Idol Lolita isn't Good

Idol lolita is a hot new lolita trend, especially in China amongst younger lolitas. However, it really hasn't caught on in the English speaking comms. Personally, I don't think it has staying power for three main reasons: purpose, designs, and quality. 

 

Purpose

The point of idol outfits is to be worn as a costume, for the pleasure and entertainment of an audience. Obviously, this is at philosophical cross-purposes with the individual oriented alternative fashion, but that's not all. Because it's performance attire, idol outfit details are meant to be seen from far away or on camera; they lack the up-close intricacy of lolita outfits. The entire philosophy is at odds with the idea of lolita, a fashion for a person's own joy, regardless of what others think.

Design

Although lolita is far from conventionally modest, even ero lolita is still pretty covered up. In contrast, idol lolita often shows shoulders and chest, as well as having less legwear and even occasional exposed midriffs. This makes idol pieces nearly impossible to coordinate with conventional lolita pieces, kind of ruining the possibility of a cohesive, wearable wardrobe. The idol outfits also have few lolita-typical motifs and unconventional color and design choices, which doesn't exclude lolita-ness, but makes it difficult.

Quality

Idol lolita is sold for fast-fashion prices, so the quality isn't that far off. All the idol lolita brands I could find are known to have poor quality control. I'm not sure if brands known for higher quality are even interested in idol lolita; it's such a niche, youth-oriented style that the target audience may not be able to afford purchasing from more expensive brands. 

Over all, I see idol lolita as a contradiction in terms, a kind of (comparatively) inexpensive stage costume turned style. Although I applaud experimentation in lolita, I just can't see this as a coherent match with the ornate, personal, and sturdy lolita that I know and love. Maybe one day idol lolita will spread further and I'll change my mind, but my suspicions are that it'll go the way of the dodo and creepy-cute, doomed to be talked about more in the past tense than the present.