Lolita
Of the many fashion trends that Japan is famous for, Lolita (started around 1997-98 ) is perhaps the most well-known. Lolita fashion is to dress like a Victorian porcelain doll: knee-length fluffy skirt, modest top, and high socks. However, this is only the standard template. There are many different sub-genres of Lolita, from Sweet Lolita to Gruesome Lolita to Commie Lolita. The most famous, however, is the Gothic Lolita.
Gothic Lolita (aka Elegant Gothic Lolita, Goth-Loli, and Loli-Goth) is the usual image of Lolita, but with a dark side, with black eye makeup and clothing in black, purple, and dark blue colors. Cross jewelry and bags in gothic shapes are all usual. There are a great many books and magazines on the subject, full of patterns and tips on the fashion, such as Gothic Lolita, FRUiTS, and Gothic & Lolita.
There are other types of Lolita too - MANY more. The most popular are probably Sweet Lolita, Classic Lolita, White & Black Lolita, and Punk Lolita. Sweet Lolita emphasizes the child part of Lolita, using bows, pastel colors, shoes with lower heels, and cheery prints of cute things, such as cake or cats. Classic Lolita, on the other hand, leans more towards the mature side. It is the closest of the Lolita fashions to actual Victorian clothes. The fabric patterns are simple and dark and the whole outfit is generally less complex than the other Lolitas, except for jewelry. Black Lolita and White Lolita are just what they seem - White Lolita is dressing mostly in white, and Black Lolita is dressing mostly in black. Punk Lolita adds a few zippers, safety pins, crazy hair, giant boots, and some fishnet to the mix.
As for the lesser known categories of Lolita, there are new ones popping up everyday. Anyone can make any kind they want. The bigger categories are: Gruesome Lolita: Lolita with fake blood and injuries, Wa and Qi Lolita: Lolita with a twist of Japanese of Chinese tradition, Ero Lolita: a sexier Lolita outfit with bodices and shorter skirts, Casual Lolita: Lolita with comfortable t-shirts and skirts, and Country Lolita: Lolita with a prairie look. Princess Lolita and Pirate Lolita speak for themselves.
Where does the name "Lolita" come from? Lolita was a book written by Vladimir Nabokov. It is a story about an older man who has a relationship with a young child named Dolly who he calls Lolita. Many people insist that the actual fashion, though intended to look childish, has nothing to do with the book and goes for looking "cute" not "sexy".
Something to consider is the popularity of a child-like appearance on women in Japan. Whereas Western culture favors a young body with adult clothing and attitude, in Japan it's the opposite. You can catch women with child-like behavior and clothing in an effort to be sexy, just as teens in the West will try to dress and act mature to be sexy.
