how to look good (fashion)

[Chickadee]

hi everybody

where do you find the latest fashion news in Japan? Which magazines should i read? How do I now what I should wear? :clueless:

Thx!

[Derfel]

Uhhh... you develop a bloody taste of your own perhaps?

[Chickadee]

aha! Thank you. If you belive it or not, I've got my own style! But I don't know much about Japan and people told me, that to find friends there, you must follow some rules???

[Kappa]

Being a guy, I didn't pay that much attention, but here's a site that lists many of the fashion magazines and describes what demographic they serve:

http://www.japanesestreets.com/fashion-mags/

[Chickadee]

Thank you Kappa! That's very nice of you. Will look at it carefully.

Swiss greatings

[Kjeld]

JAPANESE STREETS also hosts over 16,000 Photos of Japanese fashion, especially street fashion. Check them out at http://www.japanesestreets.com/photos/

[XpHoBiaX]

There's dress codes now? Jayzus. O_o

In that case...I'm going to be far on the bottom of the list of friend making. Regardless of how I dress to impress. lol
...But that happens anyways.

I am socially inept. XD

[MadamePapillon]

There's dress codes now? Jayzus. O_o
In that case...I'm going to be far on the bottom of the list of friend making. Regardless of how I dress to impress. lol
...But that happens anyways.
I am socially inept. XD


Haha. Aren't we all. :p


Also, Chickadee, you'd probably make more friends dressing like yourself and not trying to copy someone elses style. Anyone that wont be friend with you because you don't dress like them is probably not a very good friend anyways.

[Annubis]

Having lived in Japan a year and a half with all sorts of wear. I would say that American semi casual is acceptable. Grub-wear is not. If you have heals and you wear makup and do your hair, the gals will see you as equal. Being yourself is welcomed by those who are willing to open their arms to strangers. And that is actually not as common as it seems. It takes much time to make friends there. Sometimes you think you have a friend and you don't. High spirits and a focus forward, with courtesy, modesty and respect wins friends in Japan. Having common topics to talk about is also a plus in all places. A suit is stiff, but class and those magazine links above are great. But keep in mind that Japan is a country with many tastes and values. It is difficult to understand the standard, when really, the standard was invented by The GAP and Le Chateau... overstatement. But the US, Australia, France, and England are large influences in fashion.

[MadamePapillon]

Having lived in Japan a year and a half with all sorts of wear. I would say that American semi casual is acceptable. Grub-wear is not. If you have heals and you wear makup and do your hair, the gals will see you as equal.

Once again, I think it's probably best to stay away from people like that.

If someone doesn't consider you 'equal' just because you don't dress a certain way then they probably aren't a friend worth having. I dress equal parts casual and dressy depending on my mood and nobody has ever looked down on me when I wasn't feeling in the mood for looking good.

The people anyone should want to be friends with are those who compliment you when you look good and understand when you feel like dressing like a slob. If someone wont take the time to get to know you because you don't wear makeup and keep your hair in a ponytail all the time well, who needs them.

[dreamer]

Having lived in Japan a year and a half with all sorts of wear. I would say that American semi casual is acceptable. Grub-wear is not. If you have heals and you wear makup and do your hair, the gals will see you as equal. Being yourself is welcomed by those who are willing to open their arms to strangers. And that is actually not as common as it seems. It takes much time to make friends there. Sometimes you think you have a friend and you don't. High spirits and a focus forward, with courtesy, modesty and respect wins friends in Japan. Having common topics to talk about is also a plus in all places. A suit is stiff, but class and those magazine links above are great. But keep in mind that Japan is a country with many tastes and values. It is difficult to understand the standard, when really, the standard was invented by The GAP and Le Chateau... overstatement. But the US, Australia, France, and England are large influences in fashion.

I totally agree with that, beside big cities and the countryside are definetly different.
Try to dress like a shibuya teenager in Naruto(I'm talking about the small city in Shikoku famous for its whirlwinds) and people will look at you like you're some sort of freak.

Also, bear in mind that depending on the category of people you wanna be associated with, you might want to dress differently.

Regarding making friends, I have been living on my own here for over 6 months and still haven't managed to make any lasting contact despite spending all of my weekends outdoors and having parties.

It is indeed challenging to make more than just acquaintance, and I have long since stopped counting the number or people who asked for my phone number without ever calling me back.

[Annubis]

The thing is that there are just so many people. You have to make yourself presentable for your own benefit. With what I am wearing now it is not presentable... a big confy Tshirt, jeans, hair a little frizzed and put back... I went to the National Museum in Tokyo. There was no other dressed like this. I just knew that the person with me was bearing in mind my credentials.

[MadamePapillon]

I've come to the sad realization that I would probably never fit in in Japan, simply for the fact that I probably wouldn't care enough to fit in. I've never conformed to any standard before, maybe I'm just lazy but it seems like a lot of wasted effort to impress people who I could care less what they thought of me.

Besides, I just wore high heels today and now I remember why I rarely wear them ... they hurt. :( Damn my sensitive feet.

[Annubis]

You'd be surprised Madamepapillon. The fact of the matter is that there is a slight dress code for work, and institutions. The clothes there are really worth buying. They have so many great fashions and you would deffinately find something you like that is different from your regular clothes in Canada, and the customs grow on you. You begin to enjoy them because they are very practical in Japan.
But my father swore he'd rip the heals off of the Parisian shoes (I bought in Tokyo) I have been wearing here because they just aren't practical in this part of the world where walking long distances, and perhaps touching slush or dirt is inevitable for every pair of shoes. I really must get a pair of sneekers. You see, it is all about being adaptable to your circumstances.
It isn't about what people think about you. I coulnd't care less either. Though, I must admit that I have experienced the pleasure of acceptence in Tokyo through my outfit. From what I have heard about you, you would probably fit in fine. Hehe... I'm skid in Toronto... everything is pretty ratty and my buds are all guys who don't care one way or the other really what they look like... well except for the one with a girlfriend... haha. In Montreal, though, the people are more fashionable... I find that the desire to look sexy and original is of great importance there. That is my place. We all have a place, especially in Japan because of the wide variety available.

[Riona-Chan]

I can advise you a TV programm that also get's uploaded online.
It is called Tokyo Kawaii TV and it is about the lastest fashion trends in Japan.

[Gackt21]

Gothic and romantic are my styles so you can develop your own.

[Kinsao]

I agree that it's best to develop your own style, and I guess you have your own tastes and styles anyway. :p But it seems like you're maybe a bit self-conscious what people think of you... I don't have any personal experience in this, but I get the impression that in the workplace there tends to be more 'dress codes' in Japan than in the US and european countries (depending on the kind of workplace of course) so if you're working in Japan you should get that information from the company.

Also I have the impression that in Tokyo are a lot of people interested in 'fashion' and spend time on their appearance, so maybe you want to make a special effort to look good if they're the kind of people you want to hang out with. But I think that's the same in every capital city, e.g London, Paris etc. :p

[LSandra]

Interesting fashion page there, thanks for sharing. :)