Fun Ideas for Lolita Fashion Meetups!

Fun Ideas for Lolita Fashion Meetups! by Clover S. Laurel

From left to right: Nicole, Dana, Yeimi, Linda, and Iris at a meet-up and looking cute!

Lolita fashion is about more than just clothing and accessories. It has a community aspect to it which makes it more than just a hobby, but a lifestyle. One of the most popular things for lolita communities to do is to host meet-ups in which everyone dresses up and goes to a certain place together to hang out and maybe do a specific activity for fun, all while socializing with each other. Sometimes, it can be hard to think of places to go and things to do, so here is a list of helpful suggestions to give you some ideas for your next meet-up!

Friends Sammy and Mary twinning at the park in two different colorways of Metamorphose’s Twinkle Journey print

Places to go

Bakeries: You can host a luncheon at a local bakery so that you can all sit and chat in a quiet environment and eat sweets while also supporting a small business.

Parks: Whether it be an amusement park where you can get on rides or play games, or just your local natural park for a picnic and a short walk, it can be nice to get outside and enjoy the sun. Just dress for the weather!

Malls: It’s a known fact that lolitas like to shop, so why not bring your friends along? You may not be able to find brand at local stores, but you may be able to find some nice off-brand accessories and try on other clothing styles for fun.

Restaurants: This is a nice idea for a meet for the busy lolita. Sometimes, you just can’t set aside an entire day for a meet-up, so you can just spend a single meal with your community and enjoy some good food with some good conversation.

Tea rooms: If you want to have a meet-up that is going to be very elegant and make you feel like a princess, a tea room is the perfect place to go. This is the ideal spot to dress in OTT or wear your dream dress out for the first time.

Concerts: I wouldn’t suggest joining in a mosh pit while wearing lolita unless you’re really daring, but if some other members of your community have similar taste in music, you can all go together and bond over your favorite band.

Conventions: Some members of your community may live farther away than others, so a meet-up that is just for one day may not work for them. However, most conventions span over a weekend, so they are more likely to travel and stay in a hotel to attend.

Movie theaters: Another good meet-up idea for the busy lolita, movies rarely take more than three hours, and you could all discuss whatever you watched after it’s over.

Fabric stores: If you know that members of your community like to craft or sew, it may be fun to go to the craft store to look for fabrics for their next project.

Gardens: Probably one of the most peaceful locations for a meet-up, a tour of a garden is a perfect place to appreciate nature while also wearing so many frills that you look like a flower yourself.

Spas: Sometimes, you just need a day of pampering. I would recommend getting facials or mani-pedis because it may be a bit of a hassle taking all of your lolita off to get into the sauna only to put it all back on again when you leave.

Bookstores: Another quiet environment for your community to enjoy. Browsing shelves can be all at once exciting, peaceful, and enlightening. It may also spark conversation about favorite books or books that you want to read in the future.

Activities to do

Shopping: Even if you don’t end up going to the mall or a bookstore, there are still shops scattered all around, and you could always go shopping after the initial meet-up.

Sewing: Want to just have a meet-up at your house or sewing studio? Your community could work on crafting projects together and give each other ideas for future projects.

Baking: Rather than purchasing baked goods, it may be more fun to have everyone pitch in and make them yourselves. There is also the option of taking a cooking class together.

Tea tastings: Some tea rooms allow you to taste the teas before ordering them. It’s sort of like a wine tasting, but with more dried leaves.

Makeovers: There are so many different styles of lolita that it could be a fun idea to dress another member of your community in your style and have them dress you in their style! This is also called a “style-swap”.

Swap-meets: This is basically like a secret Santa. You bring a lolita piece that you want to give away and you swap items with someone else. This is especially fun to do around Christmas.

Taking pictures: This is the most obvious activity listed. It’s pretty much common knowledge that you take loads of pictures whenever you have a lolita meet-up. After all, you all worked hard to build those coords. Why not show them for the art that they are?

Touring the greenhouse in frills, Bonnie, Abigail, and Sarah of DelMarvelous Lolitas do a funny pose

Clover S. Laurel