Japanese Street Style

Take a walk down the Harajuku district in Tokyo and you will undoubtedly be greeted by the bright colours and extravagant fashions of Japan. It is common knowledge that the Japanese aren’t afraid to push the boundaries in almost everything they do. Just look at the variety of Kit Kat flavours produced by the Eastern country. These flavours may not be catching on in the Western side of the world just yet, but the fashion hasn’t gone unnoticed. Welcome to the world of wacky fashion.

Much like the different styles found in the UK, Japan fashion ranges from cute and girlie to dark and gothic. The main difference however is that they take each fashion to the extreme. A popular street fashion found in Japan is ‘Lolita.’ The Lolita style has a number of different subcultures within it – sweet Lolita, gothic Lolita and punk Lolita to name just a few. This style takes the Victorian and Rococo era and gives it a modern twist. The end result is something very unique indeed. Not to be confused with the Western connotations of sexualised youth, the term ‘Lolita’ in Japan references elegance and modesty resulting in high neck collars and full skirts.

[Images from Tokyo Fashion]

Another popular fashion is ‘Decora.’ In English, the term ‘Decora’ translates to ‘decorative’ or ‘decoration.’ This style is widely based around the layering of accessories including both hair accessories and jewellery and is known for being bright and colourful. It is also common for small toys to be used to accessorise. Like ‘Lolita,’ this style can be divided into different subcultures ranging from pink and girlie to dark and gothic.

[Images taken from Tokyo Fashion]

What happens when you combine 1950s Americana with music and fashion? You get ‘Rockabilly.’ This style can be found almost anywhere in the world, but naturally Japan step it up a notch. Looking like they have stepped right out of ‘Grease,’ the men sport greased back hair and leather jackets while the girls step out in high ponytails and poodle skirts. Alternatively, girls can be found wearing pencil skirts and sweetheart necklines for a more pinup look.

[Image taken from Tofugu]

Finally, one style that you may be more familiar with is ‘cosplay.’ The shortened term of ‘costume play’ refers to an outfit inspired by video games, anime and a variety of other pop culture icons. In Western countries you will more likely see this style at conventions such as Comic Con, however on the streets of Tokyo, it is common to see individuals incorporate their favourite character’s style into their own every day outfits.

[Images taken from Tokyo Faces & Tokyo Fashion]

These are just a select few street styles that can be found in the streets of Tokyo. Other popular fashions to be found include ‘Ganguro’ and ‘Mori.’ The Japanese will continuously be admired for the confidence they seem to possess to express themselves in a way that most in the UK and other Western countries may find a little OTT. Hopefully one day we might be able to feel free to express ourselves in similar ways. Maybe without the use of small toys as accessories though.

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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References:

Tokyo Fashion

Japanese Streets

Alpha City Guides

Kawaii Box Review | April 2015

Another month, another 'Kawaii Box.' Admittedly I've been pretty lazy when it comes to reviewing these boxes but I'm determined to change that! Now that I've almost finished college for the summer, I'm hoping to find more time to blog and I have a few post ideas already so watch this space.

Anyway, on with today's review!

One can never have too many stickers and this months addition to my ever growing sticker stash are these super cute 'Love Rabbit' puffy stickers. The box also included another pack of these jewelry seal stickers that you can use to decorate your phone, iPod and pretty much anything else you can think of. These decorative stickers have been included in a previous box and I still haven't used them so I can't see myself using this packet either. Since subscribing to this box the number of pencil cases I own has increased drastically and it doesn't show signs of stopping anytime soon. The April box included this adorable alpaca pencil case.

When I first opened the box I was greeted by glitter. Literally. By the time I had finished looking through everything both myself and the sofa were covered in it! This glitter would have come in handy when I was studying childcare and doing a work placement in a nursery. Even though I doubt I'll have any reason to use it in the foreseeable future, it's always handy to have some crafty stuff in storage! One of my favourite items in this box was this cute pen and I was also incredibly excited to see this Rilakkuma notepad! Not that I actually need anymore notepads but I am an absolute sucker for Rilakkuma merch. And of course no Kawaii Box is complete without a key ring or phone charm and this months box features a squidgy paw.

Snack-wise this months box came with these 'Collon' snacks. My mum said that they look like dog treats, but I'm sure they'll be delicious. They look like they'll be green tea flavour and anything green tea flavoured is a winner in my book. At first I wasn't sure what the purpose of the macaroon was. I thought it was only for decorative purposes which I thought a bit odd, but I later discovered that it's actually a little storage box! I'm thinking of storing my nose rings and studs in it. Finally, much like key rings and phone charms, no Kawaii Box is complete without some sort of cute plushie.

The box also came with a super cute bow hair clip that I forget to snap a picture of. I will definitely be putting it to good use as I'm always pinning my fringe back these days and it will make a super cute alternative to the usual kirby grips.

I will 100% be back with a review of next months box. If I'm not then I give you all permission to hunt me down and give me a good slapping. 

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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Kawaii Box October '14 Review

Apologies for not getting a post up last week. My college work has been piling up and any free time has been used to catch up on TV shows, anime & YouTube. I know, I know, I'm a bad blogger! But I am back with another subscription box review!

You may remember that in my last review post I mentioned that I was going to change subscription boxes. That I have done and I'm so glad I made the switch. Not only is this box slightly cheaper but I much prefer the contents of Kawaii Box to Kawaii Monthly and feel like it's more worth the money.

I really liked how the box came with a postcard with a handwritten note on it! It wasn't even a photocopy. I feel sorry for the person who had to sit and write each note!

The difference between Kawaii Box and Kawaii Monthly is that this one has a lot more smaller miscellaneous items such as charms and stationary.

The first item was this furry little creature. I think it's meant to be a cat and it's just so soft and cute! There's a little hoop on the top of its head so I'm guessing you're meant to hang it somewhere. I don't really have anywhere to hang it so I've got it sitting on my shelf instead.

Next is this adorable cat sharpener. I never use pencils so I haven't actually tried it out. I get the impression that it might be like those plastic kiddy sharpeners that never work properly, but as I haven't used it I could be wrong. It does make a really cute addition to my desk though!

Pens always seem to disappear in my house so new pens are always welcomed with open arms, especially Hello Kitty pens! It has a little charm on the lid of what I think is meant to be a chocolate bar. Keeping on the topic of sweet treats, there were also these sweetie hair bobbles. They remind me of something I would've worn when I was younger.

This was probably my favourite item in the box. A Korilakkuma charm! I actually have a similar Rilakumma charm that my best friend got me. These charms are squishy and would make good stress balls. But I'd never take my stress out on these cuties!

Just like Kawaii Monthly, there's always a sweet treat included! Like most Japanese confectionery, these chew sweets aren't like your average Starburst or Fruitella. Oh no. The packet describes these sweets as a 'soft yoghurt candy' with small gummy pieces in. I've never been a huge lover of chew sweets, but these are decent. The gummy parts kind of pop out of the soft chewy part as you eat it! I received the grapefruit flavour but there are a number of other flavours available. And can we just appreciate how cute the packaging is?!

Next is this rather colourful flannel/face cloth/whatever you want to call it. It's always useful to have several of these bad boys around the house. I especially like this one as it has a little hook in the corner so you can hang it up instead of just draping it over the side of the bath. In saying that, there's no where around my bath to actually hook it so it'll still end up draped over the side.

This little note card is really handy for birthdays or any other gift giving occasion. Although I am tempted to not use it and just keep it for myself.

Naturally, no 'kawaii' subscription is complete without stickers! The October box came with these cute cupcake stickers. You are never too old for stickers! I also received these 'fashion stickers' which are pink peals that you can use to decorate your phone, iPod, laptop, pretty much anything you like. I'll definitely find a use for the cupcake stickers but as for the pearl stickers I'm not so sure.

And last is this cute pouch that could be used as a make-up bag or pencil case. I have so many of these things that I don't know if I'll put this one to use straight away but it's always useful to have things like this on hand, especially when you're travelling.

If you guys are interested in subscribing to this box yourself, you can do so HERE. It's a must have for any lover of cute things! If you read any of my Kawaii Monthly reviews, which box do you prefer? Feel free to let me know!
Until next time,
Elijah xo

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MCM Comic Con Haul

In my previous post I mentioned that I was going to write a separate post on what I bought over the two days at Comic Con. I  managed to stay within my budget of £100 with a few pounds to spare! I was seriously surprised at this as I had visions of being completely bankrupt by the end of it. I'm also surprised that I didn't spend it all at once unlike my sister's friend who managed to spend all of her money within the first half hour of both days. Talk about crazy.

My favourite purchase of the whole weekend was definitely this Attack on Titan hoodie. I had actually planned on buying one specifically to wear at Comic Con as I wasn't cosplaying, but that didn't happen. When I saw they were selling these at the Tokyo Toys pop up I just HAD to get one. It's super soft and I pretty much live in it now. These hoodies are usually available to buy at around £35, but Tokyo Toys were selling them at £32 which I think is a reasonable price for a hoodie.

Yes, I may or may not have bought three plushies. I swear I am not 5 years old. It was like plushie heaven! There were so many from Pokemon to Totoro to pretty much every other anime series under the sun. I ended up buying Asuna from Sword Art Online, a mini Mikasa from Attack on Titan and AN ALPACA! I have wanted one of these alpacas for ages and was originally planning on buying one of the full sized ones, but they were a lot more expensive so I just decided to go for one of the smaller ones. She's just too cute!

I also got my hands on some awesome posters! My walls were seriously lacking some anime so I just had to take up on the deal that the stall had going on. If you bought two posters you got another two free. I share a room so I can't really put any huge posters up, but these are the perfect size. I ended up getting Gray and Lucy from Fairy Tail, Mikasa from Attack on Titan and the guys from Free!

I've always loved the idea of blind boxes, but had never came across any that I really liked. That was until my sister's friend found these K-ON! ones. I got Mio in her maid outfit and she's so cute. I think this figure was the 'special item' that is referred to on the back of the box as this one wasn't listed on the box. I seriously couldn't believe my luck! I kinda wish that I bought another one. I also bought the melon flavour Ramune drink. I've wanted to try this for ages! I follow people on Instagram who seem to really love this drink so I am excited to try it and hope it lives up to the hype. 

And of course I just HAD to buy some Japanese snacks. I don't eat chocolate/sweets/biscuits etc. but I always make an exception for Japan. They had so many different types of Pocky. It was so hard not to buy every flavour! I ended up limiting myself to two and decided on the milk flavour and blueberry. I also just had to get these chocolate coffee beans as anything coffee flavoured is my favourite. If you know anything about Japan then you should know that they're well known for their weird and wacky flavours, especially when it comes to Kit Kats. These ones aren't too weird though. I believe the green one is matcha and the pink one is strawberry. They were also selling other flavours such as red bean sandwich, but I wasn't feeling brave enough to try that one.

There were so many things that I wanted to buy and I easily could have spent a lot more. However, I am really happy with everything I bought and feel like the weekend was a complete success. I think I might just start saving up for next year!

Until next time,

Elijah xo

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MCM Scotland Comic Con '14

After months of waiting, the weekend of Comic Con finally arrived! It’s safe to say that I was buzzing. This was my first time going to any sort of expo convention so I wasn’t really sure what to expect, but I was not disappointed. I didn’t originally plan on blogging the weekend, but after the first day I decided it would be worth taking my camera along on the second day and snapping some pics for you all! 

Unfortunately, I didn't cosplay. I really wish I did though and am planning to next year. On the Saturday I wore the cutest, pinkest and girliest outfit I could put together. I don't get any pictures of it but you can see what I wore here. However, I FINALLY got my hands on an Attack on Titan hoodie on the first day so I wore this bad boy on the Sunday.

I have to admit that I didn't really expect to see that many anime and Japanese related things. I don't know why, but I had this idea that there would be a lot of sci-fi related things more than anything else. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived. I swear I began to get heart palpitations when I saw the huge Tokyo Toys pop up at the entrance. SO MUCH ANIME MERCH! I was completely in my element. I also got rather excited over this huge SNK poster.

My favourite stall had to be Tofu Cute. I had browsed their website a few times before but had never actually purchased anything from there. I did however buy a number of things from the stall over the weekend and admittedly most of the pictures I took were of that stall. I seriously wanted to buy everything. It was all just too cute and there was so many Japanese snacks AND SO MUCH POCKY!!!

I seriously thought that by the end of the weekend I’d be bankrupt, but surprisingly I stayed within my set budget of £100. I’m really cautious and picky about what I spend my money on, but I’m really pleased with everything that I bought. I plan on writing a separate Comic Con haul post showing everything that I bought so look out for that over the next few days!

Of course, Comic Con had a number of special guests attending and there was one that I was determined to get a picture with. Hannah from S Club 7. I don't even watch Primeval which was what she was there for. All I cared about was S Club 7. My 4 year old self died when I managed to get a picture with her.

Here are a few more snaps from the day.

I am now eagerly sitting here waiting for the confirmation of next years event. You can 100% guarantee that I'll be there! It's now one of my dreams to go to the one in London and of course, San Diego. I'd love to know if any of you guys have been to a Comic Con event or something similar, and if you cosplayed or not!

Until next time,

Elijah xo

Kawaii Monthly Review - August '14

Another month, another Kawaii Monthly box. However, before I delve into this months review I'd like to say that this will be the final time I review a Kawaii Monthly box. But do not fear for I am going to subscribe to a similar box! This one is called Kawaii Box and is slightly cheaper than Kawaii Monthly and instead of five items you get between 10-12. The items included are usually smaller, miscellaneous things such as keyrings, phone charms and small accessories. I feel like I'll get a lot more use out of Kawaii Box than this one. But anyway, ON WITH THE REVIEW!

Rilakkuma Strawberry Puffs

As always, this months box included a snack. These are branded Rilakkuma strawberry corn puffs. They're basically like little balls of cereal with a strawberry flavoured coating. As soon as you open the tub there is a strong scent of strawberry and the flavour is no different. They taste a little like strawberry Pocky but instead of the biscuit it's corn. They're very moreish and I could have easily finished the whole tub in one sitting. I love it when snacks come with something extra, and these came with an adorable Rilakkuma sticker. And not to mention the packaging is super cute!

Kumamon Deco Tape

I've always wanted some fancy, decorative tape but have never actually bought any. I'd only end up not wanting to use it and just have it out on display. But I finally have some! This deco tape features the bear Kumamon who is the mascot of the Kumamoto area of Japan. The tape is made of a traditional material called washi paper which is made from completely natural ingredients. I'm going to try my hardest not to just leave this sitting on my desk as a decoration. I'm planning to use it for wrapping birthday/Christmas presents. Whether I follow through with that plan is a completely different story.

My Melody Pencil Case

I've always been that person to have a pencil case. I would never dream of taking it out and putting it on my desk, but you could always guarantee that I'd have one in my bag. Despite some people possibly thinking this pencil case completely childish, I've been using it for college. It's a good quality pencil case and features the super 'kawaii' character, My Melody who is a character from the brand, Sanrio (the brains behind Hello Kitty) and is an officially licensed product. The design is super cute and girly and as you can see is very pink. It's also the perfect size and fits into my bag nicely.

Romantic Falsies Case

This is probably the product that I'm least excited about this month. However, I will admit that it's a super handy thing to have. This vintage style plastic case is the perfect size to pop in your handbag and an easy way to keep your curbies, hair bobbles or any other small bits and bobs together when you're out. There's also a mirror inside which is always useful to have! I think it'd also be handy to keep jewellery in, especially earrings.

Oshibori Set
The final product in this months box was something I had never heard of or seen before. 'Oshibori' means wet towel in Japanese and this set includes a face cloth and a super cute container. Wet the face cloth, roll it up, place it in the container and pop it in your bag. The container helps to lock the moisture in the face cloth so you can use it to clean your hands or cool off when you're out and about. I think this item could be super handy, however I don't think I'll use it all that much. A simple face wipe can achieve the same result. The container is pretty compact and the moisture does indeed keep well in the face cloth.

And that's it for my final review of Kawaii Monthly. The first review of Kawaii Box may be a little later as I'm not sure how quickly the first box will arrive. Are any of you subscribed to either of these 'kawaii' boxes or are you subscribed to another kind of box? Feel free to leave a comment below letting me know!

Until next time,
Elijah xo

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