Dark Lolita Dress

This dark lolita dress laces up the front like a corset and opens into wide lace cuffs

Everything on this dress is fastened, tied or edged. A collar trimmed with black lace and marked with small crosses sits over the shoulders, a bow closes the throat, and the bodice draws in on criss-crossed ribbon between two rows of silver buttons. It is the severe register of Harajuku dressing, the one that answers sweetness with structure.

The sleeves stay close to the arm and then open suddenly into a wide cuff bordered with lace, so the hands come out of a dark bell. Below the waist the skirt flares and finishes on a ruffled, lace-edged hem well above the knee, and that proportion reads as jirai kei rather than costume.

It is worn over black tights and platform boots, with ribbons or a small headdress in the hair. Shorts are included under the skirt, which is what makes the short cut wearable on an ordinary day rather than only for an event. The whole thing carries the ryousangata silhouette without any styling effort.

What to know

• Short black dress with a lace-edged collar and small cross motifs
• Bow at the throat, corset lacing down the centre front
• Two vertical rows of small silver buttons framing the lacing
• Long sleeves opening into wide flared cuffs trimmed with lace
• Flared skirt with a ruffled lace hem, stopping above the knee
• Matching shorts included under the skirt
• Woven polyester, non stretch, regular fit
• Sizing: available from US 4 to 12
• Japanese style: dark lolita, the severe side of Harajuku