Meta Discussion: 'Dressing Visual Kei' and Sub Rule 2

The time has finally come to discuss the purpose of the r/visualkei sub and potential clarification changes when it comes to Rule 2 (Posts must be related to Visual Kei) due to the increase in obscure fashion posts that frankly don't quite fit here.

Before we get into things, I want to remind everyone of our sub description:

"r/visualkei: A subreddit where you can share, discuss and discover music related to the Japanese rock scene Visual Kei."

At its core, r/visualkei is a music sub and not a fashion sub yet we're getting an increasing number of posts each week that are challenging to moderate as the connection to visual kei is becoming more and more unclear. These posts don't have specific references to visual kei bands or artists and are basically just alternative fashion, nothing at all having to do with the music. I'm not saying there isn't space for discussion about fashion or cosplay as they relate to the bands in this scene, but it's probably time to put a hard stop to low effort selfie posts.

Some examples of what I'm talking about:

• Blurry or dark selfies posting a 'vk outfit' that's really just ripped jeans with chains or a ruffle blouse
• Starting from scratch makeup or clothing advice requests. (We are not a fashion advice sub and have a wiki resource to help educate on visual kei's connection to fashion)
• Calling your first time putting on eyeliner and a dark lip 'visual kei'

But the sub has a fashion flair, why revise the rules?

• These posts tend to get reported by community members who are here for the music and moderating them frankly sucks. I don't necessarily want to shade teens who don't understand what visual kei is but at the same time this sub is not your personal Instagram.
• Discoverability: These posts make their way into the recommendations of Reddit users who are into alternative fashion movements and then they get the idea that the purpose of r/visualkei is to be a fashion aesthetic sub. We've already seen a few lost Redditors posting looks with no clue that this is a music scene.

Proposed Changes:

Moving forward, I'm strongly considering clarifying Rule 2 or creating a separate rule about fashion and self promotion. I recognize that we have a few contributors here who are both passionate about fashion and also contribute to discussion about the music so before moving forward with any changes, I'd like to ask for opinions from community members.

There is no right or wrong here and as I've said before, there is a place for fashion discussions here but when it comes to the interpretation of visual kei as an alternative fashion 'aesthetic' in some western fan spaces, it might be more valuable for someone to create a dedicated fashion sub for that. To me this facet of the scene is one that is likely being defined and perhaps it deserves to be a separate community that will flourish!