How I got into Japanese Fashion & Why I Love It!

 

My love affair with japanese fashion, brands and designers began with a love of Anime a few years ago. I was introduced to animes like Ghost in the Shell and Blood the vampire through an ex boyfriend. The storylines and the quality of the animations astounded me. The complex characters with their awesome styles and the totally mind blowing original plots had me hooked. From this stemmed my fascination with all things Japanese. From there I discovered Japanese film. Death note is still my favourite ever film and also how i learnt about Gothic Lolita thanks to the super cute character Misa Amana 'Misa Misa'.

Before long i was buying japanese magazines and admiring the fashions and scouring Ebay for Japanese clothing. I had a phase of being primarily into Gyaru which loosely translates as gal. Gal has many different styles to it. I started off loving hime gyaru style which translates as princess gal which means dressing in very girly clothing. Pearls, pink, lace, bows etc. Then I moved onto Oneegal which means older sister gal which is aimed at women in their twenties especially. But I found gal too restrictive and now I don't limit myself to one particular Japanese fashion trend as I love aspects from a lot of them.

 I also have a fondness for Japanese brands like Emoda, Gilfy and Sly and Japanese influenced brand Harajuku Lovers (from Gwen Stefani) but only their shoes. I'm also into designers like Issey Miyake, Yohji Yamamoto and Undercover and I have a passion for Hanae Mori vintage kimonos. I adore Japanese fashion because its innovative, varied and individual. When looking at streetsnaps of Tokyo I'm always amazed by the variety of styles and the uniqueness of the fashions.

 The Japanese know how to really go for it and they don't all look like carbon copies of each other which I love. Their individualism is what draws me to Japanese fashion. Japanese designers are constantly pushing fashion boundaries and I'm in awe of them. If only my bank balance was big enough to afford them but instead I use their ranges as inspiration. I don't think my obsession with Japanese fashion will ever die and I hope through my blog that I'll help more people fall in love with Japanese fashion like I have.

A/W 2010 Trends

 

60s ladylike

1950s and 1960s style clothing returns in a big way, with styles that empathise and hug the curves of the feminine figure. The look is very Mad Men. Popular styles arebelow-the-knee dresses and full skirts.rend.

 

Sophisticated '70s

High waists, wide legs, blouses and '70s accessories.  Eveningwear is flowing dresses in metallics, pencil skirts and 70’s style ruffle blouses.This look is about standing out being bold but feminine at the same time. Think fashion a la Charlies Angels.
 

Lingerie as outerwear

Its not about parading the streets in your underwear. Nor is it about dressing like a hooker. It encompasses peeks of bras and hold ups. Camisoles style vests worn as tops. You get the idea. mixing sexuality with femininity (do you see the feminine trend going on in A/W 2010). Soft lace and satins are the order of the day here.
 

Buttoned-up collars

Whether your wearing a see through blouse, a work shirt, a shirt dress or a satin blouse the only on trend way to wear it is buttoned up. Its all about restraint and sophistication.
 

Lace clothing

The lace trend is around almost every season but like all the carry over trends it has evolved. Lace influences for A/W 2010, are more classic side with antique-style materials Less stretch lace and more
 

Knee high socks

For Autumn 2010 you'll find yourself wearing a pair of knee high socks. Or thigh high socks. From sporty to glittery, to socks over tights Channel your inner schoolgirl and rock the trend.
 

White tights

Bin those black tights and put on a pair of white ones. Looks great worn with girly candy coloured clothing or teamed with a sixties style shift.

Velvet clothing

Velvet you either love it or hate it; but if worn well it can look amazing. Good quality is vital, in rich shades, It can be worn for everything from trousers o dresses to jackets and hats. And who doesnt like the feel of some gorgeous velvet.
 

Sheer clothing

Usually a summer trend sheer items are in. Yes, we agree that sounds a little strange. The trend in 2010 mixes sophistication with sexiness (see another theme here running through alot of the A/W trends)You can mix the sheer trend with alot of the other trends. Just be careful as sheer clothing reveals all your lumps and bumps and can be quite revealing. Confidence is the key to this look.