One of the first Lolita shops you’ll encounter as you walk down Takeshita Doori in Harajuku is the much-maligned Bodyline.

Why the vitriol? Because Bodyline sells cosplay (such as sailor and schoolgirl outfits) in addition to Lolita dresses; because Bodyline uses cheaper materials and less exact detailing; because some of the designs are unabashedly knock-offs of brands such as h.NAOTO and Angelic Pretty.

Personally, I put Bodyline in a separate category from brands such as Moi-meme-Moitie – the clothes retail at a lower price range and target a different clientele. I don’t see the brand as a dilution of Lolita fashion. It’s made the style accessible to young girls on tight budgets, and I see them looking beautiful in these dresses at indie Visual Kei concerts, club nights such as Alamode, and at the Marui fashion expo.

Bodyline’s skirts and blouses aren’t as high quality as Baby’s, but that’s not what they’re aiming for. The brand offers larger sizes and a wide variety of styles for lower prices… how can that be a bad thing?