Wearing Lolita With Short Hair (my thoughts + tips)

 

Long hair vs. short hair in classic. Both are cute!

The question asked since the dawn of time...does short hair work in lolita fashion?  Okay, obviously I'm exaggerating but the reality is, this question is asked very frequently on Lolita Facebook boards and groups, to the point where I can't help but want to discuss it. I have a lot of opinions on short hair in lolita. As you may or may not know, I only ever use my natural short hair in my coords, and part of my ~lolita journey~ has been about navigating this aesthetic despite not having hair I can actually style. I hope this blog post can shed some light on having short hair in lolita, ways to make it work, and if it really matters at all. 

Why even ask the question?

From what I gather, the main concern people have around short hair is that it won't fit the lolita aesthetic, that it's not "feminine enough", or that there isn't any headwear suitable for short hair—particularly pixie cuts. When I first started in the fashion, I remember asking Rufflechat if it was okay to have short hair in lolita. Little did I know this question is asked literally all the time.

I think part of the reason is that people assume long hair is a lolita rule, much like wearing a petticoat. It's also undeniable that most older lolita 101 guides always feature long-haired people with twin-tail hairstyles or just lengthy, flowy hair in general. This discussion is also entwined with the "do you need a wig in lolita" question, which I won't get into specifically. (The answer, in case you're wondering, is no.) 

                       

Hair combs and giant bows (like the ones here) either don't stay on short hair, or look very imbalanced!

Wait. Is short hair ita by default? 

Well, yes and no. Hear me out. Short hair in lolita can look amazing, and there are so many short-haired lolitas online who rock it. However, I would argue that by default, it requires more work to make your coord look "complete". Thinking of coordination in terms of balance, it's definitely easier to balance out the large poof of a petticoat with an elegant updo, twin tails, an afro, or curls. 

With short hair (again, especially a pixie cut!), your hair alone will simply not provide the balance on the top of your coord needed to even out the volume of your dress. On top of that, many lolita hair accessories depend on having a lot of hair to stay pinned to your head. Oftentimes mini hats, big rectangle headdresses, and hair combs just won't stay on short hair...and larger hair accessories like head-eating bows can look overwhelming without a lot of hair to balance them out.

Of course, no one is saying you always need to have a 100% polished and complete coord—casual lolita is totally a thing, and if you don't feel like wearing a headpiece some days, that's fine! The points I'm making are really about building full top-to-bottom coords.

So what DOES work with short hair?

The answer to that is a varied one, and largely depends on your substyle. Generally speaking, standard classic and gothic coords don't require a ton of volume in the head area to look complete. Flat head bows are a great choice, as well as straw hats or canotiers. While wearing gothic, I've been known to just slap on some demon horns and call it a day. Classic and gothic are generally more toned down than sweet lolita, so if you have short hair, you can stress a lot less about balance!

 

Sweet, and specifically OTT sweet, is a bit of a different ballgame. OTT sweet is, well, over the top—and you want the top of your coord to reflect that! The usual image of an OTT sweet lolita is of voluminous twin tails, big head bows, a bunch of clips...so it's totally normal if you're wondering how that aesthetic can translate to short hair. Some people might argue it's impossible to achieve the OTT look with short hair. 

I spoke to my 2010s sweet friend about this subject (pinkfakeflowers on IG — check out their coords!), and she made a lot of great suggestions. Berets can work really well with short hair, and AP often puts out berets with fun motifs, colours and designs. You can also attach clips to a beret for added volume. I also think bunny and bear ear headdresses look adorable with short hair. Try to choose a headband option for more security, as a headdress may slip off!

And while it may seem like a basic suggestion, a flat head bow is always a great option for short hair. Lately AP has put out quite a few headbows in the flat style, perhaps in an effort to make more Larme style items. The flat head bow in OTT sweet won't give you that super voluminous looks like in street snaps, and if I'm being honest, you probably won't ever get that look with short hair (time to break out a wig). My point is, don't let short hair stop you from wearing sweet altogether, as it's totally possible to pull off with any hairstyle! 

So what are you waiting for?

If you have short hair, don't let that stop you from wear lolita fashion. There will always be negative people out there who dislike it, but ultimately as long as you put effort into your styling, there's no issue with short hair in lolita. Frankly, even long hair can look bad if no styling is involved! Ultimately, if you put a lot of thought into the balance of your coord, it'll show. I think there are actually very few things in the fashion that are inherently "ita". If you do your research, try out different things, and learn what works for you, you'll rock that pixie cut in no time.