Mori Girl vs. Cult Party Kei: How To Spot the Differences

(This post was updated in December 2018.)

In previous posts, I have talked about the differences between Mori Girl and two of its close cousins, Natural Kei and Dolly Kei. In this post, I'll talk about the final style in this series, Cult Party Kei. 

Cult Party Kei's silhouette consists of pastel colors, lots of layers, lacey and flowing vintage sheer covers, vintage pajamas, red accents, platform shoes, handmade accessories, tattoo tights or other wild types of tights, and often teddy bears or other kid like accessories. The name, as far as I can tell, stems from a shop in Harajuku called Cult Party (now the Virgin Mary). There is nothing "cult-like" about the style, other than the more traditional outfits sometimes featuring crosses as accessories. 

Unlike Mori Girl, Cult Party Kei can often give a very synthetic or pop feel. And often features shorter skirts, or more mainstream popular items in Harajuku (Platform shoes, tattoo tights, other j-fashion styles color palettes, etc.). Cult Party Kei often combines elements of other styles to make its own unique look.

Here are a few traditional examples:

And a few examples of designer Etsuna Otsuka whose recent interpretation of the style seems to be becoming more widely recognized as the new Cult Party Kei, according to recent street snaps:

Here are a few examples of hybrid styles between Mori and Cult Party. Notice the use of unnatural colors, printed tights, and synthetic material, while still retaining a Mori silhouette.