Japanese Fashion

Japan’s soft power has naturally conquered the fashion fields since decades. The country is renowned for its eccentric stylings, but also knows how to highlight traditional clothing. Meeting women or men wearing kimono and walking in geta or zori (Japanese sandals in wood or plastic) is not unusual. Thanks to its creative spirit and refinement, Japan is assured to rank among the most trending nations in the world.

Japanese fashion is known to be kawaii, that is to say cute, pleasing to the eye, and with a great aesthetic care put in accessories. Accumulation, multi-layer and asymmetry are the trademarks of Japanese clothing. They highlight the rather thin and slender bodies of men and women of the archipelago. Moreover, details linked to childhood, in clothes as well as in attitude are easily mixed into adults’ outfits.

Street fashion developed in Japan from the 1990s, and some styles that still exist today:

• Cosplay with costumes directly inspired from manga, anime or movies;
• The Lolita style, from doll-like to black goth style;
• The kogyaru (gals), a very particular style for young women, characterized by bleached hair and artificially tanned skin;
• And recently, the mori girls (forest girls), with a return to nature and a flowery bohemian look.

On the other hand, there is a form of minimalism and sobriety in compulsory clothing in Japan. Thus, children, teenagers and salary men wear rather strict uniforms, with very classical colors.

In the same vein, the famous Uniqlo retail stores, saw they popularity growing in the world, thanks to a low-key clothing style, without brand logo (even though Uniqlo style is now easily identifiable!), focusing on fabrics and a convenient use of their products in any season.

Fashion districts are blooming in large Japanese cities, each of them developing prominent features and favorite shops, such as Shibuya and Harajuku in Tokyo still attractive to a lot of fascinated visitors.