Why I wear Lolita? {Lolita 52 challenge}

It's just like the title says this time around, why do I wear lolita? I haven't done one of these in a while because I haven't posted in a while.  But that's the prompt, and boy what a loaded question. I've actually thought about this a lot ever since I read a questionnaire a couple years ago about lolita. As soon as I read it I really knew the answer-- so, what is the answer? This answer is a few parts.

Lolita is part of who I am. It represents part of me.

I started lolita at a very young age, around 14, back when I didn't really have an identity for myself. The existential question "Who am I" would have hit deep if I had considered it in between contrived stanzas of poetry and bad deviant art uploads. So, when I found lolita, along with some other things, I felt connected and grew around it and into it. Not so much artificially selecting myself for lolita traits but instead just growing in knowledge and experience relevant to the culture around lolita. Everyone grows up with cultural influences that shape them, people who participate in band, high academics, plantation society. Mine happened to be lolita.

I love the way it looks.

What more can I say? I don't know why, it's just part of me. I adore the look. The supreme girliness and unabashed self appreciation that goes into wearing lolita. I also like the fact that its technically an alt fashion and is really weird and out there.

The community is relatable and connecting.

While the lolita community has a lot of draw backs to it, the drama, the cattiness, it has a good side too. It brings together people from many walks of life and allows me to meet new people. And beyond that I feel like I belong. I fit in somewhere. It's hard to say that because everyone is encouraged to strike out on their own but honestly, people need support, people to relate to. That's what the lolita community does for me. I can ask advice, and talk to people, have things in common with people everywhere from Scandinavia to Japan.

So basically, lolita is just right to me. I didn't think about why when I did it, and now I only think why because I'm asked. It's ineffable and it's my fashion.