Japanese Winter Fashion

After experiencing the madness of Shibuya 109, I started putting together a mental list of big trends I had seen there and in the many magazines I browsed. Given that fashion moves so fast in Japan, I’m sure this list will be out of date by the time you read it.

1. Boots
Since it’s winter time and about 40 degrees there, girls are wearing boots, boots, and only boots. They are boot crazy! If they weren’t wearing boots, they were wearing high heels. I think only a small percentage of girls wear sneakers and this is usually b/c they are dressed more “urban/hip-hop style”. But for the most part, lots and lots of boots – over the knee, flat, slouchy, short, ankle, fringed, fur, ugg-style, victorian, studded/rocker, etc… the styles were endless. Since most working women don’t wear dress pants, it’s pretty essential to have a good pair of long boots to go w/the work appropriate skirt.

2. Mini-skirts
I’m not talking about wool mini-skirts either. I’m talking thin, flouncy ones that look like they belong on ballerinas. I don’t know how girls in Japan do this, but I guess this just shows how hardcore they are about fashion. I saw a variety of mini-skirts, most made of more sheer materials with popular colors being cream, light pink, black, and florals. There were a lot of lace and dotted tulle materials too as well as tiered ones, and all were cute and frilly. Definitely nothing substantial or warm about that, but I have to agree that it’s a super cute look! Another alternative to mini skirts was shorts – denim and dark colored ones. And again, worn over tights or with long thigh high socks and of course paired with boots.

3. Small floral print

I am not kidding when I say that I saw an entire store that was dedicated to floral print dresses, skirts and tops. And it was a certain kind of floral print too. Not the huge flowers, but little mini, delicate ones that belong on boho girls or the children of Little House on the Prairie. They also had a lot of peasant-ish tunics with cinched sleeves and low waist ties.

4. Hair accessories
Hair accessories are always a must, but I especially saw a lot of pastel fuzzy berets being worn. These look really cute on Japanese girls, especially since most sport long curly hair. In general, the girlier, the better. On top of that, bows seems to never go out of style. And the more obvious the bow is, the better. For eg, wearing a big Minnie Mouse style bow right on top of your head is very kawaii. And check out the bow overdose on some of the sweaters below.

5. Military coats w/fur hoodies
I saw more of these while shopping than any other style jacket. Although, the shiny puffy jackets were up there too, but it was hard not to notice so many military jackets with fur lined hoods! I really like the balance of the oversized jacket with the girly outfit below.