Absence and Compensation for Girlhood: Life Stories Concerning Chinese Lolita Fashion Culture

Abstract

Lolita Fashion Culture, marked by its girlishness, has gained much popularity in both Japan and China. In the Japanese context, girlishness can be defined as the inclination to resist the progression towards maturity, resulting in perpetuation of the state of girlhood, a period characterized by temporary exemption from heterosexual hegemony. In contrast, within the Chinese context, girlhood is dominated by the school system’s notable emphasis on examination-oriented learning, which is set up based on male-centric standards. It results in the absence of girlhood. The primary aim of this research is to investigate the unique characteristics of girlishness applicable to Lolita Fashion Culture in China, with a particular focus on Chinese girlhood and the associated gender dynamics. Data was collected from life story interviews with 16 adult women aiming to understand how they perceive girlishness in Lolita Fashion Culture.

The present study has yielded the subsequent findings. There is a double bind on the female body in secondary schools in China. The dominant male-centric bias has led to marginalization of feminine physicality. Meanwhile, the prevalence of commercial culture compels girls to conform to societal standards of physical beauty. Following girlhood, there is a societal expectation for women to reveal an attractive female body, and a significant number of women actively strive to embody this expectation, which is considered to be a means of compensating for the absence of girlhood. The previous discussion on girlhood establishes a context for understanding the girlishness in Chinese Lolita Fashion Culture. Girlishness can be interpreted as a strategic approach to contest the dominant male-centric notion of competence and to reclaim femininity. Simultaneously, it involves an engagement with societal norms surrounding feminine aesthetics.