Yume Kawaii ( ゆめかわいい ) is a Japanese aesthetic that centers around fantasy themes in pastel colors. It appears like the embodiment of a “girl's dream” and you can find many illustrations, clothing, and goods, which incorporate this aesthetic. Due to the nature of dreams, it can also feature nightmarish elements.

Although the concept of the aesthetic has existed for some time, it wasn't until 2013 that it started to spread under the name Yume Kawaii. Eventually, the rise of image-centric social media platforms gave birth to online groups such as "Strawberry Milk Gang" (いちごみるく団) that were a major contributor to shaping the aesthetic with their image edits. In 2015, Yume Kawaii caught the attention of companies, and pastel-colored goods with the aesthetic in mind hit up the shelves, spreading its popularity among a mainstream audience.

As mentioned previously, Yume Kawaii doesn't only consist of good dreams, but also nightmares. Due to that, there's also edited images and artworks that embody this pale cuteness and slightly sad poems. There's also many artists who focus on the Yume Kawaii aesthetic. One of the most well-known illustrators who represents Yume Kawaii is Kato Rei. He has released his first artbook "Girl Friend" in 2015, featuring a romantic world view drawn in pastel colors, embodying Yume Kawaii.

Yume Kawaii fashion includes feathers, frills, ribbons, and other fluffy materials in its looks. The outfits usually consist of printed tops with a sailor collar, sheer jackets, poofy skirts or pants, loose socks, and platform shoes. Sleeping masks and pillows are also popular in the aesthetic.

While Fairy Kei emits a vintage, retro kind of kawaii , Yume Kawaii covers many modern styles and features lots of motifs related to Japanese pop culture, such as magical girls, strawberry milk, and konpeito.

Hairstyles are often bleached and dyed to light colors like milk tea, pastel pink, and lavender, but fluffy wigs are also very common.

There are many circle lenses, glitter under the eyes, and pop impressions. There's also an important element: The "Sleepy" look, which can be achieved by applying an excessive amount of blush under the eyes.