PinkyMaggie

Although it will be hard to tell why anime isn't a good source for inspiration for your outfits, it's usually the case of too much lace, the dress being too short, the design being questionable, and odd color combinations. Using this knowledge, it should be applied to dresses in real life that are claiming to be "lolita".

All of the dresses pictured suffer from the same things anime lolitas wear. Too much lace, too short, questionable design, and odd colors used. These dresses are usually bad quality and cheap (like costumes which lolita is not) and are usually sold by scam sites like Milanoo and Lolitadressesshop which should be avoided (I will explain in further detail in part 3). Try searching these websites and see which dresses suffer from these details. 

So what should you use for your inspiration in lolita? Real lolitas! They are experienced and have been in the fashion for years and know right from wrong. Some of these lolitas that can be used for inspiration are shown below:

Gothic Lolita: To my knowledge, this is one of the earlier styles of lolita fashion, dating back to the 90s when Mana created the term EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita). This style has changed drastically if you image gothic lolita being a simple black dress with white lace (there is a style for that further down). In these days, black is usually the main color paired up with white, red, blue, gold, and other darker colors. Gothic lolita has both dresses based on their design only or includes a print with a gothic theme on them such as crosses, vampires, churches, gothic gates, etc.

Classic Lolita: Classic lolita shows more of the Victorian influence the fashion is known for. It focuses on muted colors such as beige, green, brown, burgundy, and others making it a mature style of lolita compared to sweet. Dresses can be designed based or have prints such as roses and other flowers, forest animals (deers, birds, bears), fairy tales, and royalty themes.

Old-School Lolita: It can be argued if it is it's own style, but old-school has a look different to what lolita fashion has become in recent years. Old-school lolita dates back to the 90s to mid-2000s. These dresses were purely design based, usually a simple dress with lace. Rectangle headdresses and rocking-horse shoes with lacy socks were popular back then, but in modern days, it is usually considered "ita". Do not worry, though, if you're interested in this style as it has made a small comeback! 

 Kodona/Ouji: Although kodona (boystyle) and ouji (prince) are debatable names, this style is like the male version of lolita fashion. No dresses are involved, but instead shorts, coats, vests, and hats make this style different from the rest. Common colors include black, red, blue, white, beige, gold, and silver. The whole outfit is worn to be prince-like with a boyish feel to it.

Other Sub-Styles: (In order: Casual, Punk, Country, Sailor, Hime (Princess), Wa lolita). Lolita fashion has many other styles (some I haven't included). They range in difficulty of wearing them, with casual, sailor and country being the easiest and punk, hime, and wa being the hardest and aren't recommended for beginners. 

Don't forget to research up on other styles not shown (such as Circus, Pirate, Shiro and Kuro, Qi, Ero, Military, and others)! Once you have found your preferred style of lolita, make search to read part 2 of my tips where I explain how to be a good lolita and avoid becoming the dreaded "ita"!