EGL Archive November - December 2002

November 9, 2002
This month we start with a thread discussing how often people wear lolita. It seems like same as now, the majority keeps it as a special occasion/hobby thing. Not going to lie, at this time, the lingo was ToTalLy LOLz but now in 2019 reading as a full grown adult it's actually really grating on my eyes and nerves.

With how easily accessible brand, or lolita in general has become, how often do you wear lolita? I've been more or less a daily lolita since 2011. And by now, being well dressed on a budget is incredibly simple.

November 12, 2002
cybergothica posts "I want to go to Yoyogi Koen park."

Yeah. Me too, babe.

November 20, 2002
Today we have a post from nymphie, who shares an exert from an email she receives via J-List containing commentary written by gaijin living in Japan.

"The social phenomenon known as "kogals" -- Japanese girls who wear outrageous fashions, with blonde-dyed hair and silly elevator shoes and over-tanned bodies -- was one of the keywords of the late 1990's in Japan. Kogals themselves owe their origins to the fashion-conscious teen movement of the mid 90s called "Amulers," when every high school girl wanted to dress up like JPOP singer Namie Amuro. But nothing is as constant as change, and the concept of the classic kogal slowly morphed into other versions: mago-gal (literally "grandchild-gal"), a label used for junior high school girls who wanted to dress up in ridiculous fashions too; "gals," a softer, less brash version of the original kogals; one-gals (oh-NAY-gals), basically ultra-fashionable girls in their low to mid 20s; and yamanba (literally "mountain hags"), girls who tan themselves totally black then wear bizarre makeup. As the sun set on the old Kogal boom, even the trademark of their movement, the "print club" digital photo stickers, called "puri-kura" in Japanese, has faded: game centers in Tokyo which stocked nothing but the print club machines are hard to find, and you no longer have to wait in line to get use them. Every once in a while you see a remnant of the old kogal phenomenon, the "gal mama" -- girls who got pregnant in their kogal days and are still dressing up in outrageous furs and false eyelashes, even though they're pushing baby carriages now. Seeing two "gals" exchanging child-rearing tips while they put on their thick make-up can be quite a sight, and is a uniquely Japanese experience."

Link to the fruits comm can be found here, though it hasn't been regularly updated since 2011.

December 2, 2002
User lazyangel posts, asking for a survey of which brands are most popular at the time. Here are the brands that are upvoted,or mentioned, the most, vs the least.

1. Union Jack

Sorry I guess I am unable to find a 2002 representation of this brand. It never got really big, so I'm surprised it was mentioned the most, and obviously it hasn't made it to the present year.

2. h.Naoto

3. Baby, the Stars Shine Bright

Black Peace Now

Moi Meme Moitie

Angelic Pretty

4. Putumayo

Vivien Westwood

Though primarily known in the punk and goth scene due to their often wacky aesthetic, they remain popular in the lolita community to this day for their beautiful pearl chokers, corsets, heart shaped hand bags, rocking horse shows and melissa collab pumps.

Victorian Maiden

Metamorphose

Na+H

Alice Auaa

Another brand I had trouble finding stuff for this specific year, though I couldn't pass up the opportunity to present this 2013 bondage baby masterpiece. Fun Fact: Akira has modeled for just about every lolita/jfash brand, EXCEPT Alice Auaa, and says one day she hopes she can model for them as well.

Atelier Pierrot

Unfortunately there was nothing salvageable for December, so that wraps up the year 2002! What do you think about the topics of this month? What were your favorite brands when you started? Are they different from then to what they are now? I'd love to hear everyone's opinions!