PEEPS

PEEPS (ピープス) is a Japanese fashion that resembles a sporty Goth style inspired by ghost Pokémon trainers. It heavily relies on thrifting and upcycled clothing, making it less brand-focused as other styles.

History[]

PEEPS first emerged during the late 2010s among thrift stores in Ura-Harajuku, which have a focus on importing American 90s-style clothing, predominantly the store "Ohpearl" that quickly became known as the sacred place for PEEPS girls. In 2018, the dedicated online magazine PEEPS launched on Instagram giving the style its name, with the owner stating "It would be nice if girls with this style could connect with each other and have a sense of fellowship while wearing their clothes with confidence" as for why the English slang for "friends" was choosen. In 2020, it was voted one of the major trends next to Jirai Kei and Korean fashion.^[1]

Visuals[]

Mainly black with neon purple colors
Swirly face censors/distortions
Checker patterns
Tribal motifs
Zebra stripes
Chain belts
Butterflies
3D kanji
Pokémon

Fashion[]

The most distinctive feature of PEEPS fashion is that the outfits center around the combination of black with neon colors in a way that is still casual. There are many tops that are made to resemble layered clothing with bits and pieces of skin showing. The bottoms are usually short with various kinds of belts and chains attached to them. Silver accessories are the most popular in the form of chain necklaces and large rings. Sweatbands are occasionally worn and often feature tribal embroidery. Different to other edgy styles, fishnets are generally not worn with the focus being on a sporty appearance with the help of socks. There are many accessories centering around ghost Pokémon with the most popular being Gengar.