
Anyone who's ever imagined themselves as a heroine in a fairy tale probably harbours a secret desire to dress up as a Lolita girl. But while it's easier to get away with wearing mountains of frills and pink petticoats in Japan, where the subculture originates, you might not know where to begin looking for that perfect 'cupcake' dress. You also might be a little shy to strut around the streets in a corset. To help you live out your Lolita fantasy, we went through the whole experience ourselves – shopping, dressing up and going out in public looking like a doll – so you know you can trust us when we say, don't worry, everyone else will be in fancy dress too.