Fashion & Appearance

Introduction

Japan’s fashion scene is legendary, and the slang matches. From 量産型 (mass-produced look) to 地雷メイク (landmine makeup), fashion slang captures Japan’s obsession with style and self-presentation.

This chapter covers slang related to fashion, beauty, and appearance in modern Japan.

Themes

All Japanese Slang in This Chapter (80)

1. 地雷メイク じらいメイク A makeup style featuring dark under-eye liner, pale skin, and a gothic-cute aesthetic associated with the 'landmine girl' subculture.
2. コーデ コーデ An outfit combination or coordinated look; short for コーディネート (coordinate).
3. デパコス デパコス Department store cosmetics; high-end luxury makeup brands sold at department store beauty counters.
4. ドラコス ドラコス Drugstore cosmetics; affordable everyday beauty products sold at pharmacies and variety shops.
5. 垢抜ける あかぬける To become stylish and refined; to glow up in appearance and manner.
6. こなれ感 こなれかん An effortlessly stylish, broken-in look; the quality of appearing naturally chic without trying too hard.
7. 抜け感 ぬけかん A relaxed, effortless vibe in fashion or makeup; the quality of looking unstudied and naturally cool.
8. 透明感 とうめいかん A translucent, luminous quality in skin or overall appearance; pure, ethereal beauty.
9. ツヤ肌 ツヤはだ Dewy, glowing skin with a healthy luminous sheen; the opposite of matte skin.
10. マット肌 マットはだ Matte skin finish; a shine-free, velvety smooth complexion with no visible glow.
11. ナチュラルメイク ナチュラルメイク Natural-looking makeup that enhances features subtly without appearing heavily done up.
12. すっぴん すっぴん A bare face with absolutely no makeup on; one's natural, unadorned appearance.
13. すっぴん風 すっぴんふう A no-makeup makeup look; styled to appear as if wearing no makeup at all.
14. ビフォーアフター ビフォーアフター A before-and-after transformation comparison, especially for beauty, fitness, or renovation.
15. 整形 せいけい Plastic surgery or cosmetic procedure; altering one's appearance through medical intervention.
16. 整形級メイク せいけいきゅうメイク Makeup so skillfully done that it transforms the face as dramatically as plastic surgery.
17. 詐欺メイク さぎメイク Deceptive makeup that makes someone look like a completely different person.
18. メイク動画 メイクどうが A makeup tutorial or beauty video showing techniques and product application.
19. GRWM ジーアールダブリューエム Get Ready With Me; a video format showing someone's morning beauty and outfit preparation routine.
20. 骨格診断 こっかくしんだん Body-frame typing that categorises people into skeletal types to determine the most flattering clothing styles.
21. パーソナルカラー パーソナルカラー Personal color analysis; a system that determines which color palette best complements your natural skin tone, hair, and eyes.
22. イエベ イエベ Yellow-base; a warm skin undertone classification in personal color analysis.
23. ブルベ ブルベ Blue-base; a cool skin undertone classification in personal color analysis.
24. 韓国っぽ かんこくっぽ Korean-style; having a look, aesthetic, or vibe reminiscent of Korean fashion and beauty trends.
25. 中華メイク ちゅうかメイク Chinese-style makeup featuring bold, glamorous elements like sharp liner, red lips, and defined brows.
26. Y2K ワイツーケー Year-2000 retro fashion revival featuring early-2000s trends like low-rise jeans, butterfly clips, and bold colors.
27. 古着 ふるぎ Vintage or secondhand clothing; thrift fashion.
28. ハイブランド ハイブランド High-end luxury designer brand such as Louis Vuitton, Chanel, or Hermès.
29. ファストファッション ファストファッション Fast fashion; affordable trend-driven clothing from brands like UNIQLO, GU, H&M, and ZARA.
30. ワントーンコーデ ワントーンコーデ A one-tone or monochromatic outfit where all pieces are in the same color family.
31. リンクコーデ リンクコーデ Matching or coordinated outfits worn with a partner, friend, or family member to show connection.
32. 双子コーデ ふたごコーデ Twinning outfits; wearing identical or near-identical looks with a friend for fun.
33. ゆるコーデ ゆるコーデ A relaxed, casual outfit with loose, oversized silhouettes for a comfortable look.
34. きれいめ きれいめ A clean, elegant, polished fashion style; smart-casual with refined feminine or androgynous elements.
35. カジュアル カジュアル Casual, laid-back fashion style; everyday relaxed clothing.
36. ストリート系 ストリートけい Street fashion style; urban casual influenced by skateboarding, hip-hop, and youth subculture.
37. モード系 モードけい Mode/high-fashion style; avant-garde, runway-influenced fashion with architectural silhouettes.
38. ゴスロリ ゴスロリ Gothic lolita; a fashion subculture combining gothic dark elements with Victorian doll-like lolita aesthetics.
39. ロリータ ロリータ Lolita fashion; an elaborate Japanese fashion subculture featuring doll-like Victorian and Rococo-inspired clothing.
40. 姫系 ひめけい Princess-style fashion; ultra-feminine aesthetic with pink, lace, ribbons, and lavish romantic elements.
41. サブカル系 サブカルけい Subculture style; an indie, alternative look that signals interest in niche music, art, or underground culture.
42. 系統 けいとう Fashion category or style tribe; used to classify someone's overall look into a recognisable aesthetic type.
43. バズコスメ バズコスメ Viral cosmetics; beauty products that blew up on social media and became must-haves.
44. リピ買い リピがい Repeat purchase; buying the same product again because you loved it so much.
45. 底見え そこみえ Pan is showing; having used a cosmetic product so much that the bottom of the container is visible.
46. 着回し きまわし Mixing and matching wardrobe pieces versatilely; getting many outfits from a limited number of items.
47. 断捨離 だんしゃり Decluttering; the practice of letting go of unnecessary possessions, associated with Marie Kondo-style tidying.
48. ミニマリスト ミニマリスト Minimalist; someone who deliberately owns very few possessions and lives simply.
49. 骨スト こつスト Straight body-frame type in 骨格診断 (bone structure diagnosis); characterised by a defined, structured body with prominent joints.
50. 骨ウェ こつウェ Wave body-frame type in bone structure diagnosis; characterised by a soft, slim body with a defined waistline.
51. 骨ナチュ こつナチュ Natural body-frame type in bone structure diagnosis; characterised by a long, angular frame with prominent joints.
52. 顔タイプ かおタイプ Face-type diagnosis; a self-styling system that matches fashion and hair to your facial features.
53. 美容垢 びようあか Beauty-focused social media account; a separate account dedicated to beauty content, reviews, and cosmetics.
54. オシャレ オシャレ Fashionable; stylish; well-dressed. A versatile compliment for someone's appearance, taste, or aesthetic.
55. ダボダボ ダボダボ Baggy; oversized clothing that hangs loosely on the body.
56. ピタピタ ピタピタ Skin-tight; fitting clothes that cling closely to the body.
57. ガーリー ガーリー Girly; a feminine, cute fashion style featuring frills, ribbons, pastels, and romantic elements.
58. メンズライク メンズライク Menswear-inspired; a women's fashion style that borrows masculine elements like tailored jackets, straight-cut trousers, and structured s...
59. ジェンダーレス ジェンダーレス Genderless fashion; a unisex style that intentionally blurs the line between traditionally masculine and feminine clothing.
60. タトゥー タトゥー Tattoo; still carrying social stigma in Japan due to historical yakuza associations, though attitudes are gradually shifting among younge...
61. ピアス ピアス Piercing or pierced earrings; the most common form of body modification accessory in Japan.
62. ネイルアート ネイルアート Nail art; elaborate manicure designs that are a significant part of Japanese beauty culture.
63. ジェルネイル ジェルネイル Gel nail manicure; a durable, glossy nail treatment that is the standard in Japanese nail salons.
64. エクステ エクステ Hair extensions; added hair for extra length, volume, or colour without cutting or permanently dyeing.
65. インナーカラー インナーカラー Inner colour; a hidden layer of dyed hair underneath the top layer, creating a peek-a-boo effect.
66. ハイトーン ハイトーン High-tone; light, bright hair colour achieved through heavy bleaching, typically blonde or ash tones.
67. カラコン カラコン Coloured contact lenses; decorative contacts worn to enlarge or change eye colour.
68. マツエク マツエク Eyelash extensions; semi-permanent lashes applied individually at a salon for a fuller, longer look.
69. 二重 ふたえ Double eyelid; a visible crease on the upper eyelid, considered a desirable eye shape in Japanese beauty culture.
70. アッシュ アッシュ Ash-toned hair colour; a cool grey-ish shade that neutralises warm tones in Asian hair.
71. ウルフカット ウルフカット Wolf cut; a layered, shaggy hairstyle with short top layers and longer bottom layers.
72. 推しカラー おしカラー Your oshi's representative colour; worn or carried as a visible marker of fan identity.
73. 推しネイル おしネイル Nail art themed around your oshi; incorporating their colours, motifs, or imagery into nail designs.
74. ヘアアレンジ ヘアアレンジ Hair arrangement or styling; creating various hairstyles through braiding, twisting, pinning, and accessorising.
75. 眉メイク まゆメイク Eyebrow makeup; shaping, filling, and styling eyebrows, which is a major trend topic in Japanese beauty.
76. ワイドパンツ ワイドパンツ Wide-leg pants; loose-fitting trousers with a wide silhouette that have been a perennial Japanese fashion staple.
77. オーバーサイズ オーバーサイズ Oversized fit; deliberately wearing larger-than-normal clothing for a relaxed, trendy silhouette.
78. くすみカラー くすみカラー Muted, dusty colours; softly desaturated tones that are a huge trend in Japanese fashion and cosmetics.
79. シアー シアー Sheer; semi-transparent fabric or finish used in fashion and beauty for a soft, ethereal look.
80. センターパート センターパート Centre-parted hairstyle; hair parted down the middle, a Korean-influenced trend hugely popular in Japan.