Notes

what kawaii style are you

1. Intro
Today, most people think of 'kawaii' as a term to describe cute, girly, or 'Princess' style clothing. I'm here to tell you that we're not going there. These are just the best things you can wear for your 'kawaii' style. They don't have to be girly or "princessy." They can be edgy and fun!
2. A Look Into the Past
My hair is always a bit on the long side and after years of being teased as a kawaii kid, I decided to cover it up. It's a huge pain in the butt to get it back then because EVERYONE has their own personal style. If you're trying
to be different, you have to stick with whatever it is that makes you unique. And for many people, what makes them unique is something that can't be copied.
In my case, I couldn't wear my hair down even if I tried because I was straight-laced and had no time for style-making back then so I wore it up in a bun most of the time – which made me look like a geeky nerd who had recently fought against evil aliens (or maybe just lost his virginity.)
So when I got married and moved to New York after 10 years in San Francisco, things started to change at bit. Here was a city where everyone was different with unique styles and personalities and I just didn't fit in with people who looked like what every other kawaii kid does.
Even though I'm now 34, it's still hard for me to find things that work for me; there are days when my 'new' haircut looks like a 70s buckethead from the 70s (I look like an 80s kid who went too far into goth). But luckily I've found some things that work here:
1) My hair doesn't need any styling or washing because it's naturally curly/wavy - so long as nobody else wants to see my hair done up, I'll keep it that way!
2) My clothes often don't fit right on me because they're oversized (like size XL) - no matter how much they cost, they never fit right on me
3) My friends are mostly kawaiis too - so we get along really well
4) Sometimes when we go out to eat at fancy restaurants or have fancy drinks at fancy bars we'll be the only kawaiis there
5) When people ask me about these things I say "Oh yeah? What do you think?"
3. The Birth of an Iconic Trend
When the term "kawaii" was coined in Japan, it wasn't thought of as a word. It was more as a feeling -- that is, a feeling of endearing, adorable, and cute. But years later, it has taken on an entirely new meaning in the West.
Kawaii is a Japanese term meaning cute ("cute") or darling ("love"), but also evokes feelings of joy and happiness, and belongs to the wider category of ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), Seiyo (Japanese traditional crafts), or Noh (Japanese theater). The word "kawaii" is also often used to describe a style that has been popularized by Japanese pop culture: anime , manga , video games , and even fashion .
In Japan, kawaii is often used to describe Japanese culture in general. In 2011 alone the word made its way into the dictionary of The New York Times by way of Apple's iPhone app. In Japan it is also slang for feminine fashion: "Kawaii" (駄菓子) translates as "doll food", and refers to fashionable clothing like high heels and big hair bows. This usage has been slowly spread to English over many years since kawaii became popular in Asia during the 1990s; by 2014 it had made its way into mainstream English language usage.
If you're interested in knowing more about Kawaii fashion, there are plenty of user-generated videos available online with more information than I could possibly provide in this blog post. I thought I'd share just one:
Text: I have been obsessed with Kawaii since December 2009! Whenever I see something cute I have to buy it immediately! Now if only they would make something cute...
4. Understanding the Impact of an Iconic Style
You were probably a fan of a certain kind of character. You might have even dressed like one, or you might have dressed up to be like one. I am talking about typefaces, not people. In America, the "kawaii" style was all over the place.
In the 1960's and 70's, the Japan based fashion house “Mitsuhiko Nishi” brought some of Japan’s most famous characters to life on the runways and in books. This is how you knew you were in for a treat: everything from Gwen to Miyuki was designed by Nishi, who had created a style that has become an icon in its own right.
The kawaii style was now everywhere but it wasn’t until around 2008 that Apple introduced iOS devices with their “iconic” look (the iPhone had icons). It took 2 years for Apple to catch up with what Mitsuhiko had done before them — but they did manage when they introduced the iPhone X and we are still catching up today!
So if you liked Mitsuhiko’s designs, you can match them up to some of your favorite characters with this list of 10 Kawaii Iconic Characters:
As well as images:
And now we can let our imaginations run free…
You might recognize some faces here if you are familiar with Japanese culture:
With lots more 😉😊😊😊😊😊🤩🤩🤩🤩
5. Gwen's Personal Style Inspires a Generation
In the early 2000s, a fashion blogger named Gwen DeMaria wrote a post that went viral and changed the face of how people dressed. Her post, "What's Kawaii?," had the effect of creating a new way of thinking about what constituted fashion and style. She coined the term "kawaii" for “cute.”
Kawaii was the name given to a brand of clothing and accessories made by Japanese manufacturer Chocoland, which is also known for its ChocoStrips candy bar. Chocoland’s products are known for their distinctive patterns and colors, as well as their cuteness.
The brand was founded in 2004 by two designers named Yokoi Matsumoto, who had previously been working in Japan's advertising industry, and Takahiro Takahashi (who had previously worked at J.Crew). Matsumoto left her job at J.Crew to start her own label in 2002; Takahashi had worked there earlier in his career; but it wasn't until 2005 that they met again when he was approached to design a line of t-shirts for Chocoland. The result was "ChocoStrips", which were sold exclusively on the company website until being discontinued in 2011 after being found not to be scientifically or aesthetically sound or environmentally friendly.
After a few years of making t-shirts out of an unknown material (silk), Matsumoto decided it would make more sense to start making clothes instead because that would be easier for people to use and wear than silk, which is labor intensive and expensive (chocolate silk is created from cocoa powder). The first product designed by Gwen DeMaria was a cotton tank top with an anime-style bobble-head character printed on it called "Sailor Moon". The design won her the Female Fashion Rookie Award from New York Fashion Week's Spring 2009 show . Other designs followed: two hoodies were shown on What's Kawaii?, when she asked: “How can you have cute clothes without cute hoodies?”; another was shown under her name on Genki Magazine's What Makes You Kawaii website , which showed images of popular characters like Sailor Moon , Minnie Mouse , Hello Kitty , Naruto , Alice In Wonderland ,Doraemon , Kiki Ima Witch & many more; and one version showed Pikachu next to Miyazaki Hayao’s famous Studio Ghibli character Totoro
6. The Changing Face of Trends Today
In 2004, a Japanese fashion magazine named "Hobby" put out an issue with a cover photo of a young woman wearing a bright pink bikini. The photo was titled “Kawaii” and it caught on like wildfire. Before anchor , in Japan as well as the US, everyone was wearing the pink bikini—and everyone wanted to copy the style.
The “kawaii” aesthetic was born. But what does it mean? It means cute, which is why the term is so ubiquitous today. And yes, it is also associated with Japan and its aesthetics, but that isn’t why it came to dominate pop culture in other parts of the world.
Kawaii is an adjective that refers to the playful and whimsical traits of Japanese culture. It has been so long since this trend first hit mainstream America that some people might not be familiar with what it meant then or what some of the negative connotations remain today (e.g., kawaii often leads to juvenile stereotypes). However, there are many positive aspects of kawaii present in Western culture today; a perfect example being music videos like those by The Little Mermaid character Ariel.
7. Conclusion
Kawaii is a Japanese word used to describe the cute, girly, and often childish appearance of fashionable clothing. A common example is “kawaii” fashion dolls or plush toys produced in Japan. The term is sometimes used to describe anything pertaining to girls' clothing. It can also be used as an adjective meaning "cute" or "charming." Kawaii means cute, charming, pretty, and has nothing to do with the Japanese word for cute (kawaii).
A lot of people say they're not kawaii but if you think about it a lot of girls are kawaii by default. A girl could be so beautiful she looks like a little girl but still have an adult style. A girl could make her clothes look like a child's but still have an adult style. This is not a stereotype; this is what many people do when they think about fashion or how they dress themselves.
The cool thing about kawaii fashion is that it can be as grown up as you want it to be without looking too grown up. You don't have to be a little girl or act like one either! It's possible for women who are above average in height and weight (like me) and who are comfortable in their own skin to wear jewelry and accessories that would never pass muster on some guys!
I think it's important for me to set some rules for myself when I'm dressing kawaii because there are so many different styles out there and I want my personal style to represent me more than anything else. If I find something really nice looking but seems too girly then I'll keep it understated instead of trying too hard, because sometimes that's just better!
I understand just because it sounds childish doesn't mean you shouldn't take care with what you wear! I know that sounds old fashioned when people say "don't dress like your mom" but if you're going outside you should take care with what you wear even if no one else does! Not everyone looks best dressed in grandma bibs or boy cut cardigans but the fact is your body doesn't look right without clothes that fit right! So please don't feel bad if your clothes make others uncomfortable because you aren’t someone who dresses just for them – try your hardest not to make them uncomfortable. Dress how you want – not how others expect – and let others know why YOU chose that style !
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