Wearing Corsets in Lolita Fashion

As a person who primarily wears gothic lolita fashion, I’m a big fan of creating coordinates that feature a corset. Corsets are incredibly versatile. They can greatly increase the versatility of a classic or gothic lolita wardrobe, and create a more finished look on a specific coordinate. In this guide, I hope to assist my fellow lolitas in using corsets to create an elegant and stylish look.

Using a corset to give skirts a tidy appearance

A lot of pieces from lolita brands can use shirring in an attempt to fit a variety of body shapes. As well as this, since button-up blouses can frequently have issues with fit, many lolitas have confided that they don’t wear skirts very often, preferring to wear JSKs which keep their midsection covered. Well, my lolita friends, avoid skirts no more!

Adding a corset can assist with smoothing the middle section of a coordinate, neatly covering any bumps from shirring, or concealing blouses that are just a little bit shorter than desired. This easy addition can give a skirt coord a more polished appearance – just look at how much more regal this pink and white coordinate appears with a corset added.

Using a corset to play with colour

Are you a lolita who decided to stick to just one colour to make it easy to build a cohesive lolita fashion wardrobe? Purchasing a corset in a new colour can be a fun way to test out a new colour, without committing to a full main piece.

In the example above, this lolita has added a red corset, head-bow, and tights to try out including red in their wardrobe. On a different day, she might use a blue corset and accessories for a Moi-même-Moitié vibe, or a white corset to play around with traditional black-and-white accessories. As well as being a low-commitment way to try out a new colour, it is much easier to find storage for just accessories, so it can be a great way to get more wear out of your existing pieces. It can also be useful when balancing existing colours in the coordinate if you feel the waist area is missing a colour.

Using a corset to create a different silhouette

Another way for corsets to increase versatility is by wearing them over high-waisted or waistless dresses. Adding a corset causes the waist of the dress to cinch in, creating a different silhouette.

In the example above, this lolita styled a sack dress by adding a corset to create a more traditional lolita silhouette. This can transform a relaxed, comfortable coordinate into a more tailored-looking appearance. It’s important to consider that adding a corset tends to shorten the dress slightly, but you can use this opportunity to show off beautiful legwear or a coordinating underskirt. Plus, after indulging in too many cakes at afternoon tea, you can quickly stuff your corset in your bag to reduce the pressure on your full stomach. Trust me, I think we’ve all been there.

Using a corset to add details

Have you ever had a moment where you want to wear a certain piece for a tea party, but you just don’t feel like it has the level of texture you’re looking for at the waist? Maybe you usually add a waist bow, but today you’re just not feeling the cute vibe. A corset can be perfect for this!

In this example, the lolita has chosen a corset that matches the colour of her JSK, giving the appearance of additional texture at the waist, while still keeping a streamlined appearance. It allows the simpler JSK to keep up with the more elaborate head accessory. In this way, you can use a corset to explore additional textures to create a coordinate with details in as many places as possible.

Enjoy experimenting with corsets!

The examples above are just a few examples of ways that you could choose to style a corset. There are many imaginative options for putting together a lolita coordinate which features a corset, and I encourage you to experiment with the many possibilities. Look to your fellow lolitas for inspiration, and overall just have fun with styling things in interesting new ways.