Questions for Gothic Lolitas: Victorian Mourning
Hello everyone! I'm writing a seminar paper on Victorian Mourning influence on Gothic Lolita fashion. I don't have a clear thesis yet, but I would like to ask a few questions for the EGL community. Here are my current topic ideas: The Gothic Lolita aesthetic romanticizes elements of Victorian Mourning, which reveals a nostalgia of overt presentation of grief, or The Gothic Lolita fashion style reveals a fascination for mourning and a romanticization of the dead (and undead). I plan to do a close-reading of a Gothic Lolita garment: the one I have chosen is the AATP JSK Funeral Procession of the Rose (in the Bordeaux colorway). I would also like to draw connections between lolita fashion and Victorian fashion, in the sense of colorways: lolita series often have different possible colorways, and during Victorian times, mourning dress resembled high fashion except in matte black (for deep mourning) or shiny black and/or accent colors (for half mourning or second mourning).
Feel free to discuss anything related to mourning themes in lolita fashion in the comments, even if they do not directly relate to my question. Thank you so much!
Here are my current questions for you:
- What is your favorite motif in the Gothic Lolita substyle? Why do you like this motif?
- How do you feel about vampire prints? (Examples from AATP: Vampire Forest Carmilla, Vampire Requiem, Vampire Prelude Nosferatu, Vampire Nocturne) Themes of the undead? The dead?
- How do you feel about lolita fashion photoshoots that deal with themes of the dead and mourning? (Examples: a photoshoot featuring a lolita lying in a coffin, a photoshoot featuring a lolita walking through a cemetery, a photoshoot featuring a lolita trying pretending to kill another lolita)
- Have you ever worn lolita during mourning? Do you know anyone who has worn lolita during mourning? How do you feel about this?
- Do you feel like Victorian Mourning is romanticized? If so, how?
- Do you have a favorite piece that reminds you of Victorian Mourning?
- If you have any mourning-inspired coordinates, please share them here!
Note: This post and its comments will be cited in an Appendix for my paper. Some of the comments will be cited in the body of my paper.
Feel free to discuss anything related to mourning themes in lolita fashion in the comments, even if they do not directly relate to my question. Thank you so much!
Here are my current questions for you:
- What is your favorite motif in the Gothic Lolita substyle? Why do you like this motif?
- How do you feel about vampire prints? (Examples from AATP: Vampire Forest Carmilla, Vampire Requiem, Vampire Prelude Nosferatu, Vampire Nocturne) Themes of the undead? The dead?
- How do you feel about lolita fashion photoshoots that deal with themes of the dead and mourning? (Examples: a photoshoot featuring a lolita lying in a coffin, a photoshoot featuring a lolita walking through a cemetery, a photoshoot featuring a lolita trying pretending to kill another lolita)
- Have you ever worn lolita during mourning? Do you know anyone who has worn lolita during mourning? How do you feel about this?
- Do you feel like Victorian Mourning is romanticized? If so, how?
- Do you have a favorite piece that reminds you of Victorian Mourning?
- If you have any mourning-inspired coordinates, please share them here!
Note: This post and its comments will be cited in an Appendix for my paper. Some of the comments will be cited in the body of my paper.