Japanese Street Fashion
Japan has long been heralded one of the world's fashion capitals with stark and iconic fashion images circulating from it's capital, Tokyo and beyond. From the traditional wear such as Kimono and Yukata to todays vibrant and inspiring street styles it is easy to feel lost in the Japan fashion kaleidoscope. With designers such as Issey Miyake becoming household names around the globe in recent years it has been Japans Street Style which has caught the imagination of fashionistas around the world, inspiring both designers and laymen a like. In Japan, anything goes! People are free to develop their own unique style or identify with broader social groups aligning themselves with one particular Street Fashion Style. In the major urban centres like Tokyo and Osaka Street style is big business with whole shopping districts dedicated to the pursuit of the perfect outfit, Harajuku in Tokyo being a prime example. It would be unrealistic to say every Japanese person is their own style icon but the freedom to express fashion ideas that appear somewhat extreme is much more common and accepted in Japan, in particular Tokyo. When looking at new trends in fashion its common for people to remark "its nice but I wouldn't wear it walking down the street" and there in lies the beauty of the Japanese Street Fashion phenomena. In Japan not only can you walk down the street in it but its unlikely anyone barring the foreign tourists will notice.
Styles
With a population of over 120 million it can seem as though there are as many Street Styles and people with each person adding their own twist or breaking off to develop sub styles of already established followings. Below are some of the most easily recognisable and common street style on offer:
Cosplay - Cosplay is a short way of saying of "Costume Play". It is an act of dressing up to be look like an anime, manga, video game, Japanese rock, or Jpop character. A person who does this is called a Cosplayer.
Gyaru - Gal (or the Japanese translitieration: Gyaru ) is the slang term for a fashion style or even subculture containing vast subcategories. In the west it maybe best compared to the image of 'trendy girls' but with a Japanese twist!
Aristocrat - Elegant Gothic Aristocrat (EGA) or Elegant Gothic Lolita (EGL) is a subset of Gothic Lolita fashion, popular in Japan.
Madam - Madam is a Japanese fashion which is the feminine version of Aristocrat, which is inspired by what is thought to be worn by European Middle Class and above status persons in the Middle Ages and by fashion worn by the upper class in the 19th Century.
Visual Kei - Visual Kei refers to a movement among Japanese musicians that is characterized by the use of eccentric, sometimes flamboyant looks. This usually involves striking make-up, unusual hair styles and elaborate costumes, often, but not always, coupled with androgynous aesthetics. Fans of such bands imitate their idols in their style and take part in the sub culture associated with Visual Kei.
Lolita - Lolita is a fashion subculture in Japan that is primarily influenced by Victorian children's clothing as well as costumes from the Rococo period. Lolita has made this into a unique fashion by adding gothic and original design elements to the look. From this, Lolita fashion has evolved into several different sub styles and has created a devoted subculture in Japan.
See also
Some content adapted from Wikipedia.org.
