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Larme Kei is a term created by the international community to describe a fashion focused on a girly aesthetic. The style is vague and has no real defining features or rules, and pulls heavily from the Girly style trend popular in Japan, as well as the magazine of the same name, LARME.

To learn more about the Japanese history and expression of this style, please see Girly.


The Name[]

Larme kei is, of course, named after the magazine LARME. "Larme" means "tears" in French. [1] In Japan, the magazine's core style is simply known as ガーリー or Girly fashion[2], but it also covers a wide variety of other styles depending on the current trends.

Is It Actually a Style?[]

Larme Kei as a term comes not from Japan, but from the foreign community that has come to enjoy the styles and clothing coming from the LARME magazine. As such, some within the fashion have argued that the "style" doesn't actually exist. At least, not in the traditional sense of a "Japanese fashion" that is created to center around a certain style or aesthetic, like Lolita or Decora. [3]

The community itself for larme kei is very small, with barely any presence online. However, many that do wear it stand by its presence as a style. Some who wear it have created rules and guidelines to follow based on what is shown in the magazine, and consider that the basis for the style. [4]

Style Basics[]

"Sweet_Girly"_as_known_from_LARME

"Sweet Girly" as known from LARME

Kawaii International introducing the Sweet Girly substyle commonly featured in early issues of LARME magazine.

As larme kei is so vague, it does not have any true rules or a silhouette. Hemlines, color themes, motifs, accessories, and pretty much anything else can vary greatly depending on what is on trend at the time. However, there is a self-explained basis for the style that comes from the LARME magazine.

According to the magazine's creators, larme type fashion is geared towards women ages 18-25, and focuses on looking fashionable, mature, and intelligent. Its goal is to produce a look that showcases these ideas. The creator of the LARME magazine also says that the magazine takes existing trends interprets them through their own aesthetic, which they categorize as unique and girly.

As the LARME magazine has followed and evolved with fashion trends in Japan, larme kei fashion has also evolved. Common trends throughout the years have been pastels, tulle, black and white, faux fur, French-inspired, and romantic looks.

One thing in larme kei that remains fairly consistent throughout the style is makeup. As the name suggests, larme makeup is often created in a way that resembles a "crying" or "sad" look, with innocent-looking or dewy eye makeup and blushing cheeks. [5]

Brands & Shops[]

Larme has no official brands, however, there is an official Larme magazine, which the fashion is named after.

Although there are no official brands, there are a few brands that work well with the style:

Gallery[]

External Links[]

  1. "Larme Magazine Introduction." Universal-Doll. August 19, 2014. Retrieved September 9, 2020 from https://web.archive.org/web/20200122032027/http://universal-doll.com/2014/08/larme-magazine-introduction/
  2. Asahi Sato. "ガーリーファッションとは。コーデ&ブランド【イラストで解説】(What is Girly Fashion -translated title)." MyNavi. August 26, 2019. Retrieved September 9, 2020 from https://woman.mynavi.jp/article/190826-20/
  3. "Larme Kei Does Not Exist (but I wear it anyways)." Heartbreak Cherry. Now private. Retrieved from https://heartbreakcherry.blogspot.com/2018/01/larme-kei-does-not-exist-but-i-wear-it.html Circa 2019.
  4. Eri. "Intro to Larme Fashion." Petite Dollies. 2016. Retrieved September 9, 2020 from http://blog.petitedollies.com/2016/04/about-larme-magazine.html
  5. "Larme Kei's Brands." Mitsui's blog. December 19, 2015. Retrieved September 9, 2020 from https://mitsuru-hime.blogspot.com/2015/12/larme-kei-brands.html

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