fairy kei en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- /ˌfɛəɹi ˈkeɪ/
Etymology
From Japanese フェアリー系 (fearī-kei, literally “fairy style”), from フェアリー (fearī, “fairy”) (itself from English fairy) + 系 (kei, “style”).
Meanings
-
(qualifier:aesthetic, uncountable) A Japanese fashion style influenced by pop culture of the 1980s, characterized by pastel colours and whimsical, childlike elements such as toys, candy, or unicorns.
Followers of fairy-kei — a light and fluffy '80s throwback look — stock up on candy-coloured accessories at 6% Doki Doki […]
2012, Timothy Hornyak, Lonely Planet: Tokyo, page 123:Most fairy-kei has a colour scheme of pastel colours adding to the childlike wonder of the style, as well as including chunky jewelry, oversized t-shirts and long socks, paired to large light-up trainers or similar.
2021, Holly Swinyard, A Guide to Film and TV Cosplay:“I'm into the fairy kei/decora vibe, which is kawaii [Japanese for “cute”] and very pastel,” he says.
2015 November 19, Isa Giallorenzo, quoting Jimmy Hassett, “Kawaii as a button”, in Chicago Reader, volume 10, number 44, page 4:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| fairy-kei | alternative | lexicographic |