Why is Tokyo a fashion capital?

Tokyo is where a number of unique fashion styles have blossomed and caught fire around the world. Where do you think the socks in the sandals look started? Maybe some of you don’t feel that vibe, but millions of hipsters do. Check out how often it has appeared in fashion shoots and you might start to believe me.

So why such a fascination with Tokyo and Japan? Firstly, Japan continues to capture the world’s imagination. There is a fascination with Japan that starts from everything — the elderly women and their ageless class, the young men who don’t mind dressing up for work and spend more on their personal grooming than the average caucasian male (or female), or the perfectly matching mother child duo. Even the elderly man who knows how to rock his vintage wardrobe from 20–30 years ago has spunk I have never seen in London, New York or Paris.

Japanese have an eye for it. Simply that. They blend the new and old culture, their future and past trends so well. Most of us don’t know how to do this. How incredible that Japanese have found a way to look modern in traditional kimono. I can’t think of anything that comes as close to this in other cultures, can you?

Japanese accessorize with thought. There is something to say about someone who can pull off a scrunchy tie without looking 6-years-old. Am I right? Even the knee-high socks, the high waisted jeans (now back on the racks) and girlish pumps are coming back. Japanese think about the socks, the height of the socks, the cut of their pants and what belt would suit. They have an innate ability to match.

There is also tasteful feminism. The women here know how to dress like a woman. Is that an offensive statement to say in 2021? Well I don’t want to put any definitions around feminine dress styles because really, it’s often how something is worn rather than what is being worn. They dress to suit their bodies and are elegant in the fabrics they choose. For example, the women don’t dress with clothes too tight. They aren’t showing off their bodies with lots of skin. (Of course there are always exceptions.) They pick flowing materials and soft cuts. Jerseys aren’t squashed into the top of the jeans like a bad 90s poster, they are neatly tucked in at the front and scooped down at the back. Their handbags aren’t overcrowded, opened or hung over the shoulder. They treat their bag like it is their outfit, not a utilitarian thing to carry their water bottle, pain killers, running shoes leftover from this morning’s gym session and a back up tampon that probably should have been chucked out a few years ago rolling around like candy.

They are tidy. Right now we are all wearing masks, but even then you will see an immaculate presentation of hair, skin and mask combo here in Japan. Their mask might have a jewel on it, or some lace that matches their outfit. And their hair is perfectly curled to fall down by their face to the point you almost forget they are wearing a mask.

Clean hair and skin is their everything. This last one is key. They put a lot of effort into the canvas, less so on the paint which many of us ladies focus on. This means that for Japanese an almost religious night and morning face care routine is key.

These are a few of my favourite things about Japan’s fashion culture. There is so much more to write, and I will probably do so in the coming weeks and months. Stay tuned!