Is this me in my happy place? Why yes, yes it is One again, the Tokyo Kimono Show does not disappoint! This year’s extravaganza of style started off with a contrast between past and future, with a parade of nicely curated Edo Period clothing on the left… and futuristic manga-inspired costumes by a Taiwanese artistContinueContinue reading “The Tokyo Kimono Show 2025 delights and amazes”
Category Archives: Fashion Inferno
The most outrageous car show in Japan is back!
Tokyo Auto Salon: The latest, greatest car mods for 2025 This year’s show lacked some of my favorite kitchy offerings of years past, but if you’re a dude whose burning desire is to turn his car into a babe-magnet, Tokyo Auto Salon is the show for you. Manly, eye-popping paint job? Check. The latest inContinueContinue reading “The most outrageous car show in Japan is back!”
What all the cool skateboards are wearing this season
If your skateboard hates going around naked in public, in Japan you can buy it a nice outfit to preserve its modesty! Actually, it’s pretty common in Japan to put bespoke covers on belongings that might scratch or dirty the train on your way to having fun. I’ve also spotted basketball covers… and skins toContinueContinue reading “What all the cool skateboards are wearing this season”
Wingtips, with a mullet
Business in the front, beach party in the back! Summer in Japan is so hot and steamy that any hack that still looks office-worthy while cutting down on the unbearable sweatiness is fair game. • If you love to laugh at strange Japanese stuff you’d never see anywhere else…
Proud alumnus of…
WART UNIVERSITY. Unclear how much one’s post-grad networking would be enhanced by flaunting this affiliation… • If you love to laugh at strange Japanese stuff you’d never see anywhere else…
Eye Candy from the Tokyo Kimono Show 2024
If you think that “kimono fashion” is something that went out when samurai stopped roaming the streets, think again! Not only is modern kimono dressing alive and well, the annual Tokyo Kimono Show is where designers showcase their latest innovations. This year’s special exhibit was a rare chance to see Heian period robes (from whenContinueContinue reading “Eye Candy from the Tokyo Kimono Show 2024”
Jazz Age kimonos to die for
If you’re in Tokyo right now, drop what you’re doing and hightail it to this kimono exhibit at the Yayoi-Yumiji Museum! There are two floors of fabulous 1920s-1950s kimono ensembles on display, each more swoon-worthy than the last. If this museum were a shop, I’d want to buy them ALL! The unifying theme of thisContinueContinue reading “Jazz Age kimonos to die for”
The crazy hair art show
What does a fashion house do when they want to make an upworthy statement that doesn’t stop at the edges of the garment? They hire a hair artist like Katsuya Kamo. Kamo’s creations went so far beyond haircuts… they’re sometimes closer to taxidermy… or sculpture… or masks… or crowns. The “Kamo Head: Katsuya Kamo WorksContinueContinue reading “The crazy hair art show”
Tokyo Kimono Show: Feast your eyes on THESE beauties
The Tokyo Kimono Show returned last weekend, and the fabulous new kimono coordinations have never been more inspiring. Rows upon rows of mannequins displayed the stylish offerings of designers from all over Japan… …and they were skillfully set up so they could be appreciated from front and back Some designers took the opportunity to styleContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Kimono Show: Feast your eyes on THESE beauties”
Required gear for Japanese snowboard school
Yes, you get a butt pillow. And because it’s Japan, it’s a cute one! (As you can see, one future shredder has already put it to good use…) • If you could use a little more amusement in your life… •
When you think of red lace undies…
I bet you didn’t think of THESE. Because in Japan, they’re not just for the ladies anymore. #cantunsee • If you could use a little more amusement in your life… •
Speed Tribes come of age, Yanki style
Every year in the city of Kitakyushu, Coming-of-Age Day is celebrated in over-the top style by 20-year-olds kitted out in outlandish versions of Japanese formalwear. The second Monday in January (the holiday on which all Japanese twenty-year-olds become legal adults) is well known by kimono-spotters all over Japan as the best day all year toContinueContinue reading “Speed Tribes come of age, Yanki style”
The best winter gift of 2020? A Japanese stomach warmer!
Don’t laugh! The humble haramaki is making a comeback, because nothing—and I mean nothing—keeps you warmer while sitting at your desk fielding endless zoom calls than this legwarmer for your midriff. I didn’t believe it until I tried it, but it turns out that once I started keeping my midsection warm, I didn’t need theContinueContinue reading “The best winter gift of 2020? A Japanese stomach warmer!”
Uber Dandy Kimono: Wildly modern, breathtakingly bold, insanely stunning
Tia Oguri is so fabulous I can’t even I’ve been a fan of the divine Tia Oguri since long before she began designing kimono with traditional African fabrics, because her kimono styling has always been out-of-this-world fresh and exciting. Her latest venture, though, is pure WOW. Take a look at her Uber Dandy Kimono designs,ContinueContinue reading “Uber Dandy Kimono: Wildly modern, breathtakingly bold, insanely stunning”
Perfect 2020 Halloween costumes from Japan
If you’re desperate to get out after months of quarantining and can’t resist that invite to a good old-fashioned Halloween party, the ace variety store Don Kihote suggests some costumes that will enforce that social distancing with a vengeance! Hard to get any clearer than this! If you’re worried your fellow revelers might have troubleContinueContinue reading “Perfect 2020 Halloween costumes from Japan”
Six Surprising Reasons Japanese People Wear Masks, Even When There’s No Pandemic
If you’ve been puzzling over why Japan is such a “mask-wearing society,” it’s not because they’re all super-OCD about germs. Here are six excellent Japanese reasons to wear a mask that have nothing to do with the dread COVID: 1 – You overslept Because if this is your typical morning routine… …you can cut yourContinueContinue reading “Six Surprising Reasons Japanese People Wear Masks, Even When There’s No Pandemic”
Modern Kimonos To Die For: These Designers Are Giving An Old Artform New Edge
Hello, fellow kimono lovers of all shapes, sizes, colors, & geographic persuasions! If you’re like me, and love modern kimono dressing—especially my favorite kimono hime style—you’re in for a treat! Kimono princessing is all about mixing East and West, colors and patterns, styles and eras, and it warmly embraces vintage, second-hand delights as well asContinueContinue reading “Modern Kimonos To Die For: These Designers Are Giving An Old Artform New Edge”
The Most Only-In-Japan Halloween Costumes Ever
Tired of being the same old sexy skunk or slightly NSFW goose in a tutu for Halloween? Keep your fellow costume partiers guessing with these only-in-Japan puzzlers! However much mini-skirted shrine maidens might figure in cosplay fantasies, you can be sure this will be the first time everyone actually sees one IRL And if you’reContinueContinue reading “The Most Only-In-Japan Halloween Costumes Ever”
Jazz Age Paintings Of Beautiful Women And The Real Kimonos They Were Wearing
If you love kimono – and especially if you love Taisho and Showa-age kimono – don’t miss this exhibition! Right now, the Yayoi-Yumeji Museum – where over 3,000 of artist/illustrator Takehisa Yumeji’s works are archived – is displaying the actual kimonos and accessories worn in his paintings, side by side. I’m a huge fan of TaishoContinueContinue reading “Jazz Age Paintings Of Beautiful Women And The Real Kimonos They Were Wearing”
Tamao Shigemune: Modern Kimonos That’ll Knock Your Socks Off
Paris model photos all by the ultra-talented Tsubomi Photo Studio So you think you can’t rock a kimono because you’re not Japanese? Think again! Tamao Shigemune designs modern versions of traditional Japanese women’s wear with a distinctly Parisian twist, and guess what? You can see them (and try her new summer collection on!) right now in Tokyo, through Sunday MarchContinueContinue reading “Tamao Shigemune: Modern Kimonos That’ll Knock Your Socks Off”
Scary Underwear Of Japan
Even under your baggiest gym shirts, these say, “I’ll give up the pec deck when I’m good and ready, buddy.” Why yes, I would like to use the free weights now. Sneak home in your undies without being captured by the enemy Nyan, nyan Okay, I admit I want this one DON’T JUDGE wat SawContinueContinue reading “Scary Underwear Of Japan”
Essential Gear For The Corporate Warrior
For those times when you need to make a stealth dash to an important meeting through a forest of trees with blood…red…leaves…. And no one will dare question your commitment to the mission when you appear at the obligatory company ballgame outing wearing this samurai baseball cap Saw the red camo shoes at a shoeContinueContinue reading “Essential Gear For The Corporate Warrior”
Battle Dress Kimonos
Okay, you’ve gotta help me out here: what sort of manly occasion could possibly call for donning a kimono fashioned from American mil-spec camo? Defcon 3 tea ceremony behind enemy lines? Tactical assault on the afternoon kabuki performance? Undercover date to the summer fireworks, knowing your recently-jilted ex will be there and gunning for you? Whatever occasion calls for strategicContinueContinue reading “Battle Dress Kimonos”
Princess Kimono, Animal Style
The bunnies will be all over you at the rabbit café when you swan in wearing this bun-centric obi. Obscure seasonal references to geese and crows? So tenth century! Leaf viewing and strolling beneath the cherry blossoms? Been there, called it a cab. Let’s strap on our princess kimonos and hit the animal cafés instead! Coming or going, let’s show thoseContinueContinue reading “Princess Kimono, Animal Style”
New Type Kimono: Maximum Princess
So, check out one of my all-time favorite Japanese fashion trends – the Kimono Princess! Your typical Japanese gyaru might be happy to see kimono-wearing go the way of ballroom dancing and tea ceremony, but a growing number of hip young women are adopting the techniques of alt fashion subcultures to breathe new life into old-skool clothes. Kimono hime lovers flaunt convention with a mash-up of vintageContinueContinue reading “New Type Kimono: Maximum Princess”
More Christmas Hats From Hell
“What do you mean, you don’t want to sit in shiny alien elf Santa’s lap?” From the Tokyu Hands buyers who brought you the original Christmas Hats From Hell, behold the latest ways to say “Ho ho ho, suckers!” That little goatee of a tree allows the holiday thug to festively mimic O Tanenbaum while keeping his arms freeContinueContinue reading “More Christmas Hats From Hell”
Love, Peace, Death &…
Nicotine! Neither skulls nor snakes nor screaming eagles will deter the proud owner of this Black Flame jacket from consuming his daily pack of smokes. •
Sneakers Of Yore
If I were a samurai in the olden days, these would totally be my sneakers of choice for the cherry blossom viewing marathon. I’d stock up on those shoelaces hanging up above too. •
Cherry Blossom Party Costumes I Would Regret
Having a bad hair day? Put this sakura-themed bag over your head and untag yourself from the cherry blossom festivities! The cherry trees are readying their onslaught, and it’s almost time for the annual beer-fuelled frolicking to commence. What better way to say, “I am a wild and crazy guy” than to don one of these festiveContinueContinue reading “Cherry Blossom Party Costumes I Would Regret”
Scary Eyes Made Easy
If you don’t think it’s quite out there enough to have eyes that make you look like a living doll, say hello to this line of definitely unnatural contacts! How about a nice alien look, with Solid White? Or perhaps a touch of psychopath, with Spiral or Manson Red? I saw these for sale atContinueContinue reading “Scary Eyes Made Easy”
Alt Kimono
Give granny a heart attack with a Coming-Of-Age kimono that shows as much leg as your old schoolgirl uniform, bares a shoulder and some black-lace-edged cleavage, or cinches everything together with a corset instead of an obi! Last Sunday was the day all 20-year-olds officially become adults, but not everybody donned traditional maidenly garb toContinueContinue reading “Alt Kimono”
Sexy Santa Roundup!
Bring on the sequins, lace, and fake fur halter Santas! As long as it’s red and white, anything goes! Ladies, just because those gold lamé and leopard print Santa costumes are made for men doesn’t mean you can’t play fast and loose with the jolly old elf this Christmas season! The Sexy Santa is a holidayContinueContinue reading “Sexy Santa Roundup!”
Holy Mother Of…?!
I’ll see your Our Lady Of Rude Kustoms and raise you a scorpion tattoo! This shining example of Extreme Decorative Engrish goes on to inexplicably include God and France in an unholy existential alliance: “The God and France think whether exist this worldIt might exist if the God and France existReally we think that theContinueContinue reading “Holy Mother Of…?!”
Our Lady Of Gangsta
I’m a little confused by the golden dreidel on the front, but hey, Our Skeletal Lady Of Golden Gangsta is probably A-OK with whatever faith you’re keeping… If you’re planning to shake down a few grannies or threaten some loan-shirkers with a Louisville Slugger, don’t leave the house without donning your Blood Money brand track suit!ContinueContinue reading “Our Lady Of Gangsta”
You’re A Sexy WHAT?
What’s a girl to do if she needs a fetching Halloween costume for the company drinkathon, but doesn’t want to show up in the same maid costume all the OLs are wearing or be the only female AKB48 impersonator? Bunnychan Club costume design to the rescue! The only problem is, it’s so hard to decideContinueContinue reading “You’re A Sexy WHAT?”
The Perfect Barbie Wedding
This ain’t no bridesmaid dress – in Japan, brides disappear about halfway through the reception and return in a the princess-y gown of their dreams. After you finally got Kenji to go down on one plastic bendable knee and propose, what could be more perfect than to dress up like Barbie for the wedding? InContinueContinue reading “The Perfect Barbie Wedding”
Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Host Fashion
One of the first things you notice about hosts is that they don’t dress like Western guys who are out on the prowl. Hosts aim to deliver the Japanese version of a customer’s secret fantasy, and being swept away by a handsome prince or Wild One on his motorcycle is what makes many Japanese ladies’ heartsContinueContinue reading “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Host Fashion”
Tokyo Steampunk!
Alice In Wonderland X Jules Verne! Gothic Lolita X Victorian Mourning! Manga X Edwardian Gentleman! In the land where costume is king (and often queen, even if you’re not a woman!), steampunk does not disappoint. The Tokyo Steampunk Society has adopted a time travel motif, which allows anybody who already cosplays to reimagine themselves inContinueContinue reading “Tokyo Steampunk!”
The Hottest New Look In…Aprons?
You’re joking, right? Aprons? Nope, even the venerable Mitsukoshi department store has an extensive apron department. Aprons with ruffles. Aprons with bows. Little black cocktail aprons. But why? It wasn’t until I was invited to a friend’s house for a dinner party that I understood. Japanese entertaining has traditionally been done in restaurants, and it’s only recentlyContinueContinue reading “The Hottest New Look In…Aprons?”
All I Want For Christmas Is A Magical Body
And all I need to do to get one is stop by the Shibjuya Loft store and plonk down ¥6000! Magical Socks are apparently included, as an extra bonus. On the other hand, maybe it would be better to display my Christmas spirit by dressing as a Creamy Tonikai! Tonikai = reindeer. Creamy = uh,ContinueContinue reading “All I Want For Christmas Is A Magical Body”
Various Acts Of Santa Blasphemy
Santa Man, complete with his own S&M studded mask and oops-I-shouldn’t-have-put-it-in-the-dryer black cape. Red Leopard Santa, GRRRRROWL! Special Golden Santa-san! Wonder if you can get a fake diamond-studded grill to complete the look… Wat, I don’t even…Black Santa Manteau?! More like The Count Of Monte Claus! Don’t get me wrong – I’m all for creativityContinueContinue reading “Various Acts Of Santa Blasphemy”
Top Ten Only In Japan Holiday Gifts 2012!
10. For the film maven on your list who camped overnight in line at the movie theatre to see the new Evangelion…ANIME EYES SLEEP MASKS (seen at Village Vanguard) When the anime-lover in your life hears herself described as a person who even dreams in CGI, now she can smugly respond, “Like a BOSS!” Seen atContinueContinue reading “Top Ten Only In Japan Holiday Gifts 2012!”
Emo Santa
“Deck the halls with boughs of hemlock, fu-fu-fu-fu-fu, fu, fu, fu, fu…” Do you find red to be just too unbearably cheery? Think “Jingle Bells” ought to be remixed as “For Whom the Bell Tolls”? Well, finally there’s a Santa costume for those who would prefer to be The Un-Jolly Old Elf! Now Goths, death metalContinueContinue reading “Emo Santa”
Scary Santa
“Ho Ho Ho-rror!” You know how some kids are afraid to go sit on Santa’s lap, even if they really really really want a pony? Well, I bet all the Santa phobias in the known world can be traced back to an early childhood experience with someone like THIS. What was the package designer thinking,ContinueContinue reading “Scary Santa”
Tools For The Fingernail Challenged
I’ll take one in every color! Congratulating yourself that your spanking new nail art will definitely make it impossible for you to be selected to wash dishes or chop vegetables, you whip out your smartphone to send your ten best friends new shots of your to-die-for talons, the bowl of abura soba you just orderedContinueContinue reading “Tools For The Fingernail Challenged”
Our Lady Of Dudeitude
Our Lady seems to have been on a rather severe diet since we last encountered her on the back of a stylin’ blade’s jacket, but she’s still doing her best to confer righteous coolness on all comers. The question is, what exactly is a Lucid Dude, and why would anyone want to be publicly identifiedContinueContinue reading “Our Lady Of Dudeitude”
Our Lady Of Glow In The Dark
I’m still trying to figure out the pop fascination with Catholic symbols here in Japan. Totally divorced from religious tradition (Christianity never got much of a toehold here, thanks to serious banning of outsiders before 1868), for some reason stylish tough guys wear Our Lady Of Rude Kustoms on the back of their motorcycle jacketsContinueContinue reading “Our Lady Of Glow In The Dark”
Costumes I Would Regret
I must be doing something right, since I don’t have any Japanese friends who throw parties attended by anyone wearing THIS. Although not quite as permanent as a tattoo, pictures of oneself wearing this attractive item would certainly circulate endlessly on the interwebs, thwarting one’s job advancement for millennia to come. •
Maybe It’s The Teeth…
I dunno, there’s something about this accessory that’s not quite working for me. If I were a host (or a regular guy with a fetish for massive blingy rings), I think I’d want something that didn’t look like it bites. Or, even worse, like it had overindulged at last night’s drinking party and was aboutContinueContinue reading “Maybe It’s The Teeth…”
Our Lady Of Rude Kustoms
I love articles of clothing that are the Japanese equivalent of Western kanji tattoos that supposedly mean “Strong Warrior” but actually say “Wednesday.” Here, a slightly mannish Our Lady has been pressed into service to perform the miracle of deciphering, “First to live young to die no risk no life,” as well as relocating theContinueContinue reading “Our Lady Of Rude Kustoms”
Only In Japan 