You may not be familiar with this term specifically, but if you’re involved in J-fashion, you must’ve seen Larme magazine at least once! So let’s talk about what Pien-kei is, and why it’s relevant with Gyaru currently:

Pien-kei is a Japanese fashion that originated around the turn of the century. As a result of the influence of foreign music, fashion, and makeup, it was born from the streets of Kabukicho and mass-produced in Harajuku. Essentially, Pien-Kei took on two forms: mass-produced items sold at stores like Uniqlo and a more eclectic style from street shops in Tokyo’s Kabukicho area. Funnily enough, the latter used to ridicule the former for its lack of individuality, though it’s been the more popular of the two forms going into Reiwa.

In particular, Pien-kei has become popular among young women who want to wear clothes that are comfortable and easy to move around in. The most important part of Pien-kei is the material used for clothing.

Pien-kei is characterized for its use of soft and light fabrics such as chiffon, crepe, and wool. The colors of Pien-kei are mainly pastel colors such as pink, white, and mint green. The patterns on these clothes are not limited by any rules; they can be printed patterns or embroidered patterns or even just plain colors. In fact, many gals that were once more into himekaji styles had an easy transition to this, as did the brands that were characterized by himekaji initially.

Now in Reiwa, both Pien-kei and Gyaru are being revived by Generation Z as Y2K (2000s) fashion. While Pien-kei was once criticized for lack of individuality, it has since become a “sugary girly style.” Now, it has become popular all over the world. People who love Japanese fashion and culture often wear Pien-kei clothing because they can express themselves freely with this type of clothing – as it’s part of mainstream fashion, Pien-kei has become more accessible than ever, especially with no competition from discontinued/forgotten Gyaru brands.