My interest in fairy-kei

As I mentioned in a previous entry, I can be quoted as once jokingly saying that I would like fairy-kei to be my casual style when I'm just not quite feeling up to lolita. The more I think about it and the more I look at the fairy-kei style, the less I think of it as a joke. Just like lolita, I've been attracted to this style since I first set eyes on it and it seems to be a fairly new fashion phenomena in the streets of Japan anyway so I don't think I'm super late getting on this bus. >X D The thing with this style that really appeals to me is how cute and whimsical and spunky it is. I will totally admit I have a weakness for neon colors, something I can't indulge in with lolita, but it also allows for someone of my body type to have a bit more options. I'm very curvy, my waist is small enough for brand but my hips are most certainly not. >X D To put on a lot of skirts, especially ones that don't have elastic in them, I think I'd probably have to put them on over my head but with fairy-kei theres the option of brightly colored pants/shorts (its almost incentive to go out and buy a pair of neon pink skinny jeans) and tights plus the tutu skirts tend to have elastic by the looks of it.

I really do see it as a casual style, it doesn't have the pomp and rules of lolita which I'm sure sometimes can get a little overbearing for everyone. Sometimes you just want to throw on you're neon blue My Little Pony shirt with a rainbow colored tulle tutu and prance around. >X D Seriously.

Styler overview:


Lets wear our bloomers on the outside!!

It incorporates style and colors from the 80's and nearly 90's. I think the biggest thing that sets it apart from, say, scene kids who also like to use brightly colored items with vintage characters like My Little Pony and even Hello Kitty is the way the style is pulled off. Scene style has a rougher, grungier look to the sweet, cuteness whereas fairy-kei is just point blank sweet and cute. It doesn't want to have that edge of alternative style to it, it just wants to be flighty and have fun. Will people be able to tell the difference between me and a scene kid without me explaining the difference? Probably not and honestly my layered hair probably won't help that much BUT thats ok. Scene girls in particular have some really nice style. ; D

Colors tend to be neon paired with pastels. Of course, there are options to go either all neon or all pastel and still be fairy-kei but I kind of like the opposing boldness of putting the two together. An example would be putting neon pink polkadotted shirt with a pastel blue poofy skirt. How cute would that be!? In that same vein, colors can be as limited or as abundant as you want in an outfit! Lolita tends to be fairly toned down, keeping it to two maybe three color motifs in an outfit before going into a decora style but with fairy-kei, the more color, the better. And thats the way I like it.

What can go into a fairy-kei outfit seems pretty open for interpretation. If its cute, brightly colored or has a vintage character, slap it on in there! You can wear flats, boots, sneakers and even ballet slippers if you wanted. Cute big bows are a must, as far as I'm concerned! I have a picture in my mind of a loose fitting, lilac sweatshirt with a big Hello Kitty patch sewn on the chest with maybe a cute ribbon patch on the other side or on the pocket, a big floppy yellow bow with purple polkadots, a rainbow tulle tutu, neon pink tights with yellow polkadots and my ultra cool knee high Converse boots. *___* I ... would really look like I just stepped out of the 80's. >X D

My favorite part of the makeup style for fairy-kei is having an otherwise natural looking face then loud, brightly colored eyeshadow, sometimes even with sparkles mixed in. I think it looks so cute and lets face it. Loud eyeshadow gets me every time.

And potentially the best part about making fairy-kei my casual style? Plenty of sweet lolita items can go into fairy-kei! Especially the jewelry. Its so nice to think that I wouldn't have to buy a new style of jewelry for this like I'll have to between my gothic, sweet and classic lolita looks. >X D

Stores to know!!


Spank!! (I've seen a blog entry where the girl explained that Spank!! is a fashion of its own, its not actually fairy-kei but really. It seems like pretty much everything they have can be used in fairy-kei so I don't think we should mince words. >X D It's a store, not a style of its own, really. That'd be kind of like if I went around calling Meta a style all its own. Its not. Really.)

6%DokiDoki (my personal favorite ~ I really do love these girls, I adore looking at the photo shoots from the recent tours they had in England, Pairs and California. It looks like everyone had a major blast and I truly love everything about what they do)

HotTopic (some of you may not like it but there it is. HT definitely isn't the place to go if you're looking for major lolita wardrobe items, by FAR, but hey. They've got the vintage shirts down pat not to even mention the brightly colored stockings, gloves and all other accessories imaginable. As far as I know though they don't have the right kind of tulle skirts, they only have those kind of gay tutu's - as far as I know. I haven't looked at their site in a while but they might have some!)



Who is this girl I keep posting!? A very cute girl who seems to have the same idea as me! She's into both sweet lolita and fairy-kei! Heres her blog! : D

http://yaplog.jp/damare_kozou/



Now, I do want to say that I know a lot of lolita's are adamantly against showing bloomers, and in this case of lolita style I totally agree. Bloomers are pretty much the equivalent of panties for a lolita, even if you wearing a pair of real panties under the bloomers. However, with fairy-kei, they're not being used as underwear so I really don't see the problem with wearing them out in full view. In fact, I think its very cute. I think its really just a matter of what you're doing with them. Because yeah. Bloomers are not a costume item in this sense, they are actually part of a wardrobe. If you wear them as a type of underwear, don't flash them. You're not a can can dancer. However, if you're wearing them as a type of shorts then its all good. : )