In my last article in the Let Them Eat Cake series, I started discussing the recession and how it is (or isn't) affecting the international Lolita community. This next piece is called 'Evolution'.

Yes, some Lolitas are continuing with their usual ways, and still supporting the brand houses. But I think we are seeing a rising instance of something once considered the realm of the newbie and the ita: replicas.

Replicas are becoming more common - or perhaps, more accessible - to the international Lolita community. Previous replica experience was mostly limited to shoes, which has always been at the forefront. I myself have only ever owned replica shoes, and find them to be just as wearable and long-lasting as brand shoes - with only a third of the price.

This also began to shine through when Bodyline began producing their recently famous Angelic Pretty Fruits Parlor replica skirts and onepieces (and yes, I've caved - one of the pink Fruits Parlor skirts is on its way to me!) They went like hotcakes. As the economy dips, the mid-range Lolita - dedicated, but without the resources of the upper ring - replicas have been doing a bang-up business. New shopping services fresh from Hong Kong and Taiwan and China and even Japan are sprouting up. There are more options than ever for non-brand Lolita clothing.

In the earlier days of Lolita, the only way to buy any Lolita was through the few brands big enough to venture overseas. Lolitas in Japan have the added advantage of being able to wander into smaller shops, find offbrand items, and locate things that have trickled into other genres. The Lolita outside of Japan had a limited palette to work from, which consisted of only the largest and most couture brands (who could afford to expand past their small store fronts). I think this is what has inspired such brand loyalty among Western Lolitas that you don't see to quite the same degree of in Japanese Lolitas.

Now, however, with the downturn in the economy, Lolitas are hunting for more affordable alternatives. If there is a choice between no longer dressing Lolita or swallowing one's inner brandwhore and trying something a bit less known, then the realm of the offbrand and the replica is the way to go.

One wonders if this will signal an independence from brands - or at least, less clutched hands around their wares. The brands have been wonderful in developing the Lolita scene outside of Japan. They have given us a solid base to form around, a no-questions-needed key to coordination and the correct look. But has this been stifling the more creative side of Lolita fashion? When one can find five girls in a row wearing the same dress, or when a girl vigilantly copies every detail of the model in her magazine, has the support gone too far? Is it time for the brands to cut the apron strings, so to speak?

The replica, of course, is still the same design and style. One can't really say, 'I reject brand!' if you're wearing the latest knock-off. But it is rejecting the power of the brand houses - the name necessary to make the same skirt that was $65 into a $165 skirt. In the Lolita world, you'll often be asked who made what - and you might as well own up to the replica, because someone is bound to notice. The name still holds a lot of sway - are they Angelic Pretty tea parties or Secret Shop? (Mine are Secret Shop! Or as Julia calls it, Fangelic Pretty ;) Maybe there will come a day when your outfit doesn't need a 'pedigree' to get every drop of the love it deserves, without any bias. Nobody will even think to ask.

Could the economy drive us from the expensive safety of brand name? Is there a line between freedom and safety in the land of Lolita experimentation? There is nothing wrong with brand; there is nothing wrong with offbrand. Perhaps we may finally reach a happy medium between the two?

Stay tuned for Part III: Changes in Our Micro-economy