Sore Wa Chou Kawaii!!!!

By: Nicole Stanfield

Posted: 2/2/05

Anyone who has listened to Gwen Stefani's new solo efforts has heard the term "Harajuku." The artist gives props to those she dubs "Harajuku girls" in almost every song, citing them as examples of inspiration and expression through fashion. The average American may not know what Gwen's talking about, but they will. Fashionistas from Japan are invading our shores, and the style may begin to catch on here at home.

"Harajuku style" sprung from the fashionable teenagers in Tokyo, who gather (mostly on Sundays) on the street of Takshita, in the Harajuku district. The street is not only lined with trendy boutiques and eateries, but filled with a plethora of eccentric styles. The teenagers and twenty-somethings who crowd the area dress outlandishly in a sort of show-offy style, but this contest in ludicrous fashion also serves as a connecting force, creating a community of guys and gals who agree that, yes, who you are is on the outside, and the higher your platform boots are, the better.

There are several distinct styles that emerge in the Japanese street fashion scene. The "traditional" Harajuku style, wamono, is a blend of east and west, featuring Geisha-esque skirts, sashes, kimonos, and platform sandals with socks, deconstructed to perfection and topped with, say, a vintage t-shirt. This look is almost always brightly colored and layered to the extreme. One major point of Japanese street fashion is layering, and it is not uncommon to see lacy tank tops over bright t-shirts, or skirts over pants, or even skirts over fishnets over leggings over tall socks over legwarmers over boots.

Another major look in the Harajuku scene is the Lolita. Schoolgirl uniforms are only the beginning: there are different subcategories here, too. The most popular is the Elegant Gothic Lolita, or EGL. The EGL often looks like she has stepped out of a Vampiric Victorian novel. She wears petticoats and capelets and ruffly shirts, bonnets and miniature top hats. She often wears stockings and carries a parasol, or an ornate hand mirror. She is almost always decked out in black, and lace. This look is a mixture of lovely and horrible, but mostly lovely.

The second Lolita is the Sweet Lolita. This is the more traditional Mary Jane-wearing nymphette, with barrettes in her hair and ruffly pink skirts. She often gravitates toward Barbie, Strawberry Shortcake, Sailor Moon and Hello Kitty - the most important of all. There is no Sweet Lolita without a Hello Kitty purse or shirt. Another popular motif is fruit - especially the strawberry. A Sweet Lolita's most prized accessory is often her teddy bear. Her goal: to resemble a living doll. The adjective that best describes her? Kawaii, or cute.

Smaller categories include the punk, with his studded leather jackets and Mohawks; the cowboy/girl, sporting boots and a western hat; and assorted hip-hop, skate styles. Some engage in cosplay, dressing up as popular anime characters. Some simply dress outlandishly, like donning a full wedding dress and heavy gothic makeup. All have one thing in common: a creativity displayed in their outfits as rarely seen anywhere else. These Harajuku-ites wear their personalities and emotions, create their own style and push boundaries.

There is this fun with fashion in American style? (This is disregarding the college campus, where pajamas and sweats are the norm. There is no fashion here, disregarding many of the Japanese students). We are so secure in our haute couture and labels that a good dresser is simply one who is demure. Who wears perfectly imperfect jeans and has Louis Vuitton monogrammed on her purse, heels, and ass. A good male dresser is one that blends into the wall.

Don't get me wrong, Japanese street fashion features its share of labels. Teens sport thrift store finds alongside Dolce & Gabanna. Vivienne Westwood reigns supreme as the "it" designer for the Harajuku elite, and accessories featuring her famous orb logo can run steep. Japan-based designers like Baby, the stars shine bright; Takuya Angel; and Super Lovers are also popular. But style for the Harajuku-ites extends beyond the label.

FRUiTS magazine, created by Shoichi Aoki, became a place where Harajuku style could be documented in photos, a "report on the cutting edge of youth fashion." The subscription for FRUiTS is expensive for those overseas, but thankfully an excellent coffee table book has sprung from the publication's loins, an amalgamation of the best photos featured (and available at amazon.com). Aoki explains that for Japanese teens, fashion is about "putting things on." Combinations of the normal: old t-shirts and knit sweaters, designer handbags, etc; and the unusual: kitty ears, hideous "monster fur" shrugs, pink hair, etc; are the key to fitting in at Harajuku.

For Americans interested in the Harajuku look, there are opportunities everywhere. Even stores at the local mall will carry pieces of clothing that will make a Japanese look; or, they can always be made into something unique. eBay is filled with handmade punky shirts or EGL dresses on the cheap. Many other online outlets sell Japanese street clothing, most notably Onatoko.com, a reasonably-priced outlet of clothing, accessories, and beauty products. Gaijingeisha.com features handmade shirts, jewelry, and hair accessories. Constantcraving.net is the cheapest site I've seen yet. There are many sites offering EGL clothing if you search for them, but they often run very expensive. The most important thing to remember is that anyone can create the Harajuku look without a lot of money or talent. Remember, it's how you put it on!

I, for one, would be happy to welcome unique style among the youth of the U.S. In a fashion world where you're only edgy if you sport a t-shirt with a gasp-inducing saying, this may be more difficult for Japan to export than, say, Pokemon, or hentai tentacle rape. However, with Gwen at the helm of the trend (going so far as to have an entourage of four Harajuku girls following her to all appearances and performances), we may start seeing more girls sporting Hello Kitty, platform Mary Janes, and skirts over their jeans, and more guys donning sailor suits and destroyed leather pants. If we're lucky.