What is Larme Kei?

So here I am, ranting and talking about larme kei, without even discussing what it is! A google search can sum it up pretty well, but for illogical reasons, I'll describe it.

"Larme", meaning "tears" in French (get my blog name? ;) ) is a popular Japanese magazine that features "sweet, girly" fashion, often with an elegant, mature, or sexy twist. The style was coined by the magazine, but it had existed in fragments in Japanese fashion for a long time.

The general aesthetic is soft, feminine, and dreamy. There is frequent use of silks, chiffon, tweed, and fluffy material. However, even in the issues of Larme magazine itself, there are plenty of examples of the style that don't adhere strictly to these guidelines.

A key point of larme kei is the makeup. As the name suggests, it resembles a "crying" look, with innocent-looking, dewy eyes and blushing cheeks.

As I discussed in my previous post, larme is a very flexible fashion that focuses more on general aesthetic and overall feeling than certain "rules", as other j-fashions might. Therefore, many things can qualify, and everyone's interpretation is a little bit different. Personally, I gravitate towards the more sweet, romantic side of larme!

I will attach some images of larme kei for your viewing pleasure! Hopefully everything will make a bit more sense.

If you don't want to scroll through this post, or have already seen everything google images has to offer, I will link you to my favorite lookbook that I always go to for inspiration! It's by the brand Katie.

http://www.katie.jp/lookbook.html

Also, here is a (quite long) video on larme and it's roots! And even a style lesson and makeup tutorial by Risa herself!


Iconic Larme model Risa Nakamura

Some thoughts on the development of "Larme Kei"

Hello, friends! This will be the first post on my fancy new blog, so I hope you enjoy it and pay me another visit :)

Anyway, I have been MADLY in love with Larme kei, as it has come to be called. I've been wearing lolita for, oh, a year and a half now, and I am finding myself not to be so attracted to it anymore. These days, I gravitate heavily towards Larme. I identify with the aesthetic, it's relatively easy to recreate, and wearable on a day-to-day basis. Lolita just... isn't. But I won't get into the details of my feelings towards lolita, at least not now.

Anyway, as many lolitas do, I browse the 4chan page /cgl/ from time to time. I used to be an avid reader, relishing in the drama. If you've visited the page, you know what I mean. Anyway, despite being riddled with... unkind remarks, /cgl/ offers some very useful tips. And so, I searched the catalog for "larme", hoping to find some advice, magazine scans, etc. Well, although I did find those things, I was dismayed to find more than I had hoped for.

You see, I found the thread writhe with girls tearing apart the personal lives of models, discussing the weight of themselves and each other, plastic surgery, and even an interloper arguing that  Larme kei is "basic, unoriginal, and not a real fashion style". In conclusion, it was classic /cgl/.

And I found that very upsetting.

One of the things I love about Larme is that it's so free. Lolita is a very rigid, restrictive fashion. For good reason mind you, but it's true. As a lolita, I adhered closely to the rules and was ruffled (pun intended) when others did not. But Larme isn't like that. It's muddled and blurry. It's casual, it's formal, it's mature and elegant, it's childish and cute. Frankly, I was scared to see people holding it to the standards of lolita. It's not lolita. And I want it to stay that way.

I want Larme to stay small. I want it to stay personal, unexplored, and experimental. I want it to be about wearing pretty clothes and makeup that looks like you're crying. It's like when you find an undiscovered artist; of course you want them to be recognized for their talent, for their dreams to come true, to talk about them with other fans. But at the same time, there's that aspect of rawness and intimacy that you know will be lost.

So if you love Larme, wear it! By all means!! Please!!! But don't make it into a contest. Don't bring down other wearers of the fashion, and don't take it too seriously.

After all, it's just clothes.