Welcome to Wigs in Lolita Fashion! Today I’ll be talking about why to wear (or not wear!) wigs, some differences between different types and price points of wigs, and offer some suggestions about where you can buy them.
So let’s start with why wigs? Wigs have been worn in lolita fashion for a long time - the old-school style sausage curl ringlets were much easier to achieve with a wig compared to bleaching and styling one’s own hair, and brands have even produced their own wigs (or done wig collaborations). Perhaps you have very short hair, but would like to try out a longer style? Wigs! Maybe you have the opposite problem - long hair, but you are going for a more masculine or ouji style? Wigs! You have a giant OTT dress and need more volume up top to balance it? Wigs! Your hair is dyed green, but you really want an all pastel-pink coordinate? Wigs! Bad hair day and can’t be bothered? Wigs! You get the picture. :D
(source: https://j-fashion.fandom.com/wiki/Gothic_Lolita)
What wigs are not: REQUIRED! You never have to wear a wig to wear lolita fashion, no matter what your hair (or lack thereof) looks like. To balance your coordinate, you may need a larger headpiece if you don’t have large hair, but you never have to wear a wig. Short hair, thin hair, natural hair, curly hair - everything can and does look great in lolita.
(source: https://tokyofashion.com/japanese-sweet-lolita-girls-pink-blue-fashion-harajuku/)
What wigs are: FUN! I love being able to have waist-length twin-tails, or white-blond hair without frying my own, or electric purple without making a mess in my bathroom. I enjoy the challenge of picking the right hair to match my coordinate, and seeing how my look can change just by switching from curls to straight or from a “natural” color like brown to a fantasy color like lavender.
(source: https://j-fashion.fandom.com/wiki/Sweet_Lolita)
When you’re looking for a wig, there are a few things to take into consideration. One is your substyle(s). Typically, classic lolitas will be best-served with softer and more “natural” hair colors like golden blonde, warm browns and chestnuts, or dark brown-blacks. A very dramatic look might be achieved with a deep red or very pale white-blonde. Curls/ringlets are common, as are updos and gentle waves.
(source: https://j-fashion.fandom.com/wiki/Classic_Lolita)
Gothic lolitas typically wear blacks, reds, and white-blondes, but you can also go for more saturated jewel tones like deep purples, greens, and blues as well as unusual fantasy colors like silver. Straight hair is common in gothic, but Mana’s iconic blue wig means you can always go that direction as well.
Sweet lolitas can definitely pick from light browns and blondes like the classic lolitas, but a whole range of pastel options exist as well! Pink, lavender, and sax are all common, and wavy hair, curls, and twin-tails tend to dominate sweet wig options.
Another consideration is the quality of your wig. Here you can see wigs at three different price points.
On the left is a cosplay wig from Amazon that cost $15. (I purchased it for you, dear readers, so you don’t have to! I refuse to link it because it’s hot garbage, sorry.) In the middle is Catherine’s Tea Time from Dreamholic/dcoucou, that cost $57. And finally, Dakota from wigs.com, which cost $136 (although you should note that wigs.com runs 30% off sales every major US holiday, so I’ve never paid full price for one of their wigs). Here is the interior view of the three:
The Amazon wig is a mess.
It’s thin - you can see right through it, meaning that your own hair will be visible beneath it. It’s shiny, so it will always look cheap and will look like a costume rather than part of your coordinate. And the wig cap is small - it won’t hold any of your hair well, and has no combs so it will slip off easily. Please do not buy this wig, or any other cheap cosplay wigs. You get what you pay for.
The Dreamholic wig is much better!
It’s a little shiny, and the rooted hair “swirl” at the top is not entirely natural. However, the cap is roomy and comfortable, the hair fibers are thick and well-shaped, and there are combs at the top to help the wig stay in place on your head. I love Dreamholic, and have six of their wigs!
Wigs.com primarily markets to people who want wigs that look like “real” hair, rather than for costumes. This is clear when you look at the Dakota.
The rooting looks natural, the fibers are matte, and the lace front makes the hair at the perimeter of the face appear natural as well. It’s thick, but the light wig cap construction means you won’t overheat as much as in other wigs!
Whenever possible, you should avoid ultra-cheap cosplay/party store wigs unless you’re going to be destroying them as part of a photoshoot. J They will be uncomfortable and will make you look like you’re wearing a costume instead of a luxurious and cute fashion. They may also have strange styling that won’t fit the lolita aesthetic.
So where can you go for good wigs for lolita?
On Taobao, Monkeep and Dalao Home are popular choices. I also have bought from Sinwavy. I personally don’t care for Alice Garden, as I have found them to look more like cosplay wigs, and to not match the colors shown in the images. However some people do like them!
Looking at Japanese sites Prisila and Wig Shop Maple are commonly shopped by lolitas. Even brands like Angelic Pretty sometimes do wig collaborations!
Dreamholic has an international and US storefront so you don’t even have to use Taobao. MintyMix makes ultra-popular rainbow wigs that have a larger than normal wig cap to accommodate larger heads or more voluminous hair underneath. Wigs.com is a particularly good choice for classic lolitas, but has hundreds of options for many different looks! People often sell wigs on Lace Market – typically because they didn’t like the color when they received it – so you can sometimes find deals there!
If you want to wear a wig with your lolita coord, I hope this has given you some ideas about where to shop and what to look for when you’re doing so! Let us know if you want to see more wig guides - there’s always more to learn!
Stay spicy,
Chai
You can read more of Chai's writing at 昔のSewing
