Guide to Finding Kawaii Clothing

Kawaii is the word for cute in Japanese. It’s a big thing over there and has seeped it’s way into their whole culture, just as how being seen as sexy has seeped it’s way into western culture. It has a relatively small following in the west of people who want to look cute rather than sexy, I personally love the kawaii style. It’s really girly and looks just lovely. The only issue is that since it isn’t so popular over here, finding clothes of that style can be a bit of a challenge if you don’t know where to look.

Firstly, probably the way most of you are most familiar with shopping, the High Street. If you go with an open mind you can actually find some pretty good stuff. In general anything Pastel can probably work in a cute outfit, but dolly-like dresses will also look great.

If you go to a high street shop looking for something specific (Like a bear-eared powder blue fuzzy hoodie) you will almost definitely be disappointed. However, if you are just looking for clothes that can work in a kawaii style outfit then you have a reasonable chance of finding something. The same criteria also goes for Charity Shops too of course. (Which have the added bonus of being super cheap and for a good cause.)

Storenvy or Etsy are good options for online shopping. You can find a lot of stuff on Storenvy that’s straight from Japan or Korea, a lot of the time the store owner will basically act as the middle person for you and help you get the items from there. I personally think this is a lot less hassle then trying to figure out a shopping service that isn’t fluent in your first language, but you might have to pay more money for this convenience. Etsy is great for finding original handmade items that only you will have, (there a several shops like that on Storenvy too) and lots of store owners will make custom orders for you if you need a specific size or item.

eBay is probably my favourite option. You will have a hard time finding any brands on there but they do have cheap cute clothing that usually has reasonable shipping as well. If you can spend the extra time sifting through a bunch of random items you can find some really good stuff. It might take a while to arrive and be extra careful that you are sure what you are ordering before you get it, but all my experiences have been very good. When I have had a fault with items the seller has always been so kind and either sent me another or given me a full refund with no disputes. Obviously other people might have different experiences, but if you pay using PayPal you can file a claim to get your money back if the seller is not genuine.

TaoBao and Rakuten are basically the Chinese and Japanese versions of eBay. This means there is a lot more choice of clothing on there that would fit into Kawaii fashion and it’s mostly quite cheap. They even have some brands like DreamV (on Rakuten.) Sounds Ideal,  right? There are a few drawbacks.

Personally, I have never got the hang of TaoBao. It’s in Chinese and while you could use Google Chrome to translate the page, I would always be worried that the translation was inaccurate or there would be other problems because of that. I find Rakuten far easier to use, though it does tend to be the slightly more costly of the two. You will need to use a shopping service to buy from TaoBao, (and possbily Rakuten, I’m not sure) which might be hard to organise.

The biggest issue though is the huge cost of shipping internationally. You have to pay for the shopping service, shipping and customs which sometimes means people pay more for the delivery than the cost of the actual item. Be aware of these costs and be sure you would be willing to pay that much for the items.

There are lots of sites that sell Asian fashion or Kawaii clothing specifically that you can use. Such as Yesstyle. However I would be careful with any of these websites. Sometimes a website that looks promising may be a scam, so always check reviews. Sometimes the quality may not be good or there may be other issues with your order. You can find genuine sites that offer good quality and prices on their clothes, I have heard some good reviews about Yesstyle (but also some negative) but I haven’t heard enough about these sites to recommend any to you.

If you are into a specific type of kawaii style (like lolita or Gyaru) then there will be a bunch of sites that are great for you. (Such as Bodyline for Lolita.) (For my quick quide to hime gyaru brands click here) I just don’t have the space to write a guide for specific styles in this entry! If you google ‘where to buy gyaru/lolita/etc’ I am sure there will be lots of blog entries for you to read that will help! Hopefully I can make my own guide soon too!

Click images for sources

*~*Hope my guide has been helpful to you! Good Luck*~*

Hime Kaji style

Hime Kaji is a style that many Hime Gyaru (See here for my post on how to dress Hime Gyaru) will wear on days they feel more lazy and casual. The look is about still being princess-like but in a more casual way, because of this it is much easier to make a Hime Kaji outfit from clothes you find in western high streets than it is to make a Hime Gyaru co-ordinate.

The look is more anything-goes as it is casual, but soft colours and floral prints, along with other girly details, are an easy way to make sure your outfit looks on-point.

Here are some great examples of Hime Kaji style

I found this picture on Tumblr. This outfit is still girly and fun but isn’t as extravagant as Hime Gyaru, meaning it will get less odd looks in public ;P

This image is from here. I believe it is a La Pafait dress. The fleece looks really soft and comfy, but easier to wear than a huge princess dress.

This is from the wonderful Sui Princess. Here. The soft pink cardigan and skirt and are things that you could probably find in normal shops, but the delicate lace detail adds a princess edge to the outfit.

These three are also fantastic examples of the style. They haven’t lost the princess look while dressing down for a more everyday style. Image from here.

The great thing about this style is that it takes a lot less time to get ready for than full on Hime Gyaru.

*+*I hope you all enjoyed my post on this wonderful style*+*

Finding Gyaru Style Clothes on the High Street

Gyaru brands are expensive. If you have to pay for a shopping service to get them from Japan, it makes them even more expensive. However, it is possible to find clothes that fit into a Gyaru outfit from high street shops and other places. One place that is worth a look is charity shops and other quirky boutique type shops, they may have girly, lace or floral dresses that would fit really well into a Hime Gyaru co-ordinate.

To show you how you can create a Gyaru, Hime Gyaru (Or Hime Kaji) outfit by using high street shops, I have browsed the websites of popular high street brands to find some items of clothing that I think would fit a Hime/Gyaru outfit. They’re much cheaper than most Gyaru brands and more easy to get your hands on.

(Click the picture for it’s source)

With some tall white socks and cute peachy high heels or wedges, I think this would look just lovely. It can see it fitting into certain Gyaru styles or a Hime Kaji style.

This skirt would look lovely in a Hime Kaji outfit. It could go with a cute pink sweater and lots of accessories.

This dress is very princess-like. I think with a short cardigan or some gloves it would look really great in a Hime Gyaru co-ordinate.

Another dress that could go in a Hime Gyaru or a Hime Kaji outfit. It’s not as pink, but with the right accessories it could definitely work.

This headband is so kawaii! I think it would look perfect in a Hime Kaji outfit.

I think this jumper would look great in a Hime Kaji outfit. It looks slightly Liz Lisa-ish to me. It would go well with a lace skirt and some good shoes.

These tights would go great in an Agejo or Hime Kaji type outfit. They’re very cute and the cream/white socks go well in Hime style. The way they hint at being stockings it what would make them fit in an Agejo style.

*~*Hope this has shown you that Gyaru clothes don’t have to be from an expensive brand!*~*

Liz Lisa & My Melody Collaboration!

Liz Lisa had recently opened pre-orders on items for their collaboration with My Melody, and as expected there are some massively adorable items available! I think this release kind of overshadows their Summer 2013 collection which looks quite limited and some of the items are not shaped as well as I would like for an item that costs as much.

(Click on pictures for their source)

These are definitely my favourite of the range. I’m not quite sure why, maybe it’s because they are so unique looking and I can’t imagine finding similar ones elsewhere. The print is so cute :3 and they look extremely comfy.

A pink, comfy looking cardigan that’s also part of the range. I like how slouchy and relaxed it looks.

This make up bag is so adorable and looks like it has plenty of space to hold make up. I like bags that have enough space for everything, tiny little bags annoy me so much >.< The lace frills and my melody emblem is just so sweet.

*~*Are any of you planning to order anything?*~*

Ex Cute dolls!

I quite like the idea of those adorable dolls that you dress up and can match your outfit to. I’ve looked at Blythe and Pullip dolls in the past but something about their features has just put me off spending that much money on one. I find them a little creepy at times to be honest. Then I stumbled across what appears to be the Japanese Equivalent, Ex Cute dolls!

I have found them on amiami.com, All the pictures are from there. Click on them to link to the product.

They’re quite pricey But no more so than a Blythe or Pullip Doll and I think they are much cuter.

I love this Mori Girl look! The bunny ears outfit is adorable!

This is one of my favourites that I found. The little teddy is so endearing and those booties are adorable.

The Red dress here looks really nice. Looks good quality too, the texture seems like real velvet.

I love the range of little Witches they have. I think they are so cute and I like their little witchy accessories. The outfit and wand here are just amazing.

Another favourite. Doesn’t she look a bit like Alice in Wonderland? Such cute little shoes and I love her hair.

She is so awesome! I love the pink hair, and the cat-ear hood and stockings is something that I would wear myself. She has a cute little cat too.

I can’t decide which is my favourite! There are plenty more out there too. These are just the ones I found that I thought looked really adorable. I want one to dress up and get lots of outfits for!

*~*Which is your favourite?*~*

How to dress Hime Gyaru

A while ago I did a post on how to dress lolita so now I am doing one on how to dress Hime Gyaru. It’s much more difficult to do a “how to dress” for any gyaru style because part of the style is that it is supposed to be innovative and different. This means that lots of different things can be considered Gyaru. So this post is specific to Hime Gyaru (although other Gyaru styles share similar make-up, and some aspects of hair are similar too.)

Hime Gyaru is all about looking princess-like. So while obviously you do not have to stick by the recommended clothing, there are some ways you can make your co-ord more obviously Hime gyaru. This guide is intended to be used to help people just getting into the style to put together a co-ord or to get an idea of the style, not to stop other Gals from adding their own flair and developing the style further to suit them.

Dress

Or a Top and Skirt as the case may be. In general pinks, florals, lace, bows, ruffles and cute details are apparent in the dress. This gives it a more princess-like feel. Short dresses are more common than long ones, and the shape of the dress shown in the picture above lends itself easily to Hime Gyaru. Careful not to make the skirt too puffy or long or you risk looking more lolita than gyaru. Many Hime Gyaru will adopt a Hime Kaji (Casual Hime) look as it is easier to wear everyday.

Hair

Big hair is something that is very common in the gyaru look, as is using lots of hair accessories. Many Gyaru will use extensions or half wigs to make the hair bigger and longer. The idea of the hair is to make it look big, glamorous and princess-like. Though some Gyaru will have more natural hair styles.

Shoes

Hime Gals tend to have very pretty shoes! I am jealous I do not have a pair of my own. Girly prints, fabric and decorations are all over Hime Gyaru feet. I think it really finishes off the outfit and ties everything all together.

Nails

Hime Gyaru tend to have very ornate nails. Cool patterns and decorations fit so well into the style. The look is very over the top. Of course if you need to use your hands it might not be convenient to get massive fake nails, well groomed short nails or cute nail art on natural nails can look just as lovely.

 Accessories have kind of been covered with Hair and Shoes. You can also use jewellery or bags that are decorated in the Hime style (eg. Lace, Pinks, Over the top girly deocrations) and these will tie the outfit together perfectly.

Feel free to experiment with the fashion! The whole point of Gyaru is to rebel from the norm and part of that is dressing in your own style! Try to develop your own personal spin on the style!

*~*Hope you have enjoyed my guide*~*

Sunday Style Inspiration!: Sui Princess

My second Sunday Style Inspiration post! This one is about a blog I have followed for quite a while now, one of the first Hime Gyaru blogs I found. Sui Princess (aka Alina) is from Germany, she dresses Hime Gyaru, Hime Kaji and sometimes her outfits can have lolita inspirations to them. She has recently married her American Boyfriend, I wish them both the best! ^-^

You can read her blog here, and her Tumblr (where I found all these pictures of her) is here.

I love her make up here! The hair looks great too 🙂

Here she is with a much more Lolita-esque look.

She has such pretty Shoes! Also I love the Giant Unicorn! I really want one too.

Here she is with a Hime Gyaru look. That bag is just adorable! Plus I really love her hair here too.

She does her style really well. She always looks really immaculate and well-groomed. Her hair must take so much work everyday!

*~*Hope you have enjoyed my Second Sunday Style Inspiration! See you next week for another one!*~*

MA*RS Spring collection 2013

I’ve done some snooping through the new Spring collection on the MA*RS website, I find a lot of the actual MA*RS stuff isn’t something I would wear really, and this collection is no exception. There are some items that are just lovely though. I have taken all images off the MA*RS online shop, just click on the picture to go to that item. If you want to browse the new collection click here.

First up is this dress, the colours are really striking and pretty, and I do like the look of the fabric. The shape just isn’t something I would personally wear. It must be impossible to hide your bra strap at the back.

I do really like this dress. It has the same lovely material as the last one, but I find the shape much nicer and also the little pink underskirt is really cute. This is definitely something I could see myself wearing. It looks like it would be great if you were going for a more dark look, or for a change from pastel colours.

I really like Hime Gyaru style, so obviously I have to show something from Princess Melody (Brand by Himena Osaki.) I tend to find this brand has a lot more stuff I would wear anyway, it very princess-like and cute. This dress looks perfect for summer days in the park.

*~*Hope you have enjoyed my quick sum up of the new MA*RS collection, I may do some other brands soon too!*~*

Sunday Style Inspiration: Violet LeBeaux

I have decided that every sunday I will try to do a post on somebody who I has a style I like. I’m hoping that this will become a regular thing I do 🙂 I think it would be fun to spread some more positivity around (especially on a sunday since gyaru secrets are posted today) and will also inspire me and others to develop our own styles more.

This week I will be talking about Violet LeBeaux. She has a blog here and she also has a YouTube channel. I think she is from Australia. I really love how cute her fashion is, she sometimes has a Hime Gyaru look but she always looks like she is just wearing her own style, Which I think is how it should be 🙂 I really like her hair and she has some really cute dresses. She has lots of craft tutorials on her blog and YouTube about how to basically cute-ify or make things.

Here are some pictures I’ve found of her (click for original sources) I hope they will inspire you to 🙂

To me it looks like some of her hair styles were inspired by the 40s, which I think was a really good era for hair.

*~*Hopefully See you again Next Sunday with another Style Inspiration!*~*

Princess Days!

This is a concept that I have seen on a lot of other Hime Gyaru sites. I don’t know who came up with the idea initially though The idea is that you take a day to pamper yourself every other week or so. Basically do whatever you want to on that day. So I decided to try one out this weekend. ^-^

I left a hair mask on my hair all day and overnight! It feels in much better condition now. I also used a peel off face mask (Boots Own Brand, Would definitely recommend.) It got boring quite fast to be honest 😛 I don’t really have much to do in my room here, it would have been amazing if I had some good films and video games. Though the day was very good for my hair 😛

I think next time I do a Princess Day I will put a bit more effort into it, like maybe going to get some fresh cupcakes and bread for lunch ^-^

*~*What would your perfect Princess day involve?*~*