How to Dress Harajuku Style

by **kyoshi** Sat Apr 26, 2008 4:14 pm

Harajuku style originated among teens on the streets of the Harajuku Shopping District in Tokyo. It may have been brought to many people's attention by American singer Gwen Stefani, but the evolution of the style certainly didn't begin with her and it certainly won't end with her. Like many "street fashions" it is difficult to characterize, both because it is constantly changing and because it has many manifestations. There is no cookie-cutter approach to the style, but if you want to dress in Harajuku style, here are some guidelines to get you started.

Steps:

Mix and (mis)match different fashions.
What is now known as Harajuku (like Halloween in Japan every Sunday) style started as teens in the district began to integrate traditional Japanese attire, especially kimonos and geta sandals, into their dress. Before, they wore primarily clothes that were influenced by the West, but by mixing the traditional with the modern, they created a new style. Other examples of mixing and matching including the punk look with the schoolgirl uniform or a goth look with designer clothes. In Harajuku, mixing different styles and mismatching colors and patterns is encouraged--you can do anything you want, as long as your outfit is a thoughtful expression of your individuality (see Tips).

Become familiar with variations of style in the Harajuku district. It's impossible to pinpoint one "Harajuku style." Many styles have originated or developed on the streets of Harajuku, and many Harajuku girls (and boys) integrate one or more of these somewhat more defined styles into their outfits.

Gothic Lolita involves wearing gothic, feminine and elegant clothes, to the extent that you look like a living Victorian doll.

Japanese punks, inspired by the punk movement that began in London in the 70s, magnify rebelliousness with over-the-top clothes, accessories, makeup, and piercings.

Cosplay entails dressing up like your favorite cartoon/anime or computer game character.

Decora style favors bright colors, flamboyance and accessories from head to toe. You decorate yourself with plastic toys and jewelry, and it's not uncommon to have so many that you can hear them click together when the person moves.

Kawaii (literally translating from Japanese to "cute") places an emphasis on childlike playfulness--anime characters, ruffles, pastel colors, toys, and so on.

Wamono refers to mixing traditional Japanese attire with Western fashion.

Dress in layers. One of the hallmarks of Harajuku is layering. Sweaters, vests, or jackets over blouses over t-shirts, dresses worn with leggings, and so on. Layering clothes (or giving the appearance of layering by wearing ruffled dresses, for example) allows you to mix and match a wider variety of different styles, and adds more dimension to your outfit.

Customize your clothes. Secondhand clothing and do-it-yourself styles are popular ingredients in a Harajuku outfit. Like that flowered skirt but think it would look cuter with a ribbon pinned on it or with a more uneven, angular hemline? Get out the scissors and glue and make your store-bought clothes uniquely yours. Or, go even further and make your own skirt. Cutting the fabric to create bold angles and lines can make even a plain black dress appear remarkable and fun.

Accessorize. Add any wild accessories you have, such as belts, earrings, hair clips, jewelry, and handbags. Remember, accessories can be colorful and loud, and they don't have to match your clothes. Speaking of loud, in decora, a particular Harajuku style, accessories embellish an outfit from head to toe, and objects such as bells are sometimes used to add an aural dimension to the wardrobe.

Go wild with your hair and makeup. The Harajuku style doesn't have to stop with your clothes. Pigtails and other "cute" hairstyles are particularly popular, as is dying your hair. Creative, even theatrical makeup can be a fun addition.

Wear whatever looks good to you. It's been said that the Harajuku style is not really a protest against mainstream fashion and commercialism (as punk was), but rather a way of dressing in whatever looks good to you. If you think mismatched rainbow and polka-dot leggings look good with a plaid dress, go for it!

Smile and say chiizu! If you dress Harajuku style outside of Harajuku, you'll likely draw attention from people unfamiliar with your international fashion sense. If the attention isn't positive, just smile graciously and keep going about your business. But if people ask questions or want to take pictures, strike a pose! The people in Harajuku are proud of their style, so you should be, too.

Tips

* Many people mistakenly think that dressing Harajuku style is about just "throwing things together." While the assembly of different styles and patterns might seem haphazard, it's important to put a lot of thought into your style. If you study how people dress in the Harajuku shopping district, you'll see that the intricate outfits are carefully chosen to convey a certain image that a random and thoughtless combination never could.

* Harajuku style changes very quickly. Keep up with the evolution of the style by reading publications like FRUiTS and Style-Arena.jp (see Sources and Citations below). These publications and others like them offer a wealth of pictures of Harajuku outfits and are updated weekly or monthly. If you want to dress in Harajuku style, looking at pictures is a good way to get inspired.

* "Harajuku style" is also known as "FRUiTS fashion" to those who follow the magazine, but neither of these terms are commonly used by the Japanese who epitomize style when describing themselves.

* Contrary to popular belief, Harajuku style is not just for the girls. While some variations of the style lend themselves more to females than to males (e.g. Gothic Lolita), many of the hallmarks of the style are gender-neutral. After all, it's about dressing in what looks good to you--why should girls have all the fun?

Warning!!

* Don't get carried away with brand loyalty. While it's OK to favor certain designer labels (especially since brand loyalty is big in Japan), Harajuku is about creating your own look, so if you appear just like the mannequins in the mall or the pictures in the catalog, you may be stylish, but you're not unique. Don't be afraid to mix that Calvin Klein dress with a used, torn and tattered pair of jeans and some combat boots.

* Also, In many places Harujuku style is very uncommon, you can't just dress the part, you have to be the part. When walking down the street people will look at you. Hold your head high, be proud of what you are wearing or else you look like a poser.

by **KyDe** Sat Apr 26, 2008 6:25 pm

WOW!!
cool bgtz pnjelasanna :goodjob:
gile bner dah!! lengkap euy *grins*

(ampe gak cukup sekale ngebacana loh *grins*

)
anyway ku stuju bgtz tuch ma kata2muw yg "when walking down the street people will look at you. Hold your head high, be proud of what you are wearing or else you look like a poser"
yup yup!!
jka mw brstyle harajuku ntu musti gak stengah2, yg artina yakin *grins*

tp, apa iya... bisa yach?! hehe... :lol!:
yg pzti klo gak da tmenna mah, mana bisa PD tmpil (brstyle harajuku) ndirian :P

by **kyoshi** Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:11 am

hmm, gaya busana harajuku pada dasarnya ga punya aturan khusus.
Gaya suka-suka en berani tabrak motif ntu kuncinya...
Buat diterapin di lingkungan indo, dandanan harajuku maybe masih dipandang aneh n norak..
But, semua kembali ke kita, percaya diri makenya or kagak..

by **Lee** Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:45 am

Penjelasanx c lengkap tapi sayang pk inggris *sad*

Buat mbak/mas momod tlg translate dunk *smiles*

by **kyoshi** Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:55 am

waduw.. kendala bahasa lagi..
ntar gw coba indo-kan :kaktus:

by Saito_aoyama Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:06 am

sbnar na seh pngin niru gaza harajuku/japanese, yg pnya prcya dri yg tnggi, g gmpang menyerah n suka ma tantangan, tp kalu dterap kn d indo, kyk na susah bnget gt.., palage dsuruh pke yg aneh2....., psti mkir 2 x duech... :ngakak:

by **benyso** Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:50 am

Thanks 4 thats great info bro kyoshi.

by **kyoshi** Sun Apr 27, 2008 7:34 am

bener bangetz sai... ;)
di sana mah mereka bebas berekspresi...
coz emang di lokasi itu (harajuku) dikhususkan buat trendsetter teenagers.
kalo di indo dibuat tempat semacam itu kayaknya masih memungkinkan bagi muda-mudinya buat berkreasi secara bebas.
coz ada tempat (wadah) dan lingkungan yang memungkinkan...
kira2 di kota mana yah yang cocok buat disentralkan jadi trensetter anak muda? :scratch:

by **Lee** Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:11 pm

Bandung ane rasa plg cocok buat trendsetter teenagers *smiles*

by a.L Sun Apr 27, 2008 8:32 pm

merhatiin phutu2 na *grins*

luthu2 jg ya tp pa gk bikin gerah thu yak trutama cosplay'an.

:P ku mah biar gk guaya harajuku style tp klo jlan ndirian thu biasany dprhatiin orng2 >> ktanya tmpangku kyq nak ilang gtu. :merem:

:oops: ai sneng fashion jg. klo liat nak2 harajuku di japan sno, uuiihh cool bangetz deh. yup... trutama teenagers na, pda brani nthuk prlihatkan image mreka yg super beda k public.

klo soal trendsetter city harajuku style di indonesia, kyq na trgantung prkumpulan2nya d. sberapa aktif and genjarnya mreka bisa nunjukkin keberadaan na d society. ;)

by **benyso** Mon Apr 28, 2008 6:11 am

Kalo mnrt gw dibandung sbagai paris van java udah bnyk komunitas2 harajuku.Meskipun mungkin tampilan mrka terbts pada acara fashion atau acara2 TV.

by **KyDe** Mon Apr 28, 2008 7:16 pm

iya sich bandung, scara ntu lokasi mang notabene pling bnyak komunitas harajukuna ktmbang lokasi2 laen d indo.
malah ku pngen da yg ngebuka cabang komunitas hara d batam sni (lgean dsni bnyak bgtz orng2 chinesena, pzti krenz dah!! *grins*

)

by Saito_aoyama Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:09 am

d daerah btam nak yg ska harajuku kn blm da yg bgtu ska, kta liat ja kalu kta cari asesoris gaya jpan, kn ssah bnget, bkn tu ja, kta cri kaset anime ja jga ssah bnget gmana mw bkin btam tmpat kyk gtuan :kaktus:

by Stcoza Tue Apr 29, 2008 6:00 am

Yup yup hara style memang nglatih kita untuk PD itu kuncinya apabila ga PD susah dweh... Diliatin 0rang banyak trus dikatain aneh,mlh2 lbi parah lg dikatain GILA tp te2p hrz gag patah semangat kt tunjukin bahwa aku adalah aku bukan se0rang C0PYCAT (ky nyindir orang) tunjukin dirimu just be ur self!

by **KyDe** Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:36 pm

Sai_shikyu wrote:
d daerah btam nak yg ska harajuku kn blm da yg bgtu ska, kta liat ja kalu kta cari asesoris gaya jpan, kn ssah bnget, bkn tu ja, kta cri kaset anime ja jga ssah bnget gmana mw bkin btam tmpat kyk gtuan :kaktus:

wedew...
bukanna gak ada ato dkit, lha scara orng komunitasna ja gak da!!
yg u bicarain lobam kale, lgean... liat noh, orng2 chinesena tmpilan mreka kn trkesan mandarin gtu, naah... ntu kn jg mrupakan suatu bukti suatu trenz yg laen n ngenunjukin bhwa mreka brni tampil beda yo! *grins*

mengenai aksesoris ada noh d lobam, naruto punya :lol!:
truz... klo anime mah memang kalo d lobam ntu susah bwat aksesna, but... klo d batam mah laen critana, orng manga aja gmpang nyarina d batam (lgean enakkan dunlod :P )

by Saito_aoyama Sun May 11, 2008 8:20 pm

kyde wrote:
Sai_shikyu wrote:
d daerah btam nak yg ska harajuku kn blm da yg bgtu ska, kta liat ja kalu kta cari asesoris gaya jpan, kn ssah bnget, bkn tu ja, kta cri kaset anime ja jga ssah bnget gmana mw bkin btam tmpat kyk gtuan :kaktus:
wedew...
bukanna gak ada ato dkit, lha scara orng komunitasna ja gak da!!
yg u bicarain lobam kale, lgean... liat noh, orng2 chinesena tmpilan mreka kn trkesan mandarin gtu, naah... ntu kn jg mrupakan suatu bukti suatu trenz yg laen n ngenunjukin bhwa mreka brni tampil beda yo!

mengenai aksesoris ada noh d lobam, naruto punya :lol!:
truz... klo anime mah memang kalo d lobam ntu susah bwat aksesna, but... klo d batam mah laen critana, orng manga aja gmpang nyarina d batam (lgean enakkan dunlod :P )

kpan lu k btam na
:kaktus:

by **KyDe** Tue May 13, 2008 4:26 pm

heh?! mang kalo keli2ng mah lum *grins*

mlez!! :P
lgean ku cman `ngejelasin` pa yg u maksud aja :P

by Saito_aoyama Tue May 13, 2008 7:26 pm

:kaktus:
kuq jd sepi ne thread..

by **KyDe** Fri May 16, 2008 9:19 pm

GO HARAJUKU!! <=triak biar pd smangat tuk posting *grins*

by Saito_aoyama Sun May 18, 2008 7:50 pm

:kaktus:

by **kyoshi** Thu May 22, 2008 2:19 pm

yang punya foto pribadi harajuku style dressed, bisa di show off di sini :P upload aja biar pada tau sample nyata nya

by **kyoshi** Tue May 27, 2008 7:15 am

ga kebalik neng? :kaktus:

by x.X Tue May 27, 2008 10:41 am

Weh maz sai dh jd tmpt bwt konsul gaya toh.. 8)

by Saito_aoyama Tue May 27, 2008 7:16 pm

lha.. :kaktus: kuq aq skrang yg jd trsangka....
WeW ah ade' q...

by x.X Thu May 29, 2008 11:58 am

tersangka n terdakwa maz.. *hihi*

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