New Lolita! Help? What if I'm an Ita?!

Let me start by saying that I would have never written this post if I hadn't gotten feedback from a few new Lolitas who said that they had questions about Itas. What is an Ita? What is the difference between a Lolita and an Ita? How can I tell if I'm an Ita?

                         Origins

In Japanese, the word for "ouch" is "itai". In this context, it means "painful to look at". A reason "Ita" works so well for the Lolita community is because it sounds like "Lolita", but shortened as if it hasn't quite caught up, yet. It can be a pretty good metaphor, actually.

Differences

I think the biggest difference between a Lolita and an Ita is the finishing touches and the overall theme. Most Lolitas don't wear things that are over-ruffled, over-laced, too shiny, or has too much emphasis on corset lacing. Lolitas are more interested in current trends than fashion nostalgia that anime and maid cafes tend to focus on and they take more care in what their hair and make-up looks like.

If you're worried that you might be an Ita, ask yourself:

• Is the style unnecessarily old school?
• Are there contrasting colors on one item of clothing, such as a black skirt with a red ruffle?
• Are there ribbons hanging off of your dress or skirt?
• How good is the construction?
• Does it fit well?
• How does your hair look, is it flat, greasy, or unwashed?
• Are your shoes in terrible condition?
• Are there stains all over your clothes?
• Do you have a flat petti? Or no petti?
• Did you mix your raver or anime interests into your outfits?
• Are you inspired by maid cafes?
• Are you trying to look sexy?
• How long is your skirt?

What are Some Kinds Dresses to Avoid?

 Look at the dress as a whole. There is way too much going on for one garment. The fabric is cheap, the color is too bright and contrasts too much with the white, it laces up in the front, the fit is terrible even on the dress form, the bow on the waist in crooked and off-center, the lace is cheap, and it dominates the dress. This is the kind of dress that would wear you instead of the other way around. 

A good rule of thumb is to avoid the company that made it entirely. You can see their name in the watermark on the image. I'm not going to type it because I don't want their ads here.

Accessories to Avoid

 

I feel bad about featuring a handmade item as an ita accessory. Most people go through the ita stage, I know I made a million mini top hats. Luckily I could give them all to my last roommate, who isn't a Lolita, but always loved them anyway.

I consider the company above to be a fair target, but I'm not going to tear these apart. I will say that arm warmers are typically not Lolita. That doesn't mean you can't wear these with a goth outfit and be totally cute. 

This is a picture of a headdress, a lot of Lolitas wore these in the early days. These days, Lolitas call this accessory "The Maxi Pad Headdress".  A lot of people still make them, even though no one wears them anymore, and you can find them in the artist alley at most anime conventions. You can find them in a variety of colors and novelty fabrics, but trust me when I tell you to steer clear.
 
Links

For some good visuals and tips check out fyeahlolita :http://fyeahlolita.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-avoid-being-ita.html