The Appeal of Alternative Japanese Fashion

There's as many different styles of clothing as there are people in the world. However, there's a certain appeal of Japan's street fashion that draws people to it from all around the world. Why do so many people like Japanese fashion? Well...

1. It has a little something for everyone

Anybody with a passion for fashion will find something to suit them in the long list of Japanese street styles. Do you want a loud, colorful look? Hadeko and/or FRUiTS has you covered. Want a mature, elegant style? Classic lolita or aristocrat are your best bets. Pastels and cuteness? Fairy kei and sweet lolita. You like vintage clothing and an overall "antique" aesthetic? Dolly kei! Maybe you're looking for something without many rules- then shironuri could be the one for you. Japanese street fashion encompasses everything from the elegantly simple to the wildly over the top. 

Decora, in this case, is wildly over the top.

Of course, that's only the styles that have names. Japanese fashion isn't limited to a handful of distinct styles. While labels are convenient, it's encouraged to mix-and-match and create your own style! Maybe you like the accessory overload of decora but want something less cutesy and more dark. Go for it! If you're in love with western gothic fashion yet really, really love the loose, earthy layers of mori kei, why not just take elements from both? Experimentation is highly encouraged in these communities, and are one of the reasons Tokyo has one of the most progressive fashion scenes in the world.

Many people also just flat out reject the confines of individual styles and just create a unique look of their own, often drawing inspiration from the Japanese brands themselves. Lately, more and more very unique outfits are appearing on Japanese fashion blogs.

2. It's fearless

 Let's be honest- while some alternative Japanese styles are toned down, most of them stand out. A lot. A common theme expressed by the community is a desire to be themselves and show the world who they are through their style. This is especially significant in Japan, whose collectivist attitudes generally value fitting into the crowd instead.

Of course, the plainer styles stand out in their own special way. Nowadays, it seems like it's all about being the most fashionable and beautiful person in the room. However, rejecting modern beauty standards and expressing just your whole, natural self is an amazing thing. Truly all these styles, at every point on the spectrum between bold and subtle, are fearless.

3. It has a great community

Japanese fashion is popular enough to have all kinds of communities, in all kinds of different languages, for all sorts of different styles. Fairy kei (and similar styles) is gaining more and more popularity among internet communities. There's large networks of people online who dress in fashions like mori kei and natural kei. There's lots of gyaru bloggers and even some local gyaru communities outside of Japan. Lolita is popular enough worldwide for there to be a decently-sized lolita community in almost every major city! Japanese street fashion is gaining more and more momentum, and with it is a growing group of people that support each other, hang out with each other, and ride drama rollercoasters together. 

Japanese fashion is all-inclusive, unique, and a great community. So the question isn't why people like it - the question is why people wouldn't like it!