Lolita fashion originated in Japan in between the 1970s and 1980s when there was a rise in kawaii culture, and is associated with the Harajuku neighborhood in Tokyo. Since then, it's gained international popularity, with major brands like Angelic Pretty, Baby the Stars Shine Bright, PINK HOUSE, Metamorphose temps de fille, and more revolutionizing the style with their unique designs. Since the 2010s, Chinese indie brands through stores like Taobao began designing and offering more affordable Lolita pieces.

The fashion emerged as a protest against the strict gender roles and expectations of Japanese society. Lolita fashion aims at allowing adults to revert back to childhood and to escape into a fantasy world that would create an ideal identity not acceptable in daily life. Many argue that the fashion has feminist roots, with Lolita women disregarding the male gaze, rejecting beauty standards, embracing self-expression, and reclaiming girlhood through dressing in overly cutesy and modest garments.