confession #8: i don’t own wigs!

TokyoFashion.com-Yuria

Dear fairies,

So, today I will talk about wigs. My confession is that I don’t own any fashion wigs and it’s possible I might not ever. 

I really do like wigs, especially if they’re the right color and are  gorgeously styled.Though I notice many other western fairies favor wigs. Why is this? The only things I can think of would be that some sweet lolis carry their wigs over to fairy kei or that some fairies are not up for committing to dyeing their hair, which is understandable.

Personally, I think wearing a wig never quite has the same effect as when you dye your own hair. It's almost like the color becomes a part of you as opposed to something like makeup where you can take it off easily.

I kind of like it when you can see the natural hair color coming through in brightly colored dyed hair.

TokyoFashion.com- Kumamiki

I do think in Japan they are more compelled to alter their appearances in fashion because of their strict society and can get out of their boundaries a little. Therefore, I do think dying one’s hair is one of the “safest” sorts of self-expression since I’ve tinted it different colors several times myself.

TokyoFashion.com- Tavuchi

In conclusion, while I really do like wigs, I would rather dye my hair an unnatural color than wear wigs. I love my own hair and it’s inexpensive compared to buying many wigs in all colors considering I don’t dye it very often (and I can change colors easily!).

~Sparkling Ga Eul

Faith, Trust and Fairy Kei Dust!

definitely never too old to express yourself, even more so in fairy kei!

Dear Fairies,

I wanted to share with you all something that the owner of fairy indie brand, Candy Geisha, said to me after I wrote my 7th confession. Unfortunately I didn't get a chance to buy one of her kawaii creations before she closed down :-/

She's rockin' the kawaii-ness at her age and is proud of it

Photo Belongs to CandyGeisha

CandyGeishaSAYS:

Hello (*^_^*)
I came across a repost of your confession titled “confession #7: you’re not too old for fairy kei!”

After I finished reading it, I just felt like shouting on top of my lungs “Alleluia!!!!!!!”. You’re a star!!!!

Some cynical and over analytic souls might say that I may be trying to recapture the essence of my childhood, so might even go as far as saying that I may have issues :D And others with less intellectual steam power might simply say that I am plain restarted. Well to all of them I will say: “How long have you been in this mental prison of yours???”.

And why do I say this? Because I am an 80s child. Yes Sir! I was 10 years old in 1983 so I shall leave you to your calculations. Popples, Rainbow Brite, MLP, Care Bears, Punky Brewster, Strawberry Shortcake, Atari video games, Flashy bright colours, high top kicks, cassettes played on my bulky Walkman, Game & Watch portable electronic games, The Never Ending Story, SANRIO’s universe, Hello Kitty, My Melody, Little Twin Stars, animes, Japanese cute culture and so many more iconic elements that never left me!!! 

I went through the 90’s and the millennium  evolving at my pace, experimenting with fashion and visuals, being generaly alternative, playing with mainstream fashion, being my own boss and not caring about others’ judgements. But now that I am closely looking at my fast approaching 40th year on this planet, I feel the need to tell them: “Live!”. I am a fully grown adult with a fully grown up everyday life. Ok, the fact that I always have been in a creative environment may help me to think outside the box when it comes to visuals but still, why putting so many conventions around your appearance when it could be such a fun outlet in this already very stressful world. I love the imagery of the 80s and even if it sends me back closer to my childhood, I am not a child anymore. 

Fairy Kei emulates a lot of what has been part of my early life on this planet, but what the hell!!! It emulates it so well and yet with its own twist that it would be mad not to fall in love with it all over again! Besides, it leaves room for extra creativeness. I do not wish to look or act like 10 years old me. I am just having fun with so many elements that I was and still am fond of. I mix and match and add my woman touch to it. My life experience, abilities to function and maturity have nothing to do with it. So if you are in your 20s and already feeling too old for Fairy Kei, well don’t be! Be your own canvas, your own artist, create, have fun! The way you see the world and grow as an adult should not be affected by the way you look. Who decided that you look silly? You or them? Who decided what is age appropriate or not? Are you really what you wear? Don’t let anybody dictate your fashion sense. As long as you are a functioning adult with good common sense and compassion.

Be you!

And when I die, I want my friends to pimp up my coffin as creepy cute and Kawaii as they can!

Life goes on… 

confession #7: you’re not too old for fairy kei!

Japanese Streets- Tavuchi & Choco

Dear fairies,

Today I’d like to discuss how I’ve come across a few things, concerning fairy kei, in which girls talk about how they feel fairy kei is too “juvenile,” think they’re too old for fairy kei, or think it’s only for teenagers in which you grow out of the fashion into, say, something like cult party kei.

While I think peoples’, and my own, styles are always evolving in which one could go from fairy kei to another fashion like cult party kei, I think that there shouldn’t be a line drawn as far as what age you say you stop wearing a certain fashion! (though, there are exceptions to people who just don’t have good fashion sense to begin with)

I think people in the Japanese fashion community should be the least concerned with “age-appropriateness” considering how many of the best styles in Japan are many times misconstrued as “childish” or “costume-y” to some critical westerners with narrow views of what fashion really is.

Why even be part of Japanese fashion if you are going to restrict yourself??

With that said, I think people tend to think fairy kei is “childish” due to the dominant color scheme and use of 80s childrens’ characters like Popples and Care Bears. If fairy kei was meant to be for children, then wouldn’t it be a style only worn by girls under ten years old, considering the characters and bright colors?

Of course, on the contrary, fairy kei is usually worn by girls 17 and over! Not to mention, our representative girls at  6% Tokidoki and Spank! are over the age of 20!! Miss Tavuchi was about 23 years old when she began Spank! and will be over 30 years old soon!

Japanese Streets-Yuka

Tavuchi, in an interview, said that her customers range from 12 years old to 40 years old! To her, Spank! is more about the 80s culture than anything else, it seems.

It makes sense that young women (not young girls) would be into fairy kei. After all, those of us who were children in the 80s and 90s, who enjoyed fairy kei inspirations, are now over the age of 18! Fairy kei is nostalgic and speaks to our childhood in many ways, which makes it all the more appealing.

Really and truly, this fashion is for the young at heart.

"Style is style, fashion is fashion." If you have style, then you don’t need fashion, nor do you need to adhere to any "rules" like age limits. Tavuchi created her own style, likely not caring what the "rules" were. 

BOTTOM LINE: If you want to dress fairy kei, then you are not too old for fairy kei! Dress how you want and do it with style and you will be alright.

Do YOU think you are or will ever be too old for fairy kei?

24-year-old Kumamiki is a designer who created her own fairy kei style indie brand, Party Baby! She and her creations are adorable ^_^

Japanese Streets- Kumamiki

~Sparkling Ga Eul

Faith, Trust and Fairy Kei Dust!