There’s a new twist on Lolita fashion, the aggressively feminine, bow-laden, Japanese Harajuku subculture: Hijabi Lolitas, according to Vice. The extremely cutesy, doll-like Lolita aesthetic — a cartoonish, saccharine-hued take on Victoriana that originated in Tokyo in the ’90s but has spread around the world — is topped with traditional Muslim hijab head coverings. Southern Californian Alyssa Salazar chronicles her pastel, pattern-filled getups on her blog, The Hijabi Lolita. In lieu of the elaborate bonnets and wigs Lolitas often pair with their flouncy, petticoat-lined getups, Salazar and other self-proclaimed hijabi Lolitas wear headscarves.
Noor Al-Kattan (SugarNoor on social media) lives in the U.K. and claims to be the first-ever hijabi Lolita on her Facebook. Salazar told Vice she was encouraged, as a hajib wearer, to go full Lolita upon learning about Al-Kattan’s style: My friend was selling one of her skirts so I just decided to buy it. I didn't know if I could get into it, because I wear hijab. My friend told me about SugarNoor, another hijabi Lolita, and I was like, OK, this is possible.”
Interesting enough, Salazar encounters less hostility than usual for wearing a headscarf when it’s combined with her Lolita ensembles. “I get drive-by haters that say, ‘Take it off; it's not Iraq.’ But when I'm in Lolita, it's different. People think it's a costume,” Salazer said.