Tips on how to be Kawaii
Since the 1970s, cuteness (可愛さ kawaisa?) has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms。For a clothing label trying to crack Asia’s burgeoning teen fashion industry, business these days boils down to the quest for kawaii. Asian teenagers tend to wear today what Japanese teens wore a few minutes ago. Kawaii can be a little over-the-top, and is similar to Harajuku style, except that it is less extreme.
Tips on how to become a Kawaii:
1. Anything ‘kawaii’ should be childish, and warm-blooded: a beetle is not ‘kawaii,’ because it is not at all soft. Babies and infants are considered especially cute, but only for mammals - small, soft spiders do not count as ‘kawaii.’
2. To be ‘kawaii’ is to be androgynous, with no sexual definition or bodily orifices. ‘Hello Kitty,’ one of the icons of Japanese cuteness, actually has no mouth whatsoever.
3. Wear bright colors. Smile and/or giggle lot. Wear pink a lot and wear cute characters on your clothes. Jeans and a t-shirt are kind of boring, unless you add to it with cute accessories, and maybe a hat. Wear something wild and crazy. Also, try to stay away from labels a little.
4. Wear ruffles and pastel or bright colors.
5. Layer well - this is important. Also, wacky patterns are super. Wear as many colors together as you want and don’t care if your clothes clash.
6. Accessorize! This is one of the few things that is different about being Kawaii and being Harajuku… Wear cute plastic, fuzzy, accessories of any kind.
7. Style your hair like a manga character.
8. Style your hair like a manga character.
9. If you wear makeup, keep it light. The natural look is way more kawaii than a face plastered with makeup.
10. If you choose to buy clothes, you can find some really kawaii clothes at places like ja333, or any store that carries clothes imported from Japan.
