Japanese Street Style #1

[Plumour]

I don't really like Japanese street style,
I find the colors too extreme, and they mix too many things together, always over-accessoried. some outfits look really trashy to me.
I pesonally perfer something trendy yet elegant
I think the Japanese OL style is nice, though.

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia@Jan 1st, 2004 - 1:44 am
I would kill for that adorable green coat...

me too purple

Japanese have great street style , adorable

 

[maarit]

Originally posted by purplelucrezia@Dec 31st, 2003 - 5:42 pm
These are some of my favourites:

She is so cute! Great pick

 

[Scott]

You might be surprised Miss Purple but according to a friend who works there occasionally,the Japanese are actually considered pretty trendy. Unlike Westerners,who deem the big labels and the mainstream as trendy,they follow and treat indie and avant-garde fashion as such. From what I was told,they do everything their magazines says is cool and hip to a 't'. Not all of them but the majority.

Kind of ironic really,but however,I still find it admirable that they are so willing to experiment with unconvention. Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo,I think really changed the society of Tokyo and Japan as a whole by helping diversify people(women in particular) and getting them out of the hole of conformity.

 

[Kimkhuu]

Hot hot hot!

I love it! Especially the in the first set of pics, I love the ones on the right!

These outfits are so cool! I have always admired Japs for their amazing sense of style! I love how they layer their clothes without having to look stupid! B)

 

[PrinceOfCats]

You might be surprised Miss Purple but according to a friend who works there occasionally,the Japanese are actually considered pretty trendy. Unlike Westerners,who deem the big labels and the mainstream as trendy,they follow and treat indie and avant-garde fashion as such. From what I was told,they do everything their magazines says is cool and hip to a 't'. Not all of them but the majority.

Anyone who follows magazines to a 't' (or even has that much time to read magazines) is assuredly not hip. Stylewise I'll not comment on them but as a man the one in the electric blue coat is the only one who I think looks attractive in the clothes she's wearing.

 

[Plumour]

Originally posted by Scott@Jan 1st, 2004 - 12:05 pm
You might be surprised Miss Purple but according to a friend who works there occasionally,the Japanese are actually considered pretty trendy. Unlike Westerners,who deem the big labels and the mainstream as trendy,they follow and treat indie and avant-garde fashion as such. From what I was told,they do everything their magazines says is cool and hip to a 't'. Not all of them but the majority.

Kind of ironic really,but however,I still find it admirable that they are so willing to experiment with unconvention. Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo,I think really changed the society of Tokyo and Japan as a whole by helping diversify people(women in particular) and getting them out of the hole of conformity.

I admit that the way they dress is pretty much considered as "trendy", and it's cute, vibrant colors used, looks great on certain people, just that it's not really my style. I don't like it when TOO many colors, clothing and accessories mixed together and go too far. I really prefer something simple and elegant, great texture and cutting with a bit cool details (their OL style is one good example).

as far as I know, while they are playing with small things and unknown labels and make them look nice and trendy, they do follow big labels and mainstream. some girls even feel it's a shame for not having a LV (some of my Japanese girl friends told me about this). and yeah, they totally do what the magazines say.

 

[Lena]

Originally posted by MissPurple@Jan 1st, 2004 - 8:30 pm
as far as I know, while they are playing with small things and unknown labels and make them look nice and trendy, they do follow big labels and mainstream. some girls even feel it's a shame for not having a LV (some of my Japanese girl friends told me about this). and yeah, they totally do what the magazines say.

they absolutely die for mainstream labels, fun part is that they have a very special style of 'adapting' mainstream like LV etc.
There can be lines and lines of people awaiting the new collections arrive, they 'camp' outside the stores from the night before in order to make sure they get their hands on their fave designer pieces.

Regardless their spending habits (mainstream or indie) Japanese are quick to adopt daring styles, even if straight out of a fashion magazine*..


OT:::: *this i don't find strange or 'japanese', lets admit it europeans (& americans) do adopt editorial looks without much thinking... not to say most follow ready made 'celebrity styles'
At least Japanese are more daring and look out with passion for 'unusual' looks .

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

I don't know if its fair to say that they are all especially stylish just because they are experimental with colour and show different patterns to those which Europeans and Americans do. Who is to say they are all not just following exactly what they see around them, even if that is something which we interpret as quirky simply because our tastes are usually more reserved and 'co-ordinated'? The longer they continue to dress that way and with the expanding of their drones, shopping for 'individuality' for them will become even easier until they, and their seeming creativity, are as prepackaged as other nationalities. If all our shops suddenly transformed into replicas of theirs we too would all begin to experiment in that way, especially if that particular 'look' is all that you see around you. As for saying it is one of the most fashionable cities in the world, (Tokyo), how could you really know unless you are familiar with both commercial and underground trading in every little city and then basing your decisions on both what the people wear and what they manufacture and market? Yes they do seem fashion conscious, but their country is also equipped with the economy to have every young person disposing vast amounts on attire. Imo, if they were as stylish as they are perceived, at least a hefty proportion of them would have been influenced by simplicity and western trends instead of just following the animated styles already established.

 

[Street_a_Licious]

At least I think that japanese ppl are VERY daring, I mean, such experiments with style, color and stuff... I like it actually. Its cool, to some extend.
But what looks really good, are those old-fashioned japanese Kimonos on some girl with spiky (punky) hairdo and make up...

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Daring is defined by the society in which you live. Plenty of people wear extreme colours in Japan so it's not really that 'new' or 'happening'...

For example:
In Scotland men walk around in skirts and no-one makes any comment. However in a country where kilts are not common you would be assumed to be a cross-dresser if you wore a kilt.

 

[Lena]

Japanese do not live in a different planet strawberry, they share most (not to say all) european & american labels, its a matter of style that they interpret those differently.

if they were as stylish as they are perceived, at least a hefty proportion of them would have been influenced by simplicity and western trends instead of just following the animated styles already established.

i have to disagree on this.. a global 'westernised' style culture does not really fit my vision. why should everyone wave away their culture in order to become 'westernized'?
I actually appreciate a lot all different variations on style e.g. London, Paris, Milan, NY, Antwerp, Tokyo etc each has its own charm and i hope they keep it alive B)

A remarkable difference between our fashion cultures, is that Japan is actually much more supportive to indie designers than Europe or US. Most new European talents would not be able to support their companies if it was not for the Japanese market, and this is a fact

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

Originally posted by Lena@Jan 1st, 2004 - 7:40 pm
Japanese do not live in a different planet strawberry, they share most (not to say all) european & american labels, its a matter of style that they interpret those differently.

I know, i wasn't trying to imply they lived in their own world, or even their own fashion world, nor do i think they should have to conform to western standards. But, it seems they all contradict western standards in a similar way and were they really as fashion conscious as they appear to be, they would sometimes interpret fashion and those most (not to say all) European and American labels in a similar way to other cultures in the world, not because they are conforming or trying to follow the crowd but because they are actually impressed by it. I suppose that is the point of what makes them different But, to me it just seems that they try a bit hard and seem a little too desperate to outdo another's vision of 'unique' .

 

[Gobi]

Strawberry daiquiri have you ever been to Tokyo?

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

Originally posted by Gobi@Jan 1st, 2004 - 9:00 pm
Strawberry daiquiri have you ever been to Tokyo?

Yes, though it was a few years ago now.

 

[Gobi]

Aha, I have lived in Tokyo and for me it's one of the trendiest cities in the world

 

[strawberry daiquiri]

Originally posted by Gobi@Jan 1st, 2004 - 9:10 pm
Aha, I have lived in Tokyo and for me it's one of the trendiest cities in the world

When I've been to every city in the world ( ) maybe I will include it in that group as well

 

[Gobi]

Originally posted by strawberry daiquiri+Jan 1st, 2004 - 4:33 pm--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(strawberry daiquiri @ Jan 1st, 2004 - 4:33 pm)</div><div class='quotemain'> <!--QuoteBegin-Gobi@Jan 1st, 2004 - 9:10 pm
Aha, I have lived in Tokyo and for me it's one of the trendiest cities in the world

When I've been to every city in the world ( ) maybe I will include it in that group as well [/b][/quote]
LOL! You are too friendly

 

[Plumour]

hmm....something more I just thought of and wanna add:

ok, if I see some girls in typical Japanese styles in the street here, even though it's not my style and not something I'd wear, I'd still say "oh look at that, it's cool, new and fresh...", really interesting outfits indeed. but take a glance in the Tokyo city or just go over a Japanese magazine, almost all the girls dress the same way, I do mean SAME. there's this very narrow pattern that they follow, and it could be quite boring sometimes to be honest. I'm not saying we have better styles than them or they have better styles than us, my point is that something really trendy and unique to us may be very normal and common among them.
and also, getting the looks of J.Lo, Britney....and some other western celebs is also part of their fashion. they have detailed analysis on the celebs' outfits, makeup, hairstyles, accessories...etc. and teach the readers on how to get the looks --- have always seen these in Japanese magazines. so yeah, while some of us think that they have nice styles, they are also following some western styles here.

 

[Scott]

I didn't exactly mean,they didn't wear those big labels but that they seem to appreciate and follow the indie's much more.

What's funny is that magazines in the west seem to take a number of pages up featuring the big labels but there they seem to take a number of pages up featuring unknowns or creative talents. Which is such the opposite of the Vogue's and Bazaar's of the west where you only get to see a mere smidge of an article on someone you'd rather much take a better interest in. But they do that which I find quite cool even if they do treat them as just a trend. At least they provide you with the information that you want to see.

Regarding the filtering of western culture in style into Japan,I admire so much in other cities as well. From L.A.,Chicago and NY to Dublin,Glasgow and of course London. Then you've got my favourite in Antwerp. And you must count;Amsterdam,Berlin,Munich,Vienna,Moscow,Prague,Helsinki,Copenhagen and Stockholm. Its all there in the particular cities,just not as in a whole like you were to find in Japan.