Escape to JAPAN

This post goes to all those who are wondering what should they wear to this year’s dinner. I understand that it might seem a bit tricky and I apologise, but with this, I hope that you will be able to find ideas and also, a new world which is not only interesting to know, but will quirk up the creative part in you! It’s fun! And once, again, I apologise if this post seems a bit long, but you can skip the writings and look at the pics before deciding which part of this long-winded article you will want to read.

Happy reading! (=

For a lot of people, whenever Japanese clothing is mentioned, the first thing that comes to mind is kimono. And they would be hitting the nail on the head. However, what they might not know is a whole new Japanese culture which very much like the Japanese themselves, always changing yet still keeping the essence of it all very much intact. And this particular culture is the street fashion in Japan which is gaining more popularity now than ever before. Those who are wondering why is that so, they will, I hope, understand why after reading this post. And I will try my best in explaining what it is in the simplest way possible. But first, I would like the readers to know the most important rule in the Japanese street fashion; make what you wear your own. And this simply means, be creative, be unique and wear what you want to wear how you want to wear it. THIS is the essence of the street fashion in Japan.

Lolita

This fashion movement started in Japan in the 1980’s and has evolved greatly since. Nowadays Lolita Fashion has grown to be relatively popular all over the world. Relatively popular for an obscure Japanese street fashion, that is. Lolita Fashion is emphatically not about looking sexy and is instead about looking cute or elegant.

To know more about the anatomy of Lolita, click on this link.
http://www.lolitafashion.org/anatomy.html

Containing many different themes within its boundaries but the more well-known styles within Lolita fashion are as follows:

§ Gothic Lolita - is Lolita with a heavy influence from the Eastern and Victorian Goth style. Often characterized by dark colours. Skirts are usually worn knee length with petticoats beneath for volume. Blouses or shirts are lace-trimmed or ruffled in the Victorian style. Knee length socks with boots, bonnets, brooches, and a parasol finish out this style of Lolita. In short, it “combines aspects of a Victorian girl’s attire with a dark gothic mood.”

§ Sweet Lolita - is the most childlike style, mostly characterized by fairy tale themes and innocent, childlike attire. It is inspired by baby dolls and Hello Kitty, and is popular among the SweetLolis.Pastel colours are used, as well as other muted colours like black and dark reds and blues.Large head bows, cute purses, elegant parasols and stuffed animals are popular accessories for Sweet Lolita.

§ Oji Lolita (Boystyle) - is a Japanese fashion that is considered the male version of Lolita fashion. It does not follow the typical lolita silhouette but instead takes its influence from the Victorian era of young boys. Though it is considered a "boy style", it may be worn by both genders. It includes blouses and shirts, knickerbockers and other styles of short trousers, knee high socks, top hats, and newsboy caps. The colours usually used are black, white, blue and burgundy, though there are feminine versions of the fashion with a broader palette.

§ Aristocrat - is a Japanese street fashion that is inspired by what is thought to have been worn by Middle Class and higher social status Europeans in the Middle Ages, as well as the upper class in the 19th century. The fashion includes long sleeve blouses and shirts, long skirts, corsetry, and pants and dresses that are styled similarly for men and women, since it is centred on androgyny and elegance. Makeup, when worn with the fashion, is on the darker side, may be heavy, and can be worn by both genders.

§ Madam - the feminine version if Aristocrat, is more influenced by 19th century fashion. The fashion includes, in addition to the above, dresses with feminine but not usually frilly styling in a variety of colours. Makeup, when worn, is usually mature and on the slightly heavier side, though not excessive.

Now, if you are interested in knowing more about Lolita, these are two links which may be helpful to you : http://www.lolitafashion.org/what_is_lolita.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lolita_fashion

Gyaru

First of all, this is a fashion section specifically aimed at girls. So guys, you can skip this and read on about the next fashion on the list!

GYARU , (Japanese transliteration from the word ‘girl’) is sometimes known as ganguro, but is a subcategory of gyaru. It is a type of Japanese street fashion that originated in the 1970s. The original ganguro look is no longer popular in Japan^.Gyaru is a huge uproar of girly-glam style, breaking all the rules of "what is pretty", and dwelling on man-made beauty (wigs, fake lashes, fake nails etc.). Gyaru is also heavily inspired by Western fashion. Contrary to stereotype, not all gyarus dress in a sexually provocative manner. The gyaru look is varied and is not limited to blonde hair and tanned skin.

§ Ganguro falls into the larger subculture of gyaru. Ganguro typically includes brightly coloured outfits, mini-skirts, and tie-dyed sarongs. The ganguro style consists of bleached hair, a deep tan, fake eyelashes, black and white eyeliner, bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces and platform shoes.

§ Kogal (kogyaru) look is based on a high school uniform, but with a shorter skirt, loose socks, and often dyed hair and a scarf as well. The girls sometimes call themselves gyaru(gals). This style was prominent in the 1990s, but has since declined.

These two are just the main subcategories of gyaru when in fact, there are more of them. But the ones which I anticipate will be the more popular version of gyaru will probably be himegyaru, Hime literally means ‘princess’. If you’re already thinking of Disney princesses, then I’m sorry but you’re walking down the wrong path!

§ Himegyaru is about having the perfect complexion, big smokey eyes (eyelashes, black contacts etc), long, curly hair with a cute or better yet a sparkling accessory on it, a natural coloured lips, with clothing bordering on Lolita

For more info on the other subcategories of gyaru, please click on this link:
http://www.japanlinked.com/Japanese-Culture/gyaru-gal-styles.html

Now that we know the categories, the next big question is how to be one? Since gyaru is a fashion culture which depends a lot on heavily-applied makeup, without proper makeup wearing, no matter what you wear, you’ll still look plain. So, this here is a link with tutorials on how to be a gyaru!

http://everyday-gyaru.livejournal.com/tag/makeup%20tutorial

A kindly REMINDER to all; although gyaru is the excessive part of the fashion culture, the clothing tends to look a bit simple since it is very much still a street fashion, so remember, if you’re thinking of dressing up as a gyaru, make sure you’re not wearing something that you would wear while going out shopping, but instead something that you would WANT to wear going out shopping but it’s TOO fancy for the likes of our society.

Bosozoku

While bōsōzoku fashion has not been popular since the 1990s, the stereotypical bōsōzoku look is often portrayed, and even caricatured, in many forms of Japanese media such as anime, manga and films. The typical bōsōzoku member is often depicted in a uniform consisting of a jumpsuit like those worn by manual laborers or a tokko-fuku (特攻服), a type of military issued over-coat with kanji slogans. These are usually worn open, with no shirt underneath, showing off bandaged torsos and matching baggy pants tucked inside tall boots.

Among other items in the bōsōzoku attire are usually round or wrap-around sunglasses, long hachimaki headbands also with battle slogans and a pompadour hairstyle most likely akin to the greaser/rocker look or perhaps because of the hairstyle's association with yakuza thugs. The punch perm is considered a common bōsōzoku hairstyle as well. Surgical masks are also stereotypically worn by bōsōzokus perhaps to conceal their identities although these types of masks are also worn by allergy sufferers in Japan, especially during autumn.Females are also shown dressed in a similar style but dress in a more feminine manner with long and often dyed hair, high-heeled boots and excessive make-up.

Visual Kei

Visual kei is a style created in the mid-1980s by Japanese musicians consisting of striking makeup, unusual hair styles and flamboyant costumes, similar to Western glam rock and glam metal. Now, this is a good time for me to give you a suggestion, especially those who are working on a budget. Remember last year RockStar Dinner 2011? Well, with visual kei, since it’s similar to rock music and clothing, you could recycle your clothes from last year. HOWEVER, you will have to add a few items to make it more visual kei rather than just rock-ish.Some of the items are chain brooches, black flowers, metal rings and tapes. Yes, tapes. Take a look at these pictures, perhaps then you’ll understand what I mean.

Dolly Kei

Dolly kei is a newly-emerging style based on Japan's view of the Middle Ages and European fairy tales, especially the Brothers Grimm. It includes a lot of vintage skirts, dresses, etc.Dolly kei, also known as "dolly style" or "antique doll" fashion. Wearers of the fashion choose vintage clothes and layer them to achieve this striking look. Accessories are all vintage or reconstructed vintage pieces; some whimsical, some a little mystical. Dolly kei can be worn short or long. Short looks are worn with solid-colour or pattern tights. Wearers of dolly kei often use interesting vintage bags with embroidery, tapestry, and quilting on them. A few common elements of dolly kei are: paisley, tapestry, embroidery, tights, boots, and platform sandals, layering, mixing patterns and colours, ethnic-looking pieces, vintage clothing, fur accessories, tassels and shawls with fringe, floral, morbidity and mysticism and defined waist. We specially include this fashion culture because it can be adopted to be worn by the majority of tudung wearing Muslim girls. The long-sleeved clothing with layering will definitely go well with your tudung! Also, for those who have a liking for fairytale elements, this is exactly the kind of fashion you can work with!

Mori Girl

Mori girl is a Japanese street fashion that looks woodsy and natural. A mori girl dresses in earthy colours and loose dresses and layers. She enjoys wearing vintage and handmade pieces that make her look like she lives in a forest, hence the name "mori" means "forest" in Japanese. Mori girl style is, above all else, comfortable. Loose, dreamy layers made from natural fabrics like cotton and wool, along with crochet, knit, and fur pieces are all part of the look. Mori girls wear soft tights, socks, or leggings, sometimes with a pattern of stripes or floral. For shoes, comfortable clogs, boots, or flats are popular. There seem to be a lot of round-toed styles in mori girl footwear. Some typical characteristics of mori girl fashion are: loose clothes, vintage or handmade items, natural and earthy colours, everything soft and comfortable, layering, looking like part of the forest and lots of knit-wear, crochet, and fur. Mori girls tend to wear their hair in romantic styles like braids, waves, or even frizzy curls. Short bangs are popular. Vintage leather satchels and pochettes are often used with mori girl fashion, but basket bags are also very popular. The straw bags are often intricately decorated with lace, flowers, and scarves.Mori Girl is easily mistaken for Dolly Kei and though there are other dissimilarities, but the most striking difference between the two is the colour palette. Unlike Mori Girl’s staple creams and faded browns, Dolly Kei uses a lot of sumptuous jewel tones like ruby red, brilliant gold, deep violet and malachite green.

Natural Kei

Wednesday 16 May 2012

Where to hang out and what to do before the event???

Tuesday 24 April 2012

Cosplay

Tuesday 27 March 2012

Japan Street Fashion