One question that seems to pop up in advice groups often is how to style your hair for Lolita if you don't have bangs.
While full or side fringe is extremely popular in Lolita fashion, it isn't necessary. Some people don't look good with bangs or don't want to deal with the time/effort to maintain them. As the fashion trends back to natural hair, it is becoming more and more popular to do so. Even if you don't have bangs, you can still look fashionable!
I didn't have bangs for the first year or so that I was in the fashion. I didn't wear much makeup and didn't spend a lot of time styling my hair. It did not look good. It didn't help that I have a large forehead and look a lot better with bangs. However, since then I have learned better how to style no-bangs hair.
Take a look at a few examples I've curated of wonderful no-bangs hair styles. Keep scrolling for an explanation of why these work, and how you can style your own no-bang natural hair.
Photo credits to: L.E. Miller Photography, PMX Fashion, Innocent World/Lolibrary, and my wonderful friends.
What you'll notice about these examples (and many others) is two factors that really makes the style look good and look appropriate with Lolita fashion:
Actually style your hair
Just like any aspect of the fashion, effort is what makes an outfit look good. You don't have to spend hours curling, braiding, or teasing your hair into complicated styles to match your coordinate. Just make sure to invest in a haircut that suits your face and spend at least minimal effort to brushing and/or detangling your luscious locks.
Some more creative ideas: braid some of your hair over your forehead for "mock bangs", pull one side to the back with a big flower piece, wrap some braids around your head in a large circle "crown", or even pull back natural afro-textured hair into one or two ponytails.
It's all about the headwear
It's pretty standard knowledge that some kind of head covering is a key part of any Lolita coordinate, and selecting the right headwear for the right hairstyle is important for making it look good.
I suggest keeping your headwear either: flat against your head (as you see above with an old-school headdress), off-center, or as a hat. Plopping a big alice-style headbow onto your head might not look the best without bangs. But shift it to the side and it will look a lot more stylish. Hats and berets are also really great for people who don't have bangs. Hats are getting more popular, especially big floppy Ascot-style ones. I don't know exactly why it looks so good, but it does! Plus, without bangs you don't have to worry about smushing them under the brim...
