Centered around culture, community, and self-expression, Japanese fashion combines traditional haute couture with the latest fashion trends into unique styles and fashion statements.
Inspired by Tokyo’s everyday life and fashion styles, such as Kawaii, Japanese fashion is colorful, experimental, clashing, and tactile.
In this article, I’ll introduce you to the 25 most popular Japanese fashion trends right now to inspire you to give your wardrobe a unique Japanese-inspired look.
1. Modern Kimono Look
As the local designers never gave up on their heritage, traditional Japanese outfits such as Kimonos and Yukata are returning to the Japanese fashion scene.
Fashion-forward Japanese designers such as Chitose Abe – SACAI’s founder – and Yohji Yamamoto are reviving Japanese kimonos in androgynous clothing and gender-neutral looks.
2. Japanese Goth Style
This year, we see a trend of Japanese streetwear designers adopting Gothic fashion aesthetics to create unique Goth-style garments, footwear, and accessories.
The trend is noticeable in both traditional and streetwear attire.
3. Oversized Rainbow Hoodies
The baggy clothes mania started on the streets of Tokyo as a symbol of the American hip-hop revolution.
In Japan, we see the return of oversized clothing spearheaded by streetwear brands like BAPE and HARE.
Easy to match with skinny pants, tight-fit dresses, or even muscle-hugging shirts, loose hoodies in rainbow and neon colors are the way forward.
4. Y2k E-girl Style
Emerging around the 2000s fashion decade, the Y2K combo with elements of E-girl style is growing fast in popularity.
The concept reflects the modern lifestyle of the early ‘electronic girls,’ but through the lens of Y2K style and even a touch of Y2K Cyber aesthetics.
5. Techwear Outfits
Japanese techwear brands are booming on Reddit and social media.
And it makes a lot of sense as Japanese designers are excellent at using innovative materials to create avant-garde aesthetics.
6. Oversized Printed Shirts
In the past, Japanese designers adorned shirts with boho-chic style florals and traditional aesthetics like snakes, dragons, cherry trees, and bamboo sticks.
More recently, the prints include a unique blend of Western cultural elements with traditional motifs and patterns.
Anything but subtle, the louder, the better – so this is a year of vibrant prints, crazy patterns, and solid statement pieces.
7. Grunge Look
Known for mixing and matching prints, Japanese street fashion designers prove there’s no such thing as clashing.
The best example is plaid-on-plaid Grunge-style outfits, which look impressive if you complement rather than compete in colors and styles.
Pair with platform shoes for a unique Grunge-streetwear combo of a powerful visual effect.
Influenced by the retro-futurist aesthetic, metallic and silver (materials and colors) are fast-rising Japanese fashion trends.
Picture a blend of metallic tops, shimmering pleated skirts, paillettes, cropped pants, mini skirts, metallic shoes, shiny clutches, metallic makeup, silvery eyeshadow, and sparkling hair.
9. Dalmatian Prints
It’s no secret that Japanese designers draw much inspiration from Great Britain’s history and heritage.
And, as a country that often blurs the lines between reality and fantasy, anything British, even cartoons or movies, matters.
Such is the case with Cruella, a movie follow-up on Disney’s 101 Dalmatians animation.
10. Colorbloking Looks
We’ve got to thank Yves Saint Laurent for the colorblocking design concept: two or more colors combined or stacked in ‘blocks’ in a single garment.
Inspired by the rise in androgynous and gender-free fashion, current Japanese fashion is bathing in rainbow hues.
11. Camo Queen Look
From the boots to the sleeves…Japanese youth adore dark-colored camo outfits and military-based hues, showcasing concise and flamboyant personalities ready to stand out.
12. Deconstructed Trench Coats
Timeless and practical, trench coats are a staple in everybody’s closet and a vestimentary garment impossible to go wrong with.
This year, though, Japanese street fashionistas have found ways to reinvent the ever-so-classic trench.
Taken apart, reversed, upside-down, with supersized elements and logos over logos, this year brings the Japanese fashion trend of deconstructed trench coats.
13. Bubblegum Denim
Bubblegum is a pink hue with a striking, bright, and vibrant feel.
Denim in bubblegum pink must be worn at the extremes: either the soft, crowd-pleasing hue or the statement-making powerful shade.
With Kawaii styles influencing Japanese fashion trends, bubblegum is always a choice to create a powerful visual message.
14. Comfortable ‘Coatigans’
A look reserved in the past for school librarians and grandmas, a ‘coatigan’ is a hybrid between a coat and a cardigan.
Described as full-length sweaters, coatigans are made of thick yarn and are heavier than a sweater or a pullover but lighter than the outerwear layers.
To create a cozy and chic look, wear your coatigan over colorful blouses or patterned dresses and a trace of dark lipstick if you’re into Gothic fashion.
15. Graphic Athleisure
As a nation that has never let go of athleisure wear since its inception, the Japanese love joggers, bottoms, track pants, and runners.
Another quick and easy way to recreate Tokyo’s graphic athleisure look is to experiment with neon colors, oversized accessories, and‘flatform’ boots.
16. Oversized Designer Trench Coats
While not for everyone, the oversized designer trench coat look is super cool in Japan right now.
Created for military purposes back in 1912, the appeal of trench coat has lasted through decades of dressing codes.
Thrown over everything, from trendy jeans to athleisure and slinky evening dresses, over-the-top trench coats have a unique andundeniably cool look.
17. Designer Clogs
In the 13th century, feudal Japan initially used the clog as a wooden flip-flop.
A few centuries later, the clog resurfaced in Europe as the 19th-century shoe of Dutch farmers.
Clogs are more popular than ever when climbing down staircases and Harajuku’s streets, edging toward Tokyo’s café tills, and moving across gallery floors.
Unfailingly cool, clogs signify a life where one does as one wants and submits to nobody else’s will – corporate uniform and male gaze be damned!
18. Camel-Toe Boots
Love or hate them, this season is all about the square-toe boot.
From the classic comfy block-heel ankle boots to a fierce flat-heel thigh-high style – and everything in between – this year’s Japanese fashion looks are all about square-toe boots.
Get a pair of black leather square-toe ankle boots for a timeless and endlessly versatile look.
Style them best with straight-cut trousers (denim), free-flowing tops in bold shades, and jackets or coats in animal prints, and amp up your off-duty attire.
19. Slouchy Outwear
Gone are the days when outerwear garments were created and used only to keep you warm.
Slouchy outerwear is characterized by super oversized coats or jackets, worn through the sleeves to the elbows – and then stopping there.
Worn lazily, slouchy outerwear adds depth and rebellious character to your overall look.
20. Anime Accessories
Over-structured and unique, Harajuku-inspired anime accessories have always been part of Japanese fashion.
There’s no one popular accessory but a combination of accessories from the many facets of the Japanese anime fashion scene, complete with dramatic makeup, knee socks, and dyed hair.
21. Wide Leg Pants
This season, Japanese outfits are moving away from skin-tight pants and skinny-leg jeans, opting for free-flowing wide-leg bottoms.
And, truth be told, when it comes to wide trousers, nobody does it better than the Japanese designers.
22. Patent Leather Jackets
Put aside your bombers and fuzzy faux-fur toppers and get to the core of this year’s main repertoire: patent leather jackets.
Affordable and sleek, patent leather jackets are popular in Japan, given their power to depict an expensive look that anyone could score.
23. Full White Outfits
Japan’s fashion influencers scouting the underground scene brought the complete white look back to life.
From breathable linen to vintage laces and soft and flowy chiffon to flattering denim, white-on-white shades work best with matching handbags, statement headwear, and chunky sneakers.
24. Vegan Shearling Jackets
Shearling is the skin of a lamb – tanned, processed, and dyed with the wool still intact, popular in luxury coats, jackets, hats, and gloves.
Japanese stylists love nostalgic glamour that never goes out of style, as the luxurious shearling jacket brings the punch to your outfits on colder days.
However, most Japanese use faux or vegan leather alternatives and logos for an updated take on the shearling jacket.
25. Designer Face Masks
In a country that puts community at its core, wearing a mask is another way of protecting and caring for others.
Yet, the Japanese have turned the face mask into a fashion statement with unique cutouts, logos, and colors, matching them with all sorts of aesthetic clothes.
Conclusion
There you have it: the top 29 Japanese fashion looks, curated by Japan’s best fashion designers, to keep you ahead of the stylistic game.
If anything, these daring stylistic ensembles prove that there’s a formula one has to follow to nail the latest Japanese fashion ideas and looks.
Japan is undoubtedly a leader in unabashed, fashion-forward, innovative, and trend-setting individualistic clothing styles.
And fortunately for us all, Japanese clothing is no longer limited to Japan.
For those of you still exploring and trying to create a personal style, remember that the scene of Japanese clothing brands is something else.
It is fun, exciting, outrageous, and even crazy (at times).
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Mandy Meyer
After years of managing hundreds of fashion brands from London's office of a global retailer, Mandy has ventured into freelancing. Connected with several fashion retailers and media platforms in the US, Australia, and the UK, Mandy uses her expertise to consult for emerging fashion brands create top-notch content as an editorial strategist for several online publications.
