Is Country Lolita a Substyle?

Original picture from Fieldlover.com

Back in the day, before my adventure as a Lolita began, somebody decided that a new substyle should be born: The Country Lolita. Ok, I don't know how it happened, but it happened. It came up for discussion on Behind-the-Bows this last saturday whether or not Country Lolita has enough characteristics that it can really stand alone as a substyle. 
Well.. Here's what I think. 

When you break a Country Lolita's outfit down and focus on the pieces you use, it gets tricky. Traditionally, the Country Lolita look is made up of a puffy dress with a flower, fruit or gingham pattern, a strawhat and a basket. Flowers, fruits and gingham are used in other styles as well, so they're not really Country Lolita-exclusive the way Sugary Carnival, as an example, would be Sweet exclusive. Flowers are common in Classic Lolita and fruits are common in Sweet Lolita, especially. Gingham is sometimes used in simpler Sweet Lolita coords as well. The thing is, when you look at it in themes, very few themes are style-exclusive! Toys can also be used for Classic Lolita, believe it or not. It just depends on the style of the illustration and the colors of the print. Muted colors and storybook-like illustrations could make it appropriate for a youthful
Classic Lolita coord. 

Country doesn't really have the same kinds of criteria when it comes to colors and style. Depending on the type of Country look you want to go for, you can use bright or muted colors, discreet or loud prints. So, is Country Lolita only defined by the traditional strawhat- and basket accessories? I don't think so! You can use many kinds of hairstyles and accessories to get the Country Lolita aesthetic down! You can use flower crowns, straw bonnets or cute braided hair-do's, just to name a few!
I think Country Lolita is more about the feel of the coord, not so much the individual pieces and accessories! You could argue that brands rarely put out pieces that cater to Country Lolitas specifically, but the aesthetic still stands as something unique! 

Country Lolita to me seems to project a very different image from it's cousins-in-style, Classic and Sweet Lolita (though I would love to see a gothic-style Country Lolita!). Where the Classic Lolita projects the image of a victorian or rococo maiden of high class and society, and Sweet Lolita wants to project the image of a girl from a magical, sugar-coated world, Country Lolita is the Little Red Ridinghood-type maiden that lives in a lodge in the woods and picks flowers all day long, or the ideal image of a true, out-doorsy country girl! Not quite as pastel and sugary sweet as a Sweet Lolita, not quite as formal as the Classic Lolita, and completely it's own!

My conclusion must be that Country Lolita's charming aesthetic is more than enough to justify it as it's very own substyle! The only thing hindering it would be that it doesn't have as many followers as the major substyles, but well, I don't think it is the least worn of the smaller substyles, that are also widely accepted!

Writing my reflections on this subject down make's me want to acquire some more Country-like accessories before next summer!
 What are your thoughts on Country Lolita and the other smaller substyles?

Want to try your hands at making your very own strawbonnet? Here is a very easy-to-follow tutorial!