Tokyo Spring Street Style

The spring weather has been playing tricks on us. While the stores are full of vintage florals, faded denim and summery straw hats, the temperature has struggled to get to double figures. Luckily, Toyko kids love layering – that’s leggings, for men and women, under shorts or cropped dhoti pants; striped T-shirts under floral dresses, garden rose print scarves, hoodies, cropped leather jackets and ankle boots.

 Wrap skirts are big business for men around Harajuku and Shibuya, mostly black, worn with leggings or skinny jeans; the effect is not unlike a waiter’s apron. We’re also seeing a lot of handmade sweaters and chunky cardigans for men, worn with baggy pants and pork pie hats. Nomad looks – layers of earthy colours, hand knitted scarves and woven fibre bags are also popular amongst university students. As the weather gets warmer, nautical looks are strong – especially a clean-cut, “French” look; slim pants, striped T-shirt and neat jersey blazer or dark denim jacket.  They are the young men you’ll see stocking up on Moncler jackets and Manhattan Porter bags, straight out of Monocle magazine. Then there are the “biker”boys, with authentic dark wash denims, well-worn biker jackets and beaten up boots, acquired for high prices in the vintage shops of Shimokitazawa.

 For women, it’s definitely about the mix of soft vintage with utility – army jackets, checked shirts and worn-in denim overalls, paired with faded florals, prairie skirts and lace trims. Straw boaters are everywhere– recalling 1920’s Deauville, along with French stripes and tweed jackets for a casual “Chanel” look.  You’d be hard-pressed to find any 80’s references or a single pencil skirt amongst Tokyo’s young women. The 80’s techno thing feels so over here – even the glamorous “gyaru” types have ditched the Beyonce R ‘n’B look for more down-to-earth looks: fringed suede, distressed denim, and shrunken biker jackets.

 Kirsty Munro