Terms

This page contains popular or sometimes seen terms used within the Japanese fashion community, both in Japan and abroad.

Many terms are missing! Please add any known terms to this page.

A-Z

Bitter (辛口/Kara)

In context of fashion, the term is commonly used as a label for the opposite of "sweet" styles with an overall dark aesthetic.

Blue Letter Fashion (青文字系/Ao-Moji Kei)

Blue letter fashions are used to describe "countercultural" fashion styles, or styles where you wear whatever you want. This term is commonly used to describe Harajuku styles.

Code or Coord (コード/コーデ)

Code or Coord are used to represent "coordination" or outfit and are often used at the end of hashtags on social media.

Coquettish (コケティッシュ)

Within Japanese magazines, this term is often used to describe a style that is sexy and appeals to men. It is used mainly for adults and can be a way to simply describe "sex appeal." Common themes amongst "coquettish" styles are sheer clothing, tighter skirt styles, off-the-shoulder clothing, and clothing with slits near the legs. Natural but sexy makeup is often also described with this term, as well as stylishly disheveled hairstyles.

Conservative (コンサバ)

Conservative is used within Japanese fashion to mean a modest, not so flashy or bold, and vintage feeling fashion. It is often used to refer to styles that resemble Japanese fashion from the 80s, as well as formal feminine fashions, and neat and clean styles. Conservative styles are often similar to business casual types of styles, with a tendency towards high fashion looks.

Dekiru Onna (デキる女)

Dekiru Onna is a term used to describe female fashion that provokes a professional, proper or appropriate, formal, and "deep" feeling. The style involves more formal wear and business style clothing, including basic color schemes and a use of black. It also can be used to describe high fashion or name brand accessories and clothing with the same style and feel.

Effortless Fashion (エフォートレスファッション)

The term effortless is used to describe fashion that is fashionable but relaxed.

The Feeling of Omission (抜け感/Nuke-kan)

The Feeling of Omission, or nukekan, is used to describe a style that is "missing" something, as well as a mature, elegant, and light style. This can mean strategic snowing of skin, a strategic use of a lack of color, as well as fashion that is stylishly bordering casual and formal, or disheveled and put together.

Ita (痛)

Ita in J-fashion is used for things that are "cringey", or "painful" to look at. In Lolita fashion, Ita-lolita (痛ロリィタ) refers to Lolita fashion attempts that are poorly or incorrectly coordinated.

Kaiwai (界隈)

Not to be confused with "kawaii", the term is generally used in the sense of "community" and often part of hashtags that were created for the purpose of connecting with others from the same community. For example, "ロリィタ界隈" refers to the Lolita community.

Kei (系)

Kei is the japanese suffix for "kind" or "type" in terms of categorization. In fashion it is often used to categorize outfits by their style or color, for example, ピンク系 refers to an all-pink outfit . However, if used incorrectly, kei can refer to a specific "type" of person, usually a stereotype. For example, “fairy-type fashion” (フェアリー 系ファッション) refers to fairy subculture fashion, but "fairy-type boy" (フェアリー 系男の子) refers to the "fairy boy" stereotype of a charming but cruel male love interest. Similarly, the term Jirai Kei/Landmine-type (地雷系) can refer to a stereotypical archetype for girls who dress in certain darker fashion styles.

Normcore (ノームコア)

Although originally an English fashion term, Normcore is also used in Japanese fashion magazines since 2014 to mean timeless, normal, and simple fashion.

Old-School or Nostalgic (ノスタルジック)

Commonly used in front of the names of decades-old fashion styles, such as Lolita and Gyaru, when referring to their "original" version.

Otona (大人)

Literally translating to "adult", is a suffix commonly used to indicate the "mature" versions of a style that are toned-down.

Over-the-top (コテコテ/Kote-kote)

An outfit of any style that is accessorized from head to toe, also the opposite of "plain" or "casual".

Red Letter Fashion (赤文字系/Aka-moji Kei)

Red letter fashion is used to describe fashion that is, in many ways, the opposite of "blue letter fashions" and Harajuku fashions. The style is most commonly a conservative, formal, and feminine style. It can be described as fashion that is "office appropriate."

Sabukaru or Subcul (サブカル)

A Japanese slang term that refers to people, styles, or things that are considered "subcultural" or "alternative". Most styles considered J-Fashion overseas fall under it with being alternative fashion.