The Lolita style is popular in Japan as a street fashion, a trend in couture and a genre of pop culture. Cosplay is related to Lolita, but the difference that it is NOT a costume, but a style of dress, and a lifestyle to some. It's like dressing Punk or Hipster. Lolita fashion is influenced by older styles of dress, such as the Roccoco and Victorian Eras. There is an emphasis on modesty and innocence.
maid cafés are influenced by the Victorian and sometimes Edwardian working class. The style is very different from the costumey and showy "French Maid costumes." The employees of Crepe House Uni in Davis wore maid-style or butler style but stopped because of inacceptance and misunderstanding of the uniform.
There are several subgenres of Lolita style, which are also prone to crossover:
- Sweet
- Gothic
- Country
- Kuro/Shiro
- Oji
A popular place to dress lolita is at Ciocolat