Where to buy Lolita fashion

Volume 3: where to buy Lolita fashion

In Volume 1 and Volume 2 I talked about Lolita fashion basics and substyles.

Now that you have enough information on the fashion, it's time to build your wardrobe! 

 Lolita brands

Most japanese Lolita brands have websites to shop from. Some may or may not require a shopping service.

• Angelic Pretty 
  
• Atelier Pierrot
  
• Baby the Stars Shine Bright
  
• Innocent World
  
• Juliette et Justine
  
• Metamorphose temps de fille
  
• Mary Magdalene
  
• Moi-Meme-Moitié
• Victorian Maiden
  
• And Romeo
  
• Antique Beast
  
• Maxicimam
  
• Bodyline
  

About Bodyline

Bodyline is a great option for Lolitas on a budget. It's a much easier, cheaper and quicker way to shop for newbies to buy their first pieces without spending their life savings on brands, but there are a few things you should keep in mind if you want to have a good quality coordinate.

The quality is a hit or miss. Look for reviews of the specific item you want. While most of their clothes now are of good quality, they still have pieces of questionable quality or design and use stiff lace and cheap fabrics.

Keep it simple. The best pieces on Bodyline are relatively simple, in solid colors and simple prints. Avoid busy designs.

Buying secondhand

One of the best things about Lolita fashion is the secondhand market, where you can find good pieces at honest prices. Some may or may not require a shopping service.

• Closet Child
  
• Wunderwelt
  
• Usagiyouhinten
  
• Maiden Clothing
  
• Tokyo Alice
  
• Mercari JP
• Yahoo Auctions JP
• Lacemarket
  

Be careful when shopping on western secondhand websites, some sellers may list clothes that aren't Lolita under the ''Lolita'' tag and it can be confusing if you're looking to buy your first dress. If you really have to, I suggest you put brand names in the search bar instead.

TaoBao

''I've heard of a site called TaoBao, what is it?'' TaoBao is essentially chinese eBay. Many indie chinese brands sell their items via TaoBao. It can be quite complicated to understand, so I decided to write a separate section about it. TaoBao generally requires a sopping service and almost everything on the website is written in chinese. Using the browser's translation feature is useful.

If you don't want to buy directly from TaoBao, here's a list of resellers that don't require the presence of a shopping service.

• My Lolita Dress
  
• Lolita Wardrobe
  
• Devilinspired
  
• Glitzy Wonderland
  
• 42lolita
  

Most TaoBao resellers overcharge for items that can be purchased for far cheaper prices. It's highly advised that you compare prices between these resellers and the original TaoBao prices + shipping. Resellers can be less intimidating to buy from if you're new and it's still less expensive than most brands pieces, but keep this in mind when you're purchasing.

Protecting against scams

Because most foreign Lolitas do not have access to the items at hand, buying online for the first time can be intimidating. Stock photos can be misleading about an item's color and fit. Regardless, check the stock photos on Lolibrary or another reliable source. Try to look up the item you're interested in styled in a coordinate. If you buy from other Lolitas make sure to check their feedback. If it's not listed, ask for some proof that they're legit and if you're not given any form of it, it would be best to stay cautious. When paying via PayPal, send payment as for ''goods/services'' instead of ''for friends/family''. Doing this allows PayPal to protect you in case anything happens.

Do NOT shop on Milanoo, Lighinthebox, Wish, and avoid Amazon. The first two sites are known scammers and most ''Lolita'' pieces on Amazon and Wish are cheap cosplay dresses or replicas.

This is all you should know when buying Lolita online! In the next and last guide I will talk about what items and dresses to avoid to build good quality outfits and wardrobes.

If you have any questions you can leave a comment or find me on my other socials.

See you in the next post. ^^