Lolita glasses are a line of fanciful glassware designed by Tracy Lolita Healey. Designs are hand painted in brilliant colors and are oven fired for design durability. The inspiration for the line came in 2001 when Healey and some friends were having a “girl’s night out.” In an interview on You Tube, Healey said as she read the recipes on the martini menu, and then the idea of embellishing drink glasses with designs matching an occasion or to express different personalities came to her. Her first idea was to paint a recipe on the base of every glass with the recipe actually suggesting the design on the drink glasses. In 2004, the first line, “Love My Martini,” was launched and was so successful it is now one of the most popular glassware designs in the U.S.A. The line is a favorite and has many return customers and collectors. Because some designs are offered through all lines, it is possible to build a collection of matching Lolita glass.
Lolita martini glasses were the original line produced by Healy. They are in the classic martini shape and of good quality glass. They hold between 7 and 7.5 ounces and come in more than 80 different designs with martini recipes hand painted on the bottom of each. The designs are also hand painted with some additional molded embellishments such as a gold cord wrapped around the stem of the Santa’s New Bag style or a bit of fluffy feather at the base of another. An idea of what is available is suggested by names such as San Francisco, Las Vegas, New Orleans, and other cities. Also available are Little Black Dress, Congratulations, Miss Martini, Girl’s Best Friend, Five O’clock Somewhere, Birthday Cake, Flip Flops, Forty Something, Not Another Necktie, Etc. The names of the designs are just as whimsical as the glasses themselves. The martini line was so popular Lolita added other lines such as wine glasses, champagne flutes, shot glasses and more.
A Lolita wine glass is a good quality stemware produced in a 15-ounce size. It has a wide bowl that wine connoisseurs appreciate because it “allows the wine to breathe.” It is perfectly acceptable for use with either red or white wine. The recipes painted on the bottom of these glasses are for wine coolers and the glass designs are just as clever as those of the martini glasses. An example of the designs unique to this line is signs of the Zodiac, the alphabet through the letter T, and there are also designs that match those in other lines. Some of the matching designs include Halloween, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, Little Black Dress, Congratulations, and many more.
The wine glass known as the champagne flute is no stranger to the Lolita glass line. Manufactured in the traditional flute shape they are of beautiful, durable glass in the 7.5-ounce size. Colorful and amusing designs include For Lovers Only, Little Black Dress, 5 O’clock Somewhere, Happy Birthday, Congratulations, Birthday Girl, Bubble Bath, Divorce and many more. The glasses are appropriate for wedding toasts or wedding proposals with special designs for those occasions.
A special glass designed by Healey is the Lolita Pink Ribbon Wine Glass. It is decorated with hand painted pink ribbons in the style associated with the fight against breast cancer. It was produced to assist women afflicted with breast cancer and help them retain important connections with friends and family members and help them overcome a sense of isolation. The Susan G. Komen for the Cure association receives a donation of a part of the sale of each glass.