Favorite Gothic-Lolita store in Japan

[watashiwamae]

as a student studying abroad in Japan, i found myself really entranced by the Gothic Lolita styles! they have such an innocent and old time feel to them (the more white and cutsey ones at least lmfao) and i wanted to share the knowledge i've come across while living here in Japan.

the best store i've found for both price and selection was the Body Line (http://www.bodyline.co.jp/) shop! they're website is very large with different styles, and they even (from what i can gather from the japanese) have monthly competitions where people can send in their outfit design and possibly have the Body Line (http://www.rakuten.co.jp) company produce it and sell it! your original design is then posted on the site to show the world! the prices (in American dollars) can range from $100 - $150 for a full outfit. but it all depends on what you want. i highly recommend this company. stores are in Harajuku (been there) and there's one in Osaka. very very nice stores and even bilingual staff! *shock* just had to share the Gothic Lolita love :D

the site is in Japanese but you can get around pretty easily (i'm a first year student so i barely know any japanese lol)... if you want to purchase and don't know japanese, i recommend going to the shop if you get the chance ^^

[pockyreiko]

My, if only I was rich...

Gothic lolita styles are very entrancing. Of course, I don't know how often I'd get the chance to wear, or even buy them, plus they're extremely expensive...

[Acrata]

This is something I've never think of.... But as Pockyreiko has already said:

"My, If I only was rich...."

[chibi neko alchemist]

I'd love to be able to get my hands on a Gothic Lolita outfit. Unfortunately, I have absolutely no money (only 1 and a half years until I can get a job... ) to buy one. But still, I doubt I'd be able to afford one then, either. :(

[limabeansaregross]

I would love to be able to wear EGL fashion, but I think it would very silly on me. I'm kinda tall... Maybe I could make one for Halloween.

[dreamchaser]

I'm a personal fan of Metamorphose temps de fille. Unfortunately, I do not own any EGL pieces but I would love to own some items one day soon. Of course, the thing that stands in the way is money.

I would love to study abroad in Japan. You're so lucky Mae-chan!

[watashiwamae]

yeah as i've noticed as well *glances at empty wallet* i would love some cash right now too XD preferrably where the cash does not have any "dirt" attached *cough*stolen*cough* then its just guilty to spend it D: and traceable...

it is a lil expensive, but compared to the stores i've seen online and around Harajuku... Body Line is alot cheaper and much better quality ^o^

although its hard to aquire the clothing, it is a good way to help you design your own and try to make it :D i bought a cheap white dress ($25) that i'm going to make smocks for in different colors so its not that hard really if you wanna give sewing a try :D you should be able to find some decent patterns in the pattern books they have at like Jo-Ann and stuff... so there's alot of ways to improvise, i tend to use the site more for styling ideas ^^

ganbatte minna-san! XD

[Yukiko]

I love Gothloli, I'm more of a sweet loli but I like all the other styles too. Money is also the problem for me, my favorite brand is baby the stars shine bright <3(very expensive). I sadly cannot afford it, I would almost give anything to at least wear goth loli for one day. :) it would be so fun.:cool:

[DeathOfSoul]

If I was rich and had a small body, I would be buying from Baby, The Stars Shine Bright like crazy! (Only their darker stuff though... I'm not a real Sweet Lolita type) ^^;;

[Kyaa the Catlord]

If I was rich and had a small body, I would be buying from Baby, The Stars Shine Bright like crazy! (Only their darker stuff though... I'm not a real Sweet Lolita type) ^^;;

I sometimes, hell, I often wish I was a girl so I could go Sweet Lolita. :P I want to be cute. Damnit. :P

[MorbidGnome]

I hate being 5'8". It's impossible to find Japanese brands that fit me.

But, that's why I either buy stuff at a Renaissance Festival or sew my own stuff.

[watashiwamae]

I sometimes, hell, I often wish I was a girl so I could go Sweet Lolita. :P I want to be cute. Damnit. :P

hey guys have some really cool looking Gothic Loli stuff too in Harajuku! :D man those guys look kakoii (cool)!! xD

[Kyaa the Catlord]

hey guys have some really cool looking Gothic Loli stuff too in Harajuku! :D man those guys look kakoii (cool)!! xD

Yes, but that doesn't come with the added perk of being a cute girl. :P

[Nana Komatsu]

"Baby, the Stars Shine Bright" deffinately has some sweet clothes, not gothic lolita exactly, but very cool ^^

[Kyaa the Catlord]

"Baby, the Stars Shine Bright" deffinately has some sweet clothes, not gothic lolita exactly, but very cool ^^

Its sweet lolita, the fluffy bunny side of the lolita style. :P

Wiki goes lolita. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gothic_lolita)

Of course, I've not heard of "Classic Lolita" before, but that sounds nice too. Sweet is a bit too poofy and gothic is much too dark, I dig lace and bows but sometimes it goes too far. :P

[heartace]

woah.. thanks for the website; this sound's very nice indeed! :D

[dreamchaser]

I would like to get some Alice and the Pirates items by Baby, the stars shine bright.

[shaddowkitten]

i have money i just want a offical website that sell EGL and dousn't couse a arm and a leg for shipping, have godd stuff, in english too and that takes money oder. if only!! *sigh*

[watashiwamae]

i have money i just want a offical website that sell EGL and dousn't couse a arm and a leg for shipping, have godd stuff, in english too and that takes money oder. if only!! *sigh*

that is hard to find u_u but i have found some very very good outfits on EBay (although i've never bought anything through ebay yet) you might want to give that a spin :D they're really very good if not better designs of some i've seen ^^

[Manadevil]

Someday I'll go to japan and find a store that sells everything i ever wanted... :(

[TsukasaNIGHTSHIFT]

Gothic Lolita is soooo pretty!!! I also like Mana's outfits. (hope you guys know who Mana is^^;)

[TsukasaNIGHTSHIFT]

"Baby, the Stars Shine Bright" deffinately has some sweet clothes, not gothic lolita exactly, but very cool ^^

They are pretty!!! :D

[DeathOfSoul]

Gothic Lolita is soooo pretty!!! I also like Mana's outfits. (hope you guys know who Mana is^^;)

lol. Who doesn't know Mana? He's a god! <333 ^^

[TsukasaNIGHTSHIFT]

I KNOW!!! *bows down and worships* XDDD

[DeathOfSoul]

I KNOW!!! *bows down and worships* XDDD

lol. He's my idol ^^ He does everything I want to do... own a successful clothing store, look beautiful beyond belief, and have a career involving music (even though my career like that would be owning a club ^^).

[Riotfug]

I wish I could be Mana for a day

[TsukasaNIGHTSHIFT]

that...would be SOOOOOO AWSOME!!! XDDD

[HackerEd]

Yeah, my friend said that Mana made her kinda sad because he's a guy and he's more feminine looking than she is. But she loves him all the same^^

I like Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Putumayo personally~

[TsukasaNIGHTSHIFT]

Yeah, my friend said that Mana made her kinda sad because he's a guy and he's more feminine looking than she is. But she loves him all the same^^

I like Baby the Stars Shine Bright and Putumayo personally~

Yeah, i look at him, then at me and said...damn it :mad:

[HackerEd]

But it's people like Mana and Aya that give me entertainment by playing the gender game with random kids in my highschool. I love my lolita bibles:D

Anyone make their own outfits? I piece together stuff I find with accesories I make myself. Sometimes I wear them to school, raises many eyebrows cuz I have to keep it within our "standardized dresscode".

[TsukasaNIGHTSHIFT]

But it's people like Mana and Aya that give me entertainment by playing the gender game with random kids in my highschool. I love my lolita bibles:D

Anyone make their own outfits? I piece together stuff I find with accesories I make myself. Sometimes I wear them to school, raises many eyebrows cuz I have to keep it within our "standardized dresscode".

True, its fun to take a pic of them and show it to my friends b/c they aren't THAT much into the Japanese culture, so it freaks them out a little XDD

[DeathOfSoul]

But it's people like Mana and Aya that give me entertainment by playing the gender game with random kids in my highschool. I love my lolita bibles:D

Anyone make their own outfits? I piece together stuff I find with accesories I make myself. Sometimes I wear them to school, raises many eyebrows cuz I have to keep it within our "standardized dresscode".

Ditto ^^ It's always funny to see people's expressions when you say "That's not a chick, it's a man..." <3

I'm only starting to make my own designs ^^ I hope I make better Lolita outfits soon O_o

[watashiwamae]

Someday I'll go to japan and find a store that sells everything i ever wanted... :(

try looking in Harajuku District of Tokyo... you should be able to find all the Gothic Lolita clothes there... anything else can be found in its corresponding districts ^^ *loves harajuku and akihabara*

[Parfait]

the prices (in American dollars) can range from $100 - $150 for a full outfit.

You can actually buy gothic lolita clothes of the same quality for about half the price off of an Ebay seller here (http://stores.ebay.com/honestdragonchina). Basically, you bid and after winning, tell them your measurements, height, etc. and they make the clothing item to fit you. Which is really useful for girls who are taller than the average Asian by 6 or 7 inches. For the comments I read, they do a good job too. But those people ship from China and shipping takes 1-2 weeks after they've got your measurements. :/ Ebay's not the most reliable but this user has 99.9% positive feedback for the 1,206 items they've sold, so I'm going to give them a shot when I have the money.

[Sakenichi]

You see this is where I'm lucky. =) I have an aunt who is a dress-maker, so I can grab pics of what I want off the net and she can create her own pattern and make them to fit me. *_* I love you auntie (lol).

[Parfait]

You are lucky. And she could make a lot of money doing that kind of thing if she wanted to. I'd try making my own clothes, but I'd probably bloody up my hands to a pulp doing so. :x

[Sakenichi]

You are lucky. And she could make a lot of money doing that kind of thing if she wanted to. I'd try making my own clothes, but I'd probably bloody up my hands to a pulp doing so. :x

She does make money from it. But mainly she makes dance costumes for ballet/jazz/tap etc for my cousin's ballet school. She also is very popular around formal (for you Americans, prom) time and makes formal dresses. She made mine =) Very nice shiny olden style long-sleeved dress.

[Parfait]

Oh, well she'd probably be really good at gothic lolita stuff if she mostly does dresses. ._.! How long would it take for her to make one though? The patterns on lolita clothes are insane.

[DeathOfSoul]

try looking in Harajuku District of Tokyo... you should be able to find all the Gothic Lolita clothes there... anything else can be found in its corresponding districts ^^ *loves harajuku and akihabara*

The Shibuya district of Tokyo is probably the best place to buy Lolita clothes (that's where most of the shops are). Harajuku is where all the trendy teens hang-out... I don't think there's necessarily a lot of Lolita shops there though <.<

[Turbo-san]

I'd love to go to an Angelic Pretty, Baby the stars Shine Bright or Putamayo store. ^_^

However, I live in California, and there are no EGL stores here ;_;

[DeathOfSoul]

I'd love to go to an Angelic Pretty, Baby the stars Shine Bright or Putamayo store. ^_^

However, I live in California, and there are no EGL stores here ;_;

I heard someone's opening a store in Houston, TX and one in LA (or at least someone hopes to some time in the next couple years)... and I, myself, hope to open up a Lolita store one day ^^ It'll either be in Dallas, TX, New York City, NY, or LA, CA ^^ (But Dallas would probably be my best bet since I'm more use to here than anywhere else...). But my major dream is to open a shop in Tokyo <333

[Ichigosmiles]

Mae-Chan, were you able to go to Angelic Pretty while you were in Japan?? I heard the employees there are kinda mean, but I'm not sure if it's true...I also heard that the real store for 'Baby' is really small and in a really bad location, so it's nothing like the one they show in Kamikaze Girls. Those are the 2 stores I would mostly want to shop at:p as well as Metamorphose,Innocent World and MAM.:o

[watashiwamae]

Mae-Chan, were you able to go to Angelic Pretty while you were in Japan?? I heard the employees there are kinda mean, but I'm not sure if it's true...I also heard that the real store for 'Baby' is really small and in a really bad location, so it's nothing like the one they show in Kamikaze Girls. Those are the 2 stores I would mostly want to shop at:p as well as Metamorphose,Innocent World and MAM.:o

No, I wasn't able to visit Angelic Pretty, Baby, Metamorphose, Innocent World or MAM. Unless that tiny store I found was one of them, hmm... When I got to visit the Harajuku District of Tokyo I was on a "shop at first sited Loli store" kind of mission lol. But even after visiting those stores sites, my favorite remains Body Line. :D But I will make it my mission to visit those stores if/when I go back to Japan! ^^

<3 Mae-chan

[MetalMouth]

I am not a big fan of Bodyline, personally. Even though they are "cheaper" I think the quality of their items is lacking.

For a long time, I have been a strict buyer of only Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.
And I am not rich! Saying you're not rich is the worst excuse for not buying Lolita clothes.
They are an investment, not a waste of money.

[Ichigosmiles]

For a long time, I have been a strict buyer of only Baby, The Stars Shine Bright.



How many items/what do you have from BTSSB?

[MetalMouth]

How many items/what do you have from BTSSB?

I have purchased from them exactly eight times.
They are so friendly! Even though I sent them the wrong kind of money order the first time, they were very gracious about it. I think this is one of the reasons I love them so much!

These are the items I have bought:

http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/and/130944/130944-sw.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/shoes/130972/130972-ww.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/head/130979/130979-ww.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/jumper/130240/130240-ew.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/jumper/130207/130207-pw.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/onepiece/129315/129315-bb.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/onepiece/130314/130314-ww.jpg
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/skirt/130508/130508-p.jpg

And this blouse is currently on its way...
http://www.babyssb.co.jp/shopping/blous/130438/130438-w.jpg

[MetalMouth]

I also heard that the real store for 'Baby' is really small and in a really bad location, so it's nothing like the one they show in Kamikaze Girls.

Well, BtSSB has quite a few stores throughout Japan. They even recently opened a new store dedicated to their Alice and The Pirates line.
Anyway, the original BtSSB store is located in Daikanyama. And yes, it is very small and in a strange place. I am not sure of the other ones, though.

[nana0iro0miso]

Closet Child was cool, they were right below a beatles store ^^
Mari's Rock Shop is the best, though i don't think they specialize in GothLoli.

[SuperSailorSaturn]

I like the sweet lolita style better. My fav shop would be http://www.angelicpretty.com/
its so colorful and pink. I love it =^_^=

[xzandra]

dont know about japan but if your i great britain we have plenty of affordable gothic shops that dont cost the earth chek out whitby on the east coast they have plent of gothic shops most prob online,,,,
plus it is one of the places connected with dracula.... and it has its own goth revival weekend where there are plenty of lolita and early replcas of victorian and early 19th century designs on show check england out.. you'll find somthing!!!:)

[MiyaPi]

Mae-Chan, were you able to go to Angelic Pretty while you were in Japan?? I heard the employees there are kinda mean, but I'm not sure if it's true...I also heard that the real store for 'Baby' is really small and in a really bad location, so it's nothing like the one they show in Kamikaze Girls. Those are the 2 stores I would mostly want to shop at:p as well as Metamorphose,Innocent World and MAM.:o

I used to shop at angelic pretty alot[for hair accessories], and the employees are not mean! Well, there is this one girl... But she is old
o( ^ w ^;; )o

[KylieKawaii]

Metamorphose and BBTSSB, obviously :D

[mine0ai]

I love Putumayo so much~~ xD
But I'd really want to go to their 3 story high Closet Child with my friends..

[Rin8]

I love Moi-meme-moitie... I went there once when I was in Japan. We had some trouble finding it (Since all the department stores were all named Marui something or other, so Marui One was a little hard to find...) The employees were so nice! (All the employees in Japan were nice... They wrap everything up for you, too...) And everything was beautiful! I wish I could have spent longer there... I ended up buying a poster and a bracelet. And even the plastic bag they put things in is nice! (I have it hanging on my wall...) And yes, I am a Mana-sama fangirl...

[Aots]

It is a sad truth; most lolita clothing stores are expensive but the quality is worth it.
My wallet has been drained many a time but I find a really good trick is to buy plain clothes. If you find a really nice lace blouse or skirt for a good price- buy it! A little sewing and time and you have a different outfit with each modification.
I actually make my own lolita clothes now; once you get some decent patterns and practice you'll find your outfit ideas are only limited by your ability!

[chinesedragonkeeper]

Ooh...I love all kinds, but the ones that catch my interest are affiliated with these brands:

Moi-même-Moitié
Black Peace Now
Angelic Pretty
Baby, The Stars Shine Bright
Metamorphose temps de fille
Magdalene
h.NAOTO
BODYLINE