(Photo by Yerianys Padin Caro/Zama Middle High School senior)
Editor’s Note: Yerianys Padin Caro is a senior at Zama Middle High School in Camp Zama. If you or someone you know would like to contribute your story to Stripes Japan, let us know at japan@stripes.com!
To me, fashion is self-love. It is confidence and you become a canvas where you can express your creativity. If you want to style yourself like a masterpiece, Tokyo’s Harajuku is the place to go.
This neighborhood is the center of unique street style and from the moment you arrive at Takeshita Street, the main street of the area, you understand the hype. Everywhere you look the street is lined with bright stores, bold outfits and people with confidence showing off their style.
At first, Harajuku can feel overwhelming because there is so much to see. After walking around, you start to notice many different styles. Two popular styles are Lolita and Jirai Kei.
Lolita is characterized by soft, cute, and dreamy themed items. Stores show lace dresses, ruffled skirts, oversized sweaters, and cute graphic tees featuring Hello Kitty, cute animals, pastel hearts, and playful sayings. Many Lolita outfits include bows, lace socks, charm bags, and pastel colors like pink, cream, and baby blue, along with fun accessories like hair bows, parasols, and bonnets that make everything look cute. Stores in Harajuku like Angelic Pretty and ECMIE are popular for this type of style.
In stark contrast, Jirai Kei’s bold and edgy streetwear style incorporates oversized hoodies, baggy pants, varsity jackets, and sneakers. Bright colors and graphic prints make these outfits stand out. If you’re interested in this style, WEGO and Spinns in Harajuku carry pieces for this type of fashion.
You’ll notice these two styles and many more as you’re walking through Harajuku’s busy streets. People expressing themselves through fashion is what makes Harajuku special. You might walk past a store full of pastel dresses and the next store has bold streetwear and graphic jackets. In most places that contrast might seem odd, but in Harajuku it’s normal.
Every time I go to Harajuku, I look for new trends and styles that inspire me. There are so many stores to explore. You can spend the entire day looking at different styles. My favorite stop is Brandy Melville because it mixes basic pieces with trendy styles. But the best part of Harajuku is exploring. Walking through the streets, discovering new shops, and trying different styles.
So, if you like fashion like I do, you should visit Harajuku. I always say that through fashion you describe who you are without speaking. Go bold, go cute, go casual, go trendy and let your style do the talking.
(Photo by Yerianys Padin Caro/Zama Middle High School senior)
(Photo by Yerianys Padin Caro/Zama Middle High School senior)
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Writer’s bio: Yerianys Padin Caro is a senior at Zama Middle High School who enjoys staying involved in both academics and extracurriculars. She’s currently taking fashion dual enrollment courses to prepare for a future career in fashion and recently started a fashion club to share her creativity and ideas with other students.