It doesn’t seem to matter whether you’re milling around Harajuku station or walking down a street in rural Japan; you don’t have to be in the midst of the urban pop culture scene to notice all those jangly cellphone charms, cheerfully loud purikura stickers, and carefully styled hair fringes.
Street fashion is one of the most obvious ways that cuteness has made its mark on Japan.
For example, the kawaisa style of dressing, which has its roots in the 1980s pop scene, has become increasingly popular and is now a fashion statement in its own right.
The trend was originally seen as a kind of rebellion among the youth (hence it’s innate coolness), since it appeared to be the antithesis of traditional fashion which was geared towards an older generation of women, and which emphasised ‘womanliness and common sense.’
Although this kawaii style has undergone many evolutions and will no doubt continue to do so, it often still involves numerous oversized layers (the effect being to make the body appear smaller by comparison), and purposefully clashing colours and patterns. Shades of pink are used regularly, and the standard jeans and T-shirt look is added to by use of various accessories including fuzzy animal hats, chunky hand-made jewellery, and toys and bags with characters or mascots from various manga, anime and character franchises (including of course, but by no means limited to, Hello Kitty).
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