The Lolita Complex: - Scholarly Commons Home

There is also much to be said in this regard about the experiential
aspect of the wearer. It is all very well to observe and or analyse Lolita
fashion and its symbolic signifiers from the outside. But speaking from
experience, as an insider looking out, and communicating with other
Gothloli about how Lolita also makes them feel is an entirely valid exercise.
For while the Lolita style can be viewed by the outsider as fetishist and
sexy, the wearer of true, authentic Gothloli attire very rarely, if ever,
perceives herself as sexual. This is perhaps because it makes one feel
immature and even intimidated. Yet, for me especially, and other Lolita I
have consulted, the overwhelming layers of clothing one must wear can
make one feel very dressed. If anything, it can create a sense of being
overdressed.
As Deborah Cameron highlights, the “Japanese Lolita has a protective
cordon of passion-killing petticoats”. 217 This may feel intimidating for the
wearer it but it also serves to intimidate. According to Cameron, “the
message is clear: Look but don’t touch”. 218
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