1) Planters
Succulents and other small, apartment friendly plants are very popular among experienced green thumbs and neglectful plant parents alike. Skip a trip to TJ Maxx and look for a unique planter with a kawaii or gothic aesthetic instead.
2) Beauty and Bath Products
Maybe your friend is a classic lolita who is obsessed with European history (aka: me) or you have a friend who is too busy to be a daily lolita who wants to add a little romantic elegance in their day-to-day. Luckily for you, there’s a gift for these kinds of people.
LBCC Historical has an array of authentically reproduced cosmetics and apothecary products (minus the poisonous chemicals) with beautiful vintage inspired packaging.
2) Beauty and Bath Products
Maybe your friend is a classic lolita who is obsessed with European history (aka: me) or you have a friend who is too busy to be a daily lolita who wants to add a little romantic elegance in their day-to-day. Luckily for you, there’s a gift for these kinds of people.
LBCC Historical has an array of authentically reproduced cosmetics and apothecary products (minus the poisonous chemicals) with beautiful vintage inspired packaging.
LauraBotanicals sells bath bombs, scrubs, and other aroma therapy bath products with rustic sensibilities.
If rose water salves and lavender pomades sound too granny for your giftee:
If rose water salves and lavender pomades sound too granny for your giftee:
Posh Goth has a line of delightfully ooky-spooky bath bombs, perfumes, and other beauty products for your favorite gothic lolita.
AiSuri Beauty is an indie makeup brand born out of the frustration at the lack of anime themed makeup products and born for those who are a sucker for kawaii packaging.
3) Sugar
4) Books
Maybe I’m biased, but I feel like a good book makes a great gift – especially if they’re made for the lolita reader. Look for copies of Kamikaze Girls, Gothic and Lolita Bibles, the Gothic and Lolita photobook by Phaidon, Otome no Sewing books, or illustration books by Imai Kira or Macoto Takahashi. Don’t be afraid to look into Japanese books - there’s a treasure-trove of lolita and Harajuku-fashion based publications that don’t get translated!
Additionally, you can search for books with adjacent interests. If your friend likes Rococo history, they might like The American Duchess Guide to 18th Century Beauty. If they’re more into the macabre side of things, they might appreciate Quackery (A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything) or Wicked Plants: The A-Z of Plants That Kill, Maim, Intoxicate, and Otherwise Offend, especially if they’re into gardening. If your giftee likes to cook or bake, consider Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice: A Book-to-Table Classic. For the sweet lolita in your life, they might appreciate any book on Pusheen or this how-to-guide on kawaii bento making!
5) Crafting Kits
Pre-packaged crafting kits are a fun gift for that creative lolita in your life. For your lifestyle lolita friend, consider an embroidery or cross-stitch kit, or a calligraphy set. For friends with less patience, they might prefer kawaii wool-felting projects instead. For friends with a LOT of time on their hands, they might enjoy spending hours completing a crocheted stuffed animal or a miniature house kit !
6) Brand Novelties
Brand novelties are a pretty easy and affordable gifting option, in my opinion. You can easily find them while browsing Japanese secondhand sites such as Mercari, Fril, and Closet Child. Some items like lolita brand mugs, makeup bags, and tote bags can be further personalized by filling them with candy and other stocking stuffer items.
7) Coasters
Lots of lolitas like to spend their time browsing the internet for great deals with a cup of tea for company. What’s a more useful gift than a coaster that suits their personal taste? Classic lolitas and mori-kei fans might enjoy wares by AbbysResinCrafts1099 who has a wide variety of customizable flower themed coasters and there’s an even larger number of shops catering to kawaii tastes. If that’s too sweet for their liking, there are all kinds of goth themed coasters for the gothic lolita in your circle.
8) Artwork
If you’re not particularly comfortable with your own drawing skills, there are many lolitas who are! You can purchase ready-to-print lolita themed art work or ask to do commissions of your lolita friend with their favorite things and style. Here’s a list of my favorite lolita artists to date:
Seamii - Canada
SkizzeArt - U.S.
Grimoire Hazelwitch - Germany
YumiYumYum - Australia
Daytona Moonlight - U.S.
Sugarelly Shop - U.K
9) Office gear
A lot of people are choosing to work from home these days, so what’s a better gift for the office lolita than office and tech gear that’ll make Zoom meetings more enjoyable?
Moon Cat & Pentagram themed air pod case and a bats themed mousepad by IvyPixie
Peach Milk themed airpod case by PrettyLilStuffCA
Adorable animal themed mousepads and cat toe beans themed cable protectors from YourGuideOutlet
Vintage mushroom and art themed mousepads by MeowzillaDesign
Mushroom themed laptop sleeve (And other kawaii themes!) by SenseForest
Witchy occult laptop sleeves (and more!) from ShoresofMoon
Decoden keyboard caps by PuggyCrafts
Animal themed desk air humidifiers, diffusers, and other cute desk goodies by Click-Cute
Whatever their taste is, I’m sure any tea obsessed lolita would appreciate a mug warmer!
10) Home Decorations
I wasn’t originally going to make a section on house décor, but during my research, I’ve discovered a plethora of lolita-friendly knick-knacks for around the house!
Shores of Moon not only does witchy mouse pads, but they’ve got a huge selection of spooky blankets and bedding, pillows, posters, and tapestries! If you’re in the U.K., your gothic friend may enjoy these hand-reproduction prints by The Emporium Obscura (CW: some nudity and depictions of criminals).
If “Everyday is Halloween” isn’t your friend’s vibe, perhaps they might enjoy these Beatrix Potter illustrations in their home, or a vintage florals or mushroom themed blankets by BeyondVintageShopCA.
If you don’t live near a Daiso shop, KawaiiShoppu has got you covered for all your kawaii and surprisingly useful home needs and décor.
Keep in mind that this list is by no means complete and the purpose of this post is to encourage supporting small businesses and indie artists, but it should be enough to get ideas going in your own head. Whatever you decide to do, don’t feel too pressured to “getting it right” because from my experience, most lolitas will appreciate a well thought out gift!
Let us know in the comments what you think of this list. Do you have any suggestions that didn’t make it up here? What are your community’s ILD traditions or plans this year?
Wishing you a Happy Holiday and a healthy New Year!
And as always, thanks for reading.
Mocha
