Japanese Street Fashion

[Hylas]

Is anybody, especially those who like in general Japan and its culture and trends, interested in Japanese street fashion? Lately I've been looking at photos from some japanese site and magazine (like Fruits (http://www.fruits-mg.com/index.html), I don't know if somebody ever buys it around here), and at first I found the fashion taste of the young people a little weird, then I started to like it more, because it's very creative and everybody seems to be concerned to look unique. The way they mix styles and accessories is fantabulous! Lots of colors, lots of diy outfits. Isn't this kinda strange for a country with so strong traditions (they still wear kimonos now and then, after all...). Apparently it is, but they are very good at blending these traditions with the newest trends, also taken from anime and videogames. Actually, in cases like for example the ones of gothic lolitas or such things, we have people dressing up as if they really were characters of a fantasy world. No wonder visual kei bands are so popular there.

So, is there anybody into this kind of things around here too? What kind of sources do you have to keep yourself updated? I'd like to read opinions :)

[merylsilverburg]

Yatta! I'm so happy this thread was created! I've been so interested in Japanese fashion for a long time (since 1999) and I thought creating a thread like this wouldn't be popular. But I'm glad you did, Hylas thank you! ^__^

Originally posted by Hylas

Lately I've been looking at photos from some japanese site and magazine (like Fruits (http://www.fruits-mg.com/index.html), I don't know if somebody ever buys it around here), and at first I found the fashion taste of the young people a little weird, then I started to like it more, because it's very creative and everybody seems to be concerned to look unique.

I used to get the "Fruits" magazine, but at the bookstore I go to, they don't supply it anymore because it's not very popular. :( And my thoughts were the same as yours; I thought the fashion was a little weird but then I really started getting into it and ever since, I've been wearing Japanese clothing and mix-matching my Western clothes similar to their style.
However, as much as the Japanese kids there really try to be unique as possible, but they do copy their fashions from a lot of European countries, especially the UK. They have an obsession with the English, so that's why the Japanese try to copy off of the "London street-style". But, this isn't to say the Japanese teens don't create their own or aren't unique.

The way they mix styles and accessories is fantabulous! Lots of colors, lots of diy outfits. Isn't this kinda strange for a country with so strong traditions (they still wear kimonos now and then, after all...). Apparently it is, but they are very good at blending these traditions with the newest trends, also taken from anime and videogames.

I would agree with you that it's strange for such a traditional country to have such outrageous clothing, but because they are Asians, we Asians have our own little obsession with clothing and try to wear the most bizarre things (believe me, the Japanese have their own clothing style, the Taiwanese have their own style which I think is incredibly stupid, the Chinese have their own, the Koreans, etc.). The Japanese teens there do wear kimono on special occasions of course, but there are special cases where the kimono are torn up, stitched together with new patterns, etc. and this comes along with the Gothloli (Gothic Lolita) style you mention below.

Actually, in cases like for example the ones of gothic lolitas or such things, we have people dressing up as if they really were characters of a fantasy world. No wonder visual kei bands are so popular there.

Exactly! The whole Gothloli thing is incredibly popular in Japan and I think it's gorgeous! I'm absolutely adoring it! Actually, as you mentioned with the Visual Kei bands, Mana from Malice Mizer was the first to start off the Gothic trend of EGA (Elegant Gothic Aristocrat). After that, everyone started going crazy for it. Oh, you wouldn't believe how many categories there are of the Gothic and Lolita. There's: EGA, EGL (Elegant Gothic Lolita), Country/Prairie Lolita, Classic Lolita, Black Lolita, Erotic Lolita, Punk Lolita and a few more. These people would dress up in their Gothic or Lolita costume and a large percent of these people live in Tokyo, in the Harajuku district. On Sundays, they would go to the park and just stand there posing for pictures and being pretty. I know it may sound a bit weird, but I think it's very cool. The sad thing about the whole Gothloli thing is that a lot of the costumes can be bought or there are magazines that teach you how to create your own corsets, blouses, capes, etc. So, in a way there are only a few people who actually create their own costumes, but most of them are store-bought. However, these costumes, bags, shoes, hats, etc. are extremely pricey...an arm and a leg, if you know what I mean. The most popular Gothloli stores are "Baby, the Stars Shine Bright", "Metamorphose Temps de Filles", "h.NAOTO", "AtelierBOZ", "Union Jack", "Victorian Maiden", "Black Peace Now", "Moi Meme Moiti" (Mana's brand), and "alice auaa". The clothes usually are around $200 (cheapest) and up. Very pricey...the bags and hats are a little cheaper (around $30) and the shoes are around $80-$100. They have online sites, but most of them are in Japanese, except for "Baby the Stars Shine Bright" (BSSB (http://www.babyssb.co.jp/)) and "Metamorhpose" (Metamorphose (http://www.metamorphose.gr.jp/english/index.html)). There are even wigs (I haven't found any sites though) for sale around $100. Hylas, if you're interested in looking at the Gothloli stuff, I suggest you get the "Gothic Lolita Bible" magazine. There are tons of images, clothing, people, decorations, etc. And very beautiful artwork by Mitsukaz, Mihara.

What kind of sources do you have to keep yourself updated? I'd like to read opinions :)

Well, as I mentioned, I enjoy reading the "Gothic Lolita Bible" as well as these other fashion mags: "Zipper", "Olive", "Spring", and "Mini". There are tons of other magazines, but these are my favorites and they aren't as messy (like "Can Can" or "NONO"...*shudders*).
The Japanese fashion style really isn't such a surprise but at the same time it is. A lot of the styles for older women are similar to those of other Asian countries I mentioned earlier. A lot of Taiwanese, Japanese, and Koreans are obsessed (and I do mean obsessed) with designer brands and basically if you carry a designer brand bag, you're basically "in trend". :sarcasm: That's why a lot of Asians mix and match and create their own styles so fast...a lot of trends come and go so quickly that they're running out of ideas. Seriously, it's really annoying especially the Taiwanese, but I won't get into that unless someone wants to hear it.

EDIT: Also, if anyone wants to hear about the whole Gothloli thing, I would be glad to explain it if anyone's confused. A lot of people tend to mistaken the Japanese Lolita trend with the famous book/film "Lolita" by Vladimir Nabokov. They're no way related. I don't know much and I would also love to hear more about this if anyone knows about it as well!

[007_JamesBond]

i wish you all can see it first hand like i can it is amazing

[merylsilverburg]

Originally posted by 007_JamesBond

i wish you all can see it first hand like i can it is amazing

I can kinda imagine Korean fashion (after all, there are tons of Koreans in my town) but not to the full extent. Explain to us, 007! :)

[Hylas]

I'm still a beginner, so I don't know many things about genres and subgenres. I only know few things and I have a general idea for now :heh:

Though I'm not an expert, as I said above, I think the term "Lolita" referring to the phenomenon of gothic lolitas has something to do with Nabokov and his book. Not in a literal sense, but being synonym of young and at the same time provocative, beautiful, sexy, intriguing and most of all deadly. The Lolita of the book was all these things together, being very young and attractive, but not in an ordinary way. She intrigued older men with an innocent look, but behind this look there was hidden a femme fatale.

[merylsilverburg]

Originally posted by Hylas

Though I'm not an expert, as I said above, I think the term "Lolita" referring to the phenomenon of gothic lolitas has something to do with Nabokov and his book. Not in a literal sense, but being synonym of young and at the same time provocative, beautiful, sexy, intriguing and most of all deadly. The Lolita of the book was all these things together, being very young and attractive, but not in an ordinary way. She intrigued older men with an innocent look, but behind this look there was hidden a femme fatale.

What you said is true; apparently, the title of "Lolita" comes from term of being "young, feminine, beautiful, and innocent" of Nabokov's book. But, for the Japanese, the meaning of "Lolita" doesn't have anything to do with what the term of the book portrays. From what I've researched, the Japanese who dress in the "Lolita-style" does not have that "innocent but deadly" image in mind. They call it "Lolita" because they want to show the image of being "innocent and beautiful" but in no way have an secret meaning of "innocent but sexy/deadly". They do not want to have the attention of older men or be the desire of men's fantasy. They just merely dress because it's pretty and cute. That's why in Japanese, they coin the term as "Roriita" (Loliita) with the extra "i" in between in order not to be mistaken with Nabokov's version. The same can be said for the Japanese Gothics. While the Western ideals of being a goth really means loving the otherworld, satan, death, etc. the Japanese (apparently) have no desire in that whatsoever. They dress as the Gothic-style only because it's "pretty" to them. They like the dark, creepiness involved with the Gothic-theme because they think it's beautiful, not because they actually believe in the Devil, witchcraft, etc. So in reality, I think these Japanese can't really be called "true Goths" because they do it as cosplay, not an actual belief. Half of these teens who do the "Gothloli" style are actually normal people in real life; they go to school on weekdays and dress up on the weekend. And a majority of these people stop dressing up when they reach well past their mid-twenties (25...27 the latest).

That's all I really know...of course, I can't claim this is actual real information because I don't know any Japanese who can actually confirm this, but apparently others who've done the research actually read the "Gothic and Lolita Bible" and read the interviews/questionaires by these teens on the streets of Japan.

[Pu the Owl]

I love the Gothic lolita style, and also the eclectic fashion of Japanese young people. They're so good at combining different clothing elements and accessories... I'm so envious!

BTW, H.Naoto is a brand I like a lot, but I can't buy anything since I live in a place where it is pretty much unknown... I couldn't even find an online store, so I think I'll give up. Anyway, I'm too poor so I wouldn't be able to have a whole H.Naoto wardrobe :laugh:

Meryl, since you're a great fan of these things, maybe you own something interesting to show us regarding this subject. If you have any interesting items, you should take photos and post them!

[Meiko]

I'm pretty much confused... I like some outfits, the ones with lace and ruffles, the artistic make up, and mary janes shoes they wear, but I don't know more than that. Can anybody suggest sites with pics/info about this?

[merylsilverburg]

BTW, H.Naoto is a brand I like a lot, but I can't buy anything since I live in a place where it is pretty much unknown... I couldn't even find an online store, so I think I'll give up. Anyway, I'm too poor so I wouldn't be able to have a whole H.Naoto wardrobe :laugh:

Heh, sorry for the late late reply! Anyway, I know what you mean. When I look through the "Gothloli Bible", I almost die because the clothes are so interesting/unique that I want them so much! Of course, the US doesn't know much about these Japanese brands unless the hardcore ones look into it. :D

Meryl, since you're a great fan of these things, maybe you own something interesting to show us regarding this subject. If you have any interesting items, you should take photos and post them!

Hm, I do own three, but only three. I actually bought them on Ebay (:right: ) from a Japanese seller...two shirts and a dress...but the dress is...pretty large...I only bought it because this one was the most prettiest in my eyes. But, I'll try to take a picture and show you guys if you're interested! ^_^

I'm pretty much confused... I like some outfits, the ones with lace and ruffles, the artistic make up, and mary janes shoes they wear, but I don't know more than that. Can anybody suggest sites with pics/info about this?

Sorry again for being late. It's hard to find information on this stuff because whenever you type in Lolita...you get porn sites...when you type in Gothic Lolita, you'd get fansites of Malice Mizer, Dir en Grey, etc. But, here are two sites that I found that had some interesting information:

Black Lolita (http://www.geocities.com/requiem_solace/main.html)

Gothic Lolita Culture (http://www.gamegirladvance.com/zine/200307play/playing_dress_up.html)

I know they're not much, but I hope it helps a little. The last link you have to read the comments by readers...very informative.

[Pu the Owl]

Hm, I do own three, but only three. I actually bought them on Ebay (:right: ) from a Japanese seller...two shirts and a dress...but the dress is...pretty large...I only bought it because this one was the most prettiest in my eyes. But, I'll try to take a picture and show you guys if you're interested! ^_^

Yeah, I've seen some lovely gothic outfits on ebay as well. Maybe it was the same seller, who knows? There are not many Japanese sellers on Ebay.com (sadly I can't look for the same stuff on Ebay Japan, 'cause I can't even read items' descriptions :cry: ). The outfits were all around $130-200 and too large for me. I'd love the idea of owning one or two, but I'm too vain to not want to wear a dress I like, so I decided to not even try to bid on those costumes to not suffer later :P

Still, I'd like to see the pics :)

[Gadzoox]

I never knew about that before!!! It looks awesome, I wish I could see more pictures! Are there any websites that have like galleries and stuff? That's too cool! :D I love fashion. :)

[Pu the Owl]

For Japanese street fashion in general, I like a lot the gallery of the site japanesestreets (http://www.japanesestreets.com).

[Gadzoox]

So cool, thanks much for the link Panu! :D
I might end up stealing some idea from some of these people! ;)

[merylsilverburg]

Yeah, I've seen some lovely gothic outfits on ebay as well. Maybe it was the same seller, who knows? There are not many Japanese sellers on Ebay.com (sadly I can't look for the same stuff on Ebay Japan, 'cause I can't even read items' descriptions :cry: ). The outfits were all around $130-200 and too large for me. I'd love the idea of owning one or two, but I'm too vain to not want to wear a dress I like, so I decided to not even try to bid on those costumes to not suffer later :P

Still, I'd like to see the pics :)

There are some of the outfits on Ebay which are not from Japan and yet many sellers claim they are. :disturb: But a lot of the outfits are nice nonetheless. BTW, didn't Ebay Japan shut down? The last time I tried to go there, there were no links to it anymore. I know there's Yahoo! Japan auctions, but not Ebay. :confused: As for wearing these outfits, it'd probably be a little bizarre to wear these stuff out in public...at least to me. ^^ I just enjoy keeping these, though it is a shame not to show them out.

Anyway, I got some pics. I used ImageStation, if the images don't show up, try right-clicking it to "Show Picture" and hopefully it'll show up.

GothLoli Dress (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid111/p4229b8ac66af36509b61c537dde67ad2/f9112912.jpg.orig.jpg) This dress is quite pretty and comes in two pieces: top and skirt. The skirt has bows on the intersection of the lace, in case it's hard to see. ^^;;;

GothLoli Shirt 1 (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid111/p275086ecf87669105c60f7c2e78afa1a/f911259a.jpg.orig.jpg)

Close Up 1 (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid111/p71f7bc162f9a41835a7e17962fc70e5a/f9113a4d.jpg.orig.jpg)

GothLoli Shirt 2 (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid111/p5c16420c1e6f53d57246b4e485e60a19/f9112dac.jpg.orig.jpg)

Close Up 2 (http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid111/p6a91266b50123759e19202b29a92efe7/f9113a54.jpg.orig.jpg)

I hope you guys enjoy them. ^_^ It's not quite as glamorous as those other outfits, but it's decent.

[Gadzoox]

Sweet! I LOVE that second shirt there!!! So cool!! XD

[Pu the Owl]

I know there's Yahoo! Japan auctions, but not Ebay. :confused:

It's been ages, so I don't know. About Yahoo! Auctions, yes, I know people who purchased from them, or at least tried to purchase from them, dozens of Takara Blythe dolls...

I like the shirts, they're really cool :)