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fashion (Page 69)

Still got Club Nintendo points? New Zelda and Mario shirts, pouches, and more available in Japan

Casey Baseel
Feb 26, 2015
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In January, video game giant Nintendo, which usually sleeps atop a well-padded mattress stuffed with the customer goodwill it’s earned over three decades of providing quality titles, sadly announced it would be discontinuing its Club Nintendo loyalty program. With only months to go before Club Nintendo points (also called “coins” or “stars” depending on the region) become worthless, gamers have been scouring the catalog to see what prizes they want to redeem theirs for.

To help loosen their virtual purse strings, Nintendo has just announced a huge new batch of rewards, including some very stylish T-shirts and pouches based on its legendary library of games.

Japan
(fashion • Legend of Zelda • Mario • nintendo • toys • video games)

From kicked to the curb to stylish kicks, here come Mega Man sneakers!

Casey Baseel
Feb 23, 2015

While some video game characters have settled into more or less permanent relationships with their publishers, like Nintendo’s Mario or Bandai Namco’s Kazuya and Heihachi Mishima, not every digital hero gets to enjoy a never-ending string of sequel appearances. For example, it’s been five years since the release of Mega Man 10, which so far serves as the final installment in the action platforming series.

But the Blue Bomber’s memory lives on in the hearts and minds of the many fans he acquired during his salad days following his 1987 debut. So even if publisher Capcom has kicked Mega Man to the curb, you can still show your love for the character with these retro-cool Mega Man kicks.

Japan
(Capcom • fashion • Mega Man • shoes • video games)

Sailor Moon meets high fashion! Gorgeous collaboration with Samantha Vega to come out from Isetan

Kay
Feb 23, 2015

As popular as the comic and anime series Sailor Moon is, it’s no surprise that the lovely lady warriors have been turned into myriad collaborative items over the years ranging from lingerie to mobile phones. But regardless of how many Sailor Moon items we’ve seen on the market, we’re pretty sure that it’s still very exciting for fans to see their favorite heroines featured in beautiful high-fashion products. Well, that’s what fans can actually look forward to next month, when Isetan Department Store comes out with their new range of limited edition Sailor Moon and fashion brand Samantha Vega collaborative products. Let’s take a look at the moon prism-powered fashion accessories that should delight Sailor Moon fans and fashionistas alike!

Japan
(anime • fashion • Isetan • Sailor Moon • Samantha Vega)

Steam Garden 8: Travel through time at Tokyo’s premier steampunk event 【Photos】

Preston Phro
Feb 14, 2015

As we promised a few weeks ago, we swung by Steam Garden 8: Meiji Democracy and took in the sights and sounds! With more photos than your Facebook feed after a weekend of drunken revelry, we are happy to report that Steam Garden is both an amazing way to spend a Saturday, and an event you’ll definitely want to check out as soon as you can.

Click below for some highlights of the steampunk event and tons of fashion and cosplay photos!

Japan
(cosplay • event • fashion • photos • Steam Garden • steampunk)

Nike’s wild new shoes for China may bless you with prosperity, will definitely get you attention

Casey Baseel
Feb 5, 2015

Shoemaker Nike owes its success as much to the marketing that backs its footwear as the science behind it. But as one of the biggest athletic apparel companies on the planet, the Nike swoosh is hardly a rare sight these days, so if the Oregon-based company really wants to catch people’s eyes, it has to get a little more flamboyant with its designs.

That’s as true in emerging markets as it is in established ones, which is why Nike’s new pair of kicks made especially for China might be the wildest the company has ever made, and come packed with all sorts of imagery meant to make sure fortune smiles on theirs wearers while everyone is looking at their feet.

China
(crazy • fashion • Nike • shoes • sneakers)

Are you man enough for these Hello Kitty clothes made just for dudes?

Casey Baseel
Feb 4, 2015

With her many collaborations with a multitude of designers and brands, it seems like Hello Kitty has merchandise for just about everyone. But while the range from cheap Kitty-chan trinkets to premium luxury items means Japan’s most famous 2-D cat has covered the demographics of both young and old as well as rich and poor, things are a little bit less balanced when it comes to the catalogue of Hello Kitty tie-ins for men versus those for women.

The ever-industrious Kitty is looking to make things a little more even, though, and last year corporate parent Sanrio announced the Hello Kitty Men Project. As part of the initiative, this month fashionable dudes in one fashionable Tokyo neighborhood can get their hands on three new Hello Kitty items made just for men.

Japan
(cafes • events • fashion • Hello Kitty • shoes)

Happy Twintail Day! Now ask out that girl you’ve got a crush on, say Japanese fans of the hairdo

Casey Baseel
Feb 2, 2015

Now that we’re into February, shy men across Japan are out of excuses not to ask out the girl they’ve got a crush on. This month includes a special day with its own framework that allows guys to express their feelings with an established method that leaves no doubt about their affections.

Of course, we’re not talking about Valentine’s Day, because in Japan, women give gifts to men on February 14. No, we’re talking about Twintail Day, observed on February 2, which not only celebrates the dual-tail hairstyle, but also seeks to strengthen the bonds between young lovers and established couples alike.

Japan
(anime • fashion • girls • Idols • romance • weird)

New batch of socks with collars adds sailor suit style for your feet, plus lace and button-downs

Casey Baseel
Jan 30, 2015

A few months ago, we took a look at a collection of truly unique socks that took their styling cues from shirts by providing cute and quirky collars for your ankles. The offbeat idea seems to have found a market, as manufacturer Erimaki Sox is back again with three new designs that add extra femininity, button-down class, and even some sailor suit-style playfulness.

Japan
(cool • cute • fashion • funny • socks)

Steam Garden: Tokyo’s steampunk festival might be better than a Victorian time machine

Preston Phro
Jan 28, 2015

Though it sometimes feel a bit like bragging, when people ask what we like best about Tokyo, we can’t help answering that it basically has everything. Now, don’t us wrong, there are some things you can’t find in Japan’s capital city, but just about everything we’ve gone looking for, we’ve been able to find. And we’ve even discovered some things without knowing we were looking for them! Case in point, about a week ago, we found out that Tokyo has its very own quarterly steampunk festival!

Dubbed Steam Garden, the first event of the year will be held next month in Harajuku, but we were dying to know more about it, so we reached out to the Tokyo Inventors Society to learn more about steampunk in Japan. Check our exclusive interview and get information about joining the fun below!

Japan
(events • fashion • Steam Garden • steampunk • Tokyo • Tokyo Inventors Society)

Bayonetta earrings a bewitching fashion statement, technically count as half a video game cosplay

Casey Baseel
Jan 27, 2015

Ever since her 2009 debut, debates have been swirling around video game character Bayonetta. Was her first, eponymous outing really worth the perfect score it got from notoriously strict video game magazine Famitsu? Is the character’s constantly provocative flaunting of her sexual and violent leanings empowering the character or pandering to juvenile gamers? Was making the sequel exclusive to Nintendo’s Wii U a wise choice? And does the gun-toting witch look better with her original beehive, or the shorter pixie cut she sports these days?

Just in case you’ve already decided which side of those discussions you’re on, here’s one more question to find your own personal answer to: Do you want to buy Bayonetta’s earrings?

Japan
(accessories • Bayonetta • earrings • fashion • video games)

Evangelion couple rings let you tell your sweetheart you love him or her like Shinji loves Kaworu

Casey Baseel
Jan 24, 2015

The Japanese fashion world doesn’t hold any stigmas against guys who enthusiastically accessorize. As such, it’s not uncommon for couples to buy what’re called “pair accessories,” usually rings or necklaces with similar designs, meant to evoke a sense of closeness even when the two lovers are apart.

Considering the recent boom in anime-inspired fashion and accessories, it’s not such a big shock that one jewelry maker has created a set of pair rings based on Evangelion, one of the most popular franchises in the history of Japanese animation. Nor is it surprising that the designers chose to model the rings after two characters who, even if they don’t directly show such feelings, are considered by many fans to be sweet on each other.

What is getting attention, though, is that the two character, Shinji and Kaworu, are both guys.

Japan
(accessories • anime • Evangelion • fashion)

Funny Dachshunds and gyoza dresses – Korean retailer’s unique item names tickle our funny bone

Joan Coello
Jan 23, 2015

I love shopping online; nothing beats shopping at a mega sale sans the crazy crowds and long queues. In fact, I’ve gotten so accustomed to shopping for clothes, accessories, appliances and even manga online, these days when I step into an actual store I feel kind of lost and confused.

Having purchased from various online retailers based across the globe, I think I’ve had my fair share of browsing through all sorts of web stores, yet none of them managed to crack me up like this Korean online shop I stumbled upon a couple of days ago. Think along the lines of kidney bean shoes and dresses with gyoza necklines. Sounds ridiculous, but it’ll all make sense when you see the pictures after the break!

Internet, Korea
(business • fashion • funny • online shopping)

Cost Performance Specialist Sato shows us how to get high fashion at low, low prices

Master Blaster
Jan 23, 2015

Like much of the world, Japan is home to dozens of fashion brands like Uniqlo, GAP, and H&M, which offer high-quality clothes at low prices. It has come to the point that some refer to Uniqlo items as the “nation’s uniform” because of their ubiquity.

With all these big-name retailers saturating the market with their similar brands, how is a true individual supposed to express themselves? Of course there are one-of-a-kind boutiques, but those are way out of the average guy’s price range.

This is where our resident money expert Mr. Sato comes in. He’s known as “Cost Performer Sato,” or as he prefers “Cospa Sato,” because it’s a far more efficient name. He’s here to teach us about a secret shop which can be found in any one of your neighbourhoods and offers unique fashions at highly affordable prices, and look fabulous while doing so.

Japan
(budget • fashion • Mr. Sato • Workman)

Disney Store is all grown up with new branch designed for adult women opening in Tokyo

Casey Baseel
Jan 22, 2015

Disney enjoys broad popularity with Japanese children, with tykes across the nation regularly getting excited for the studio’s animated films and begging their parents to take them to Tokyo Disneyland. This isn’t a recent development, though. Disney’s been a hit with kids for decades now, and while the age of many fans who grew up watching Mickey, Minnie, and their pals has changed, that doesn’t mean their love for the cartoon characters has.

That’s why this spring a new branch of the Disney Store is opening up in Tokyo, and while the staff won’t be turning away little girls at the door, it’s really being designed for adult women.

Japan
(Disney • fashion • shopping • Tokyo)

Cosplay as Sailor Moon’s classmates with official uniforms of the anime heroines’ schools

Casey Baseel
Jan 22, 2015

When most anime fans think of the core cast members of Sailor Moon Crystal, they picture them in their sailor-style combat suits. But while they do indeed don those brightly color-coded getups when it’s time to do battle with the forces of evil, the teen heroines spend most of their week dressed in the uniforms of ordinary junior high students.

If you’ve ever wanted to cosplay not as Sailor Moon, Mercury, Mars, Jupiter, or Venus, but as their alternate non-magical girl identities, now’s your chance, as you can now buy official uniforms of the schools attended by the Sailor Senshi.

Japan
(anime • cool • cosplay • fashion • manga • Sailor Moon)

The Sailor Moon wedding tiara: For when you take the step from magical girl to magical wife

Casey Baseel
Jan 22, 2015

Last month, we took a look at the wedding photos of an extremely passionate Sailor Moon fan who infused her love of the classic magical girl series into nearly every aspect of her ceremony and reception. Impressed as we were, there was more than pure otaku gumption that went into the wedding, as the new bride also employed the considerable skills she’s developed working as a professional event planner.

But there’s another way to add a dash of Sailor Moon to your walk down the aisle, even if you don’t work in a creative industry. Provided whatever you do pays well, soon you’ll be able to order an official Sailor Moon wedding tiara.

Japan
(anime • fashion • jewelry • Sailor Moon • weddings)

Lingerie brand for women with smaller breasts “feast by GOMIHAYAKAWA” holds its first exhibition

TokyoGirlsUpdate
Jan 20, 2015

Gomi Hayakawa, designer of “feast by GOMIHAYAKAWA,” will hold her first exhibition of lingerie for sizes AAA~A cups (referred to as “Cinderella Bust”).

Although smaller breasts may be considered less desirable by some, the lingerie maker has decided to celebrate these sizes by calling them 品乳 (“hinnyuu”), cleverly substituting the first, somewhat negative, kanji character in the word for small breasts (貧乳, also pronounced “hinnyuu”) with 品, which can mean both “goods” and “elegant” or “class.”

Japan
(fashion • feast • GOMI HAYAKAWA • lingerie)

New light-emitting, color-changing “hikaru skirt” illuminates your legs for the world to see

Krista Rogers
Jan 19, 2015

Let’s begin with a bit of linguistic trivia: How many of you know that Japanese has an expression for the area of exposed skin between the top of knee-high socks and the hemline of a skirt? No, this is not a joke, people–the actual term is 絶対領域 (zettai ryouiki), which literally means “absolute territory,” but I’m sure some of you already knew that.

If you didn’t, now is as good a time as ever to add that phrase to your mental lexicon, with LED light-emitting skirts about to enter the world of fashion and all!

Japan
(fashion • HIKARU SKIRT • LED • lights)

New line of Sailor Moon apparel is fashionable enough for adults, still has magical girl charm

Casey Baseel
Jan 17, 2015

No matter how much you like Japanese animation, odds are you’ll reach a certain age where you need a dressier wardrobe than a closet full of anime T-shirts. It’s a milestone a large chunk of Sailor Moon’s fanbase is hitting these days, as it’s now been more than 20 years since the series’ TV premiere.

Thankfully, just because you’re too old to be buying all your clothes at an anime convention dealers room doesn’t mean you have to give up entirely on combining your passion for animation with what you wear. Fashion brand Tralala is launching a new line of Sailor Moon apparel that’ll be instantly recognizable to fellow fans, while still allowing you to fly fashionably under the radar with anyone who’s never seen the show.

Japan
(anime • fashion • manga • Sailor Moon)

Japan’s new, cuter boob shirt turns your breasts into literal sweater kittens

Casey Baseel
Jan 16, 2015

Just about a month ago, the Japanese Internet got all aflutter over something that’s been coined the “low-cut turtleneck.” If those two terms sound contradictory to you, perhaps you’ll find the term we used, “boob shirt,” to be more descriptive.

But fashion trends don’t last forever, and it seems some designers are already moving on from the original design. While the initial boob shirt provided a window for the top of the bust to peek out of, the newest version spruces up a woman’s breasts by combining it with the other thing the Internet can’t seem to get enough of: cute kitty cats.