livejournal community and searched up "pirate." I found this same photo shoot done in Vancouver. She is an excellent example of a pirate lolita. Please check out the rest of the photo shoot here.
This is my pirate lolita coordinate. It's got a bit of an aristocrat touch to it with the long sleeves and high collar, as well as the full size hat. Jewelry themed around pirates, ships, compasses, telescopes, and treasure really help to make it pirate-y. So do tall boots.
These styles are each unique and sometimes passed up for more popular ones. As you can see, it doesn't mean that they can't be awesome and perfectly lolita.
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