Lolita and Sustainability

Let me preface this post by saying that these are merely my thoughts, which are a result of things that I started to prioritise. I’m not trying to make you, the reader, do anything nor am I judging you for the decisions you make. We’re all living in different circumstances and what one person may be able to do easily, could be unrealistic and unachievable for another.

 

Discussions around sustainability within lolita fashion have been cropping up a bit more often recently as those conversations enter the realm of mainstream fashion too. It is no secret that the fashion industry as a whole is one of the largest polluters globally, as well as largely unethical and unsustainable for the garment workers, so it’s good that people are actively wanting to make changes. From the discussions that I have seen, lolitas like to think that our fashion is really good in that regard, which is not actually that simple. Anyone claiming that lolita fashion is great for the environment because of its focus on durability and the second hand market is only looking at the surface level. Yes, in comparison to mainstream fast fashion this is still miles better, but it’s not the rainbows and unicorns that some might believe it to be (beyond those printed on our garments). And that is what I’d like to focus on here. Strap in for some heavier reading.

The Garments

Where lolita fashion trumps fast fashion is primarily in terms of its quality. For example, a fast fashion blouse that needs repairs after only a few wears is not cheap because it will either be constantly replaced (furthering the cycle of purchasing fast fashion clothes) or constantly repaired (a better alternative in terms of the environment, but your time repairing it is also a cost). As such, a lolita fashion blouse that has been well constructed out of durable materials, even if more costly as a one-off purchase, ends up being a better long-term investment. Particularly for those who can wear lolita daily or mix it with their other styles, a $100 white blouse from Baby the Stars Shine Bright that will last 10+ years of regular wear would be roughly the same as 10 white blouses from Primark, as these days they’re about $10, and which will need replacing several times due to wear and tear. Say that this blouse is something you wear to your work at the office - even if a Primark one will need replacing annually, that’s still 10 blouses adding up to $100 (or more because, you know, inflation and such) over those 10 years when you could’ve bought the BtSSB one to begin with.

Durability of lolita fashion is also what directly contributes to how thriving its second hand market is. The reason that we can buy so many clothes second hand is because their quality keeps them in good shape for so long. You can easily find pieces that are 10, 12, 15, 20 years old that still look amazing (or can do with a little bit of TLC) because people generally treasure the things they spent a lot of money on and because quality materials do not deteriorate so quickly. Now, it is important to note that as lolita fashion grew in popularity and cheaper companies emerged, not everyone produces garments of the same quality. Lumping all Chinese brands into the same bag labelled ‘Taobao’ is deeply problematic already, but it also ignores the range of quality that different makers have. And frankly, some on the cheaper end will not be producing things that are that different from what you find in high street fast fashion shops, not quality-wise.

Moreover, the very care of lolita fashion garments can contribute to pollution, even if only in small ways. On the one hand we have the prevalence of polyester fabrics, which release microparticles during every wash that then end up polluting the oceans. On the other, with many garments requiring handwashing separately, we are using a bath-full of water to wash one dress, and then another bath-full to rinse it, when those two bath-fulls could’ve washed an entire load of clothes, maybe even two. These are small things which add up nonetheless when done by hundreds of people within a niche alternative community, even if this is all insignificant in the face of the pollution done by multimillion global fashion chains. I’m not saying to stop washing your clothes (please, don’t do that, it’s basic hygiene to wash your clothes) or to stop giving a damn about proper garment care. I’m saying to be mindful of those when you make your next purchase if sustainability is your aim. Do you need that latest JSK made out of polyester? Do you need to drain the entire bath of water after handwashing just one dress if it wasn’t horribly dirty? If you can’t wash anything else in there, maybe you could use the water for something else, like flushing your toilet or watering the plants in your garden? Does this piece really need an actual wash or can it simply be aired or steamed? If our little less-than-ideal actions can add up, then so can our good actions.

Overall, investing in clothes that will last longer may be more expensive in the short-term, but pays dividends in the long-term, both for your wallet (no need to constantly replace things) and for the environment (lessening consumption is always good for the environment). It is important to be mindful of what we are investing in, particularly fabric-wise, however, with more attention given to proper garment care we can ensure both longevity of our clothes and hygiene habits that are better for the environment.

The Production

Let’s turn our attention to how lolita fashion clothes are made. Whilst lolita is still far from the mass production that companies like H&M have, there is a lot more lolita being produced now when the fashion started. And although the runs of each release remain small in comparison to fast fashion, we’ve all noticed the increase in available pieces as released by Japanese brands, as well as seen more new companies pop-up. Whilst this makes the fashion more accessible, more than it has ever been, it also puts into question its sustainability. If mainstream fashion estimates are that there are currently enough clothes in existence for six generations, then how can producing more lolita clothes be sustainable or good for the environment, even if we hold onto these until their very last thread disintegrates? And as great as it is that more people are able to participate in this fashion, we have all of those new releases on top of a second hand market that is already fuller than ever. From sites like Closet Child and Wunderwelt to individual sellers on Facebook and Lacemarket, there are more lolita fashion clothes than there are people wanting them. The scale is not the same as it is for fashion overall, but the trend is not significantly dissimilar.

Furthermore, we need to account for the fact that not all lolita is produced in the same way. It’s true that even the biggest lolita fashion brand that is Angelic Pretty is not quite at the same scale as Zara or H&M. Lolita fashion is still predominantly driven by smaller companies, mostly led by the designers themselves, who either outsource their production to factories or produce everything themselves in-house. Sadly, the Japanese and Chinese brands lack transparency in terms of their production, we only know what’s printed on the labels. And frankly, we know more about the conditions of production of Zara and H&M combined than we do about Angelic Pretty’s. Whilst this doesn’t always mean that every garment produced in a factory was made in a sweatshop, it prevents us from accessing key information on their sourcing of materials. Yes, ‘Made in China’ no longer equals a sweatshop by default, but we need to question when the label says ‘Made in the Philippines’ or ‘Made in Myanmar’, as well as the ‘Made in China’. And whilst I touched earlier on the fabrics, not all cotton is sustainably sourced and ethically produced cotton. We’ve already seen reports on China using forced labour of Uyghur people in producing cotton which is practically inescapable within fast fashion. Just because lolita brands are smaller companies doesn’t mean that they can’t also be complicit. Until they tell us more about the sourcing of their materials and the conditions of production, we simply won’t know.

On the flipside of that, with lolita fashion growing in popularity and accessibility, it also allowed plenty of independent brands to rise, many of which do care about sustainability. Lady Sloth proudly supports businesses in Poland for sourcing materials, as well as creating the garments, as does Violet Fane. One-person brands such as The Black Ribbon or Dollbe have greater control over production, considering how they make things by in-house, so they can ensure that there is no waste, as well as select their materials from trusted sources. Smaller companies can adapt to demands for sustainability a lot more easily and thanks to making smaller quantities or even operating on an exclusively made to order basis, they are a better option of indulging in a luxury hobby like lolita with a bit less guilt. Moreover, many of these one-person businesses are owned by people marginalised or disadvantaged within the mainstream society - your purchase goes to support them and help them grow, showing that there is demand for independent talents and crafts, and helping to amplify their creative voices. This is how clothing was traditionally made and a return to that model, whilst it won’t solve the problem of the literal tonnes of clothes already in existence, will help in creating a more sustainable future for this fashion community.

The Distribution and Consumption

I’m lumping these two aspects together because they are two sides of the coin we commonly call “shopping”.

When we talk about distribution, it incorporates not only how materials or ready garments make it from the factories to the shops, but also how individual items get from the sellers to us. The former issue is one that, again, Japanese brands are not very transparent about. We can assume based of the labels that this probably involves a great deal of airmail postage, at least between the factory and the shops. For Chinese brands this could be somewhat better - if the entire garment and each of its elements are made in China, then there is a chance of using land transport (trains and lorries) to get materials between places, as well as a chance that the majority of components are produced locally, e.g. within the same province. Indie brands, as already mentioned, are more open to sharing these details with us, their customers, so it is easier to decide how sustainable they are and how big their carbon footprint might be just from transporting their materials and items from production to sales.

Then we get to the part where we, the customers, come in: we buy stuff. Almost every shop will offer a variety of postage options, allowing you to choose the one that suits you best. Having said this, lolitas aren’t always the most patient creatures and even amongst the patient ones I have never met one who dared to ship their order by sea, the most environmentally friendly option available even though still not without flaws. I am amongst them, as my experience with sea mail was limited to only the things I was never worried about losing, though for budget reasons I have opted for SAL (Surface Air Lifted) whenever I could, which has yet to fail me and which is better than EMS.

Even though I do plenty of second hand shopping, as do so many other lolitas, this does not automatically mean that we are doing something sustainable when our second hand shopping is done abroad. Buying second hand garments is better overall, but if you then post it to Europe all the way from Japan, the carbon emissions on that postage alone will probably negate the good that you have done by shopping second hand. Whilst during non-pandemic times there are options such as swap meets and bring and buys, and the pandemic hasn’t affected local second hand sales much, unless you are shopping second hand exclusively locally or exclusively domestically, you are contributing some pollution through your international shopping habits. This is why if you have to order from abroad, it’s always good to build up an order or offer to combine with someone else’s. The fewer individual packages travel across the globe, the better.

Which brings me to the second point here that is the consumption itself. You can shop as responsibly as it’s humanly possible, only buy second hand and from trusted independent creators - but how can your lolita fashion habits really be called sustainable if you purchase more than you actually need? And I don’t mean “need” as in basic necessities, we all know that lolita fashion is not that, but “need” in the sense of having as much as you are actually able to wear? This isn’t a call for drastic minimalism, but for an honest evaluation of your wardrobe’s contents vs your frequency of wear. As of writing this post, my own collection stands at 41 main pieces. I do not wear these daily, I have other clothes that I enjoy wearing, but I have been wearing lolita several times per week during lockdown and roughly once a week before. For this kind of frequency of wear, my wardrobe is certainly the right size, as I don’t find myself missing anything to enable me to actually wear something, and it may actually be a little too big given that there are some smaller pieces I either haven’t worn or that I wear less often. For someone who does wear lolita daily, a wardrobe my size would likely be just right or a little too small, whereas for someone who only wore lolita once a month - this would be too much. This fashion has a tendency to attract both a hoarder mindset, as well as a collector one, both of which can lead to overconsumption all too easily. So if your lolita shopping habits mean that you end up with more pieces than you actually end up wearing and you are not buying them for their beauty, like art collectors, or to preserve them as pieces of this niche community’s social history, like an archivist, then your lolita fashion activity is not very sustainable. Even if you sell the clothes back on the second hand market when no longer needed, as long as this is done purely to fuel further new purchases, the cycle will continue.

The General Upsides

One thing to keep in mind is that lolita fashion is not perfect because the fashion industry as a whole is not perfect. Some things will not change without a massive systemic overhaul and one person won’t do it. However, if you’ve ever talked to lolitas who have been in this fashion for a while, you will notice the spillover effect that participating in lolita has on our views, consumption habits and life.

Once you notice the great quality and durability of your lolita garments, it’s hard to tolerate the sub-par quality of fast fashion garments. Not everyone wants to or can wear lolita fashion daily, but many long-term lolitas want all of their clothes to be durable and good quality as a result of this interest. This means that more lolitas, even those not consciously concerned with sustainability, start applying the same habits that they cultivate in lolita fashion towards other clothes: buy fewer items of higher quality, buy more good quality second hand and vintage items, shop with independent creators more, take better care of the garments they already own and reuse/recycle what cannot be repaired etc. This is a simple mindset that the Western society forgot as it grew richer with disposable income and consumerist culture rose to prominence, not even that long ago. And again, in the face of the damage done by big companies, one individual’s actions will not have much of a global impact. But if everyone in the world now decided to repeatedly repair their jeans instead of throwing them in the bin and replacing with new ones - just think how many fewer pairs of jeans would end up polluting the world!

Moreover, the spillover effect isn’t limited to just ourselves - those around us may also start changing their habits as a result of observing us. Consider this: your family or housemates notice that you buy less and buy more consciously. They can see and feel the quality of your clothes, as well as notice how you make conscious effort to find multiple ways of wearing the same item now that you’ve spent your hard-earned/hard-saved cash on it. Then they start noticing how awful clothes in the shops they usually go to feel and they start feeling just awkward for having that skirt or top they’ve worn once and now avoid because they’ve already been seen wearing that already. So they start shopping for items to keep and start paying more attention to durability. Whereas before they may have bought five pairs of £5 boots online because they were cute and cheap, now they’re saving up to buy a pair they really love that will set them back £50, that they’ll wear often and that will last them at least a couple of years. All simply because they saw how your shopping habits changed as a result of being into lolita fashion.

Because the overriding motto of this is this: we don’t need few people doing everything perfectly. We need everyone doing things imperfectly. If only ten people do everything they’re supposed to to help save our planet and population, they won’t be able to offset the impact of the big companies. But if 400 million people (which is a little more than the population of the USA and the UK combined) do things imperfectly: some will focus on being vegan, others on the impact of fashion, the majority recycles and the minority lives a complete zero-waste lifestyle... then we stand a chance of making a globally tangible impact.

Which brings me to the moral of this whole post. Lolita fashion is not perfect when it comes to sustainability. It is infinitely better than fast fashion and encourages some very good habits that we should all aim to cultivate. However, we are not off the hook just because we are lolitas, not even when we’re the daily lolitas. Instead we should identify the things that we could still do to be better about this whole issue and focus our efforts on incorporating those into our lifestyles as well. We’ve already taken several steps to being more responsible and embedded them into our routine. Adding one more until that too becomes second nature will not be stretching ourselves too far and is the baby step forward, towards the brightly shining stars, that we need.