nico and… magazine

after sharing a few maternity looks from hatch collection fall 2013, bianca left a comment mentioning that it was very “japanese street style” and that she would totally wear all of the clothes. i didn’t recognize it at first, but now that i see it, i’ve been pulling up all of my old japanese style inspiration for a little direction. one of the the things i love about japanese style is that it can be so different from what most americans wear. bear with me because i know there are tons of different styles in japan, and you can’t narrow it down to just one look. but at least in america, it seems most women are really set on body-con clothing, or at least emphasizing the waist. i don’t know how many style advice columns i’ve read where the main tip is to “put a belt on it.” even when i go shopping and try on a simple shift dress, the shop girls always come along with a skinny belt as the perfect accessory, haha. i always kindly decline, but it does seem that there is a huge obsession with the hourglass shape. i mean, don’t get me wrong, the hourglass is pretty awesome. and sure, this isn’t even an america vs. japan style thing. it’s just a reminder to myself that there are so many options out there and it can be really fun to experiment with different silhouettes, even those that may not be culturally “flattering” or fit into the feminine ideal.

i was almost immediately reminded of these images from nico and… magazine that i’d been hoarding in an inspiration folder on my desktop since earlier this year. every month, they have a different stylist share 30 days of outfits and this particular girl really caught my eye. i think it’s because she has the most angelic face and perfect hairs. but her style is also so very cool and japanese and totally something that could be worn by any girl. since i’ll be needing to incorporate lots of loose, comfy separates into my wardrobe for the next year, this inspiration is certainly going to come in handy!















12 comments

  1. those are so pretty and easy! yeah, there seems to be an hourglass obsession indeed. sure the waist emphasis is a solution for some ppl (i have a very tiny waist and a flat chest), but using that as universal advice is just wrong.

    have fun experimenting!

  2. I actually thought that these looks are pretty Nordic (not to mention those Finnish & Norway flag bags) – no wonder we get so many Japanese tourists in Finland. Tho their looks are always more thoughtful & together than ours – love it!

    1. you know, i’ve never been there, but i see what you mean and almost mentioned it! i follow a lot of street style blogs based there and people seem much less concerned with body-con there as well!

  3. Oh snap I’m lovin everything about her style! Thanks for sharing! I used to be obsessed with Japanese streetstyle. And I’m totally a fan of baggy things. I rarely wear fitted things, mostly because I’m trying to hide my little belly and I think it’s cooler. heh

    sherriamour.blogspot.com

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