Quality Clothing Costs More - Part of why Lolita Clothing Costs More

    There are many factors that dictate how much a garment is sold for.  Brand name, fabric type and quantity, complexity of design, and trims are just a few.  With Lolita clothing we tend to hit on all of these.  Hence, a higher price.  I would like to share some insight on the pricing of Lolita clothing.

 (The above is a technical flat done by Metamorphose)

We'll start at the base on Lolita clothing.  Design.   Even with basic One Piece Dresses and Jumper Skirts the designs tend to have many different elements that make it a complex garment.  The more pieces a garment is made up of the longer it takes to design, cut, sew, and finish.  This starts at draping on forms, drafting patterns, sewing samples, and translates all the way through to finishing a piece.

  

  No matter the country, currency, or style of clothing you are going to pay for the name.  If it is a no name brand sold in a low level store you aren't going to pay much.  But, if it is a desirable name that people know and want you are going to pay for the name.  The price isn't high just because of the name, but it is part of it.  This is why logos and label are on the outside of some garments.  People like to show off desirable clothing that they have.  This is also evident in Lolita by way of jewelry, accessories, and prints that display the brand name or logo.

  Many Lolita garments are made with quality fabric.  They tend not to use very high end fabrics such as silk and dupioni.  But the use quality fabrics like eyelet, cotton, velvet, and mixes make for a garment that is soft and sturdy.  In addition to quality fabric the custom prints that many Lolita brands are known for, does raise the price.  The time put towards designing the print and the cost of have the fabric made is costly, even for a company. 

Another element that makes a garment more expensive is trims.  Lace, ribbon, buttons, zippers, elastic, beads, and other miscellaneous trims add up.  As many of us know, we Lolitas are picky about the quality of the lace and trims on our garments.  The nicer the quality, the higher the price.  Also, there tends to be lots of lace and trims.  It is easy to design a dress with yards of trim.

  Other reasons that Lolita clothing can cost more are quality sewing, lining, and ruffles.  Ruffles take a bit of time to make.  I am sure that there is more that I have missed but I feel that I have covered a good portion of it.   I hope that this post helps people understand the pricing of their pretty dresses and blouses.