Last time we looked at
Fairy-kei as seen here. However, in keeping with the spirit of Harajuku
fashion, we will be looking at Dolly-kei.
Dolly-kei is a
Japanese fashion style, similar to fairy-kei is inspired by the
preceding eras. In this case, the Victorian era. It draws inspiration
from antique dolls and clothing; and the old fashion of eastern Europe.
According to Tokyo Fashion, the used clothes are a mixture of bohemian,
gypsy, eastern European costumes and fairy tales. The style has ties to
the Cult Party Kei and Mori Girl fashion as well. There is a lot less
focus on the brands so it’s not surprising that there’s not a lot of
brand stores that cater to this style alone.
One
major defining factor in Dolly-kei is the amount of layering that is
used. It is not unusual to see dresses over shirts and shawls, lace
vests or coats over that. The length of the dress and skirt are also
apparent, with them going low as the floor or ankles. The shoes vary
from person to person but one apparent trend is the variety of rocking
horse shoes and boots. Unlike Mori Girl, Dolly-kei does not stick with
the soft colors of cream and browns. Instead it branches out to include
more noble colours of deep purples, golds, reds and muted versions of
those colors. So rather than a poppy-cute look, the style gives off a
more elegant style, that of what you may see on a bisque doll.
According to Electric Alice, “The fabrics and materials are themselves
more luxurious, with lots of rich velvet, raw silk and delicate
embroidery with golden thread.” Another trend in the fashion is fur. Now
I myself do not know whether the fur is real or not. Most of the items
are imported from vintage stores in America and Europe, so if it is
real, then it is probably an antique. But it is not uncommon to see the
girls of the style sport a fur shawl or a fox’s tail at their hip.
Hair
accessories are usually not clustered as other parts of the outfit;
usually they are simple bows, ribbons, ornamented scrunchies and
fascinators. As for jewellery they can range as it’s usually left up to
the wearer. There are some girls who wear none at all, hide behind their
layers of clothes and those who pile it on to complete their look.
Crucifixes, vintage pendants and emblems are really popular. Big belts
are also popular; bags can also be big, with lots of embroidery to
compliment the outfit.
Make-up
is usually minimalistic, but I’ve come across girls who went hard on
the blush for that added doll look. Hair plays a defining factor in
quite a few styles in Japanese fashion and Dolly-kei is no exception.
You’ll be hard pressed to find girls without fringes. Whether it’s just
long, in a long bob style or tied back, you’ll be sure to see hair right
above their eyes. Once again, it is reminiscent of dolls of the past
that are usually portrayed with thick fringes. RedPolkadotMushrooms has
shown the most popular colours and hairstyles found in Dolly-kei, as
seen below.
Sites/Communities:
Dolly-kei Tumblr, Dolly-kei LJ Comm
Antique Dolly Tumblr, FYUrbanTribes' Dolly-kei tag
Dollykei Tumblr
Brands/Stores:
Madgirl Vintage, Moonchild Vintage
Calico Vintage, Hellcat Vintage
Astral Boutique, Grimoire
Bohemian Bisoux
source: 1, 2, 3, 4
Once
again, I’ve been fooled by the name when I first heard about the style.
I thought maybe this is what the real/human doll look was based on. But
it’s far from it, and I’m glad. Like the real doll look is about
looking perfect, while dolly-kei, it’s more like taking doll-esque
elements and turning it into what you want. I think I'm only iffy about
the style is fur, it's kinda hard to look at some with a fox slung over
their shoulders, real or not.Labels: dolly-kei, fashion, japanese fashion
