Child-like Style

[medialady]

I like the little puff sleeves that you are starting to see.


as long as they are not overdone they are very cute.

 

[mimmy]

firstview, Marc by Marc Jacobs ss05

kindergarden fashion, from the lolita chic thread

 

[helena]

this is a lovely thread!

 

[Lena]

like so many of you said, childlike style has been around for sometime now, but it is finally reaching mainstream.. sociologically it comes from a need to find 'refuse' in childhood and subconsiously 'avoiding' all the burdens of adulthood

the trend has it's roots in japanese fashion and emerged around 3 -4 years ago

excellent examples posted above, thanks for sharing guys

 

[Kalista]

I love child-like style! So cute, thanks for the pics everyone

 

[Zazie]

To be honest, I'm not entirely sure about the "Lolita look" as it refers to a sexualisation of childishness. Pedophilia is pretty much acceptable in Japan, like the notorious "Alice Club". Nabokov's book is brilliant, and we are all sexualised at a younger age and all that, but the issue of child sex still bothers me a little even though I'm fairly open-minded about sexuality in general.

Naive childishness is different though, more about nostalgia, innocence, memories, craft, self-made/handmade treasures, a bit "souvenir d'enfance", less contrived to look sexy. Hmm, I wonder if I make any sense?

Ha..and this coming from a person with the avatar and name of a precocious 12-yr-old brat..

 

[helena]

. Pedophilia is pretty much acceptable in Japan, like the notorious "Alice Club".

I am pretty sure this is NOT the case Zazie

 

[mimmy]

I just noticed that I've posted the same things in this thread and the lolita chic thread. The first post in lolita chic deals with child-like style as well, so perhaps the two threads should be merged?

 

[MulletProof]

^they're different . i see the whole lolita look as something childish and incitative at the same time, and this is more of a childhood reminiscence only. for me.

 

[Estella*]

^that's how i perceived it, too.

 

[Lena]

^they're different . i see the whole lolita look as something childish and incitative at the same time, and this is more of a childhood reminiscence only. for me.

agreed, also with annakarina

in my book, there is a huge gap between the two trends discussed here, to make it very simple:

*lolita chic: childish but sexually provocative
*childish: childish without any trace of sexual provocation, on the contrary, could be thought as totaly a-sexual

 

[cupkate]

i love it. the blue/grey and red coat by Charles Abastase on the previous page is amazing!

i think any skirt or cropped pant with opaque tights and flats is very childhood influenced.

 

[Ninja Pirate]

I really like this - it's very quirky.

 

[Kimkhuu]

But it doesn't work on a stronger body shape or on womanly curves. Thats just my opinion though.

Totally agree with you Helena....

 

[devon_jay]

Whoa I have kiddie bedsheets with the EXACT same dinosaur pattern on them (dino dress on page 1) ... i think they're probably from about 1992!! So i guess designers can get they're influences from places you totally wouldnt think of!

I'm liking the "Lolita chic" trend but it could go a bit overboard... university student wearing dinosaurs and poofy skirts... dunno how that would fly, lol.

 

[Kimkhuu]

university student wearing dinosaurs and poofy skirts... dunno how that would fly, lol.

That sounds really cute...

 

[Zazie]

It sounds scary but the "Alice Club" was a child p*rn mag that was openly available at casual newstands in Tokyo until a couple of years ago when the laws were tightened. I'm not sure how I feel about it, especially having some well-adjusted friends (mostly guys) who started messing around when they were as young as 10, but Europeans are more uninhibited. I guess it really depends on whether there was adult exploitation involved.

On the other hand, I think there will always be some childishness in all of us, and romantic fondness for a more innocent past. That's why a cartoon dinosaur or a smocked frock will always make us smile and feel a bit happier. I'm usually a ChicksOnSpeed-Peaches kind of clubbing person, but the eccentric Newsom really moves me.

 

[travolta]

i really love the proportion of child like clothing such as charles anastase's. i think i read somewhere that he was inspired by fruits? the shapes have that yummy quality to them. I love the shrunken volumious dresses and the quirky off - kilterness. i've always been attracted to those proportions in my own clothing.

anyways, i find child like dressing really popular in art school, and some of it is contrived, but not all of it. it's just being creative and messy and experimental with your clothing by wearing old paired pieces with random patterns etc... i think a lot of interesting things start to happen when you just play.

i think any body shape can fit childlike clothing. i think there is a particular feel and look to what you are referring too, but i think people of all shapes and sizes so experiment w/ wearing things that are completely not 'pc'... like women who aren't skinny at all who wear leggings that show ever bulge and dimple. i think it could be really lovely and liberating

 

[Lena]

agreed travolta, i think Charles Anastase does it best and yes,
it is a look easily adopted by a wide range of bodytypes

 

[Feline]

I like this look, but don't really think it is 'me'. I have a number of t-shirts with cat prints which is probably as far as I would go. I wouldn't like people to think I was 'mutton dressed as lamb'!