Dare To Be Bold: 5 Ways To Rock Your Fashion In Tokyo

Dress To Impress Yourself

By Emi Schemmer
November 20, 2019
Fashion

Fashion allows us to live out different fantasies or roles for a day — but the most important challenge is to impress yourself.

Tokyo has always been considered one of the hottest fashion cities in the world, but not necessarily because it’s massively consuming high-end brands — it’s because it’s a city of women who feel free to wear their wardrobes in a way that compares to no other place. From Lolitas, “mori (forest) girls,” and “yama (mountain) girls” to street fashion gals and ladies rocking traditional garments, Tokyo is full of fashion lovers sharing a unique story: their love to be expressive and the desire to instinctively find any way to be well put together.  

Tokyo fashion

For me, fashion has always been a performance: one which calls for someone’s best and most unique presentation. It’s been a little over ten years since I first immersed myself in the fashion industry as a designer, stylist, and creative director, and though over the years I have worked with various brands and individuals, the one key point that has always kept me in check is the ability and freedom of fashion. Fashion is flexible — it can be gathered, cinched, stretched and then reformed again. Fashion has no set rules — even if you live in a country defined by regulations.

[Tokyo is] a city of women who feel free to wear their wardrobes in a way that compares to no other place.

Here are five key points that I have learned about fashion over the years — and the way I approach it now with my own wardrobe, right here in the very heart of Tokyo.

1. Feel Liberated & Empowered By What You Wear

Allow your fashion to open yourself to a new approach to living. Think of your wardrobe as a collection of different looks, egos, or feelings that you are able to act out by the slightest change or swap of an item. What was your mood when you woke up this morning? Inspired? Motivated? Take something bold, cheerful, maybe even louder than you’d normally wear to the office. Just the same way we dress up for an interview or pretty ourselves before we head out on a date to impress, dress up for yourself; impress yourself — it’s amazing how different your day will be when you put you first.

Think of your wardrobe as a collection of different looks, egos, or feelings that you are able to act out by the slightest change or swap of an item.

2. Love What You Wear

Love what you wear

If you love a certain brand or label, wear that. Remember, you’re the beautiful mannequin that’s showcasing your wardrobe every day. Feeling great in our threads shouldn’t have anything to do with the name on the back of the neckline or number on the price tag. I have pieces that are secondhand, countless pieces from retailers like H&M or Zara, and I also have pieces that cost more than my monthly rent — but in the end, it’s not about the label or the price, it’s about how you feel when you’re wearing that outfit. No one is going to be looking at that tag on the inside of your jacket or dare to ask the price. And in the rare situation where you are asked, go for it, tell them it’s Uniqlo and smile.

Fun tip: Wearing simple, regular pieces and accessorizing with a trendy hat, beautiful scarf, or bold bracelet will take your entire ensemble and elevate it miles high.

3. Be Proud Of How You Look

There’s nothing more beautiful, sexy, smart, stylish, and chic than a woman who is confident. Own your fashion. It can be sweats and T-shirt with a baseball cap, strolling to Starbucks to grab some coffee, or an evening dressed to the nines for a girls’ night out in Aoyama. When we’re happy and confident, this energy always somehow seems to glow from the inside out: a light that can brighten up any dark room.

There’s nothing more beautiful, sexy, smart, stylish, and chic than a woman who is confident.

4. Follow The Seasons

Follow the seasons

Being a fashionista requires a sense of relevancy — to be current, up to date, in-the-know of what’s happening around the city and what the general trends are. This doesn’t mean that you can’t wear old pieces from previous seasons, or take out those beautiful vintage collector items from decades ago. We’re lucky to live in a city where the turn of the season is graciously presented: a stroll down Omotesando will undoubtedly emphasize the season’s message of color and design. Come on, don’t be afraid — take a fashion walk on your lunch break and be inspired by the windows and displays that every brand has so carefully put together for yes … you!

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Try Something New

Don't be afraid to try something new

While I can’t deny that there are guidelines to what to wear each season — colors, patterns, designs and more; I still want to emphasize the fact that they are exactly that … guidelines. Don’t be afraid to try something new, challenge yourself with a new style, or choose a day to be extra unique. Taking a hold of your style and embracing your beautiful individuality is never a mistake. You are your best investment — apply it to your wardrobe, your work, your personal life and your health. 

Don’t be afraid to try something new, to challenge yourself to a new style, or choose a day to be extra unique.

Fun tip: To help encourage yourself step outside of your comfort zone, pick a day of the week, and Google search fuyu fasshon 2019 (winter fashion) + (insert color of choice) + Tokyo. Check out the Google image results, pick a look and try it out using what you have inside your closest. Or do the same with any of these beauty Instagram accounts, which guide you into creating unique fashion trends with minimal investment.

Bonus: Be Your Own Inspiration

Be your own inspiration

Being a fashionista in our big bold city is no easy undertaking, but I assure you that it is possible! Allow yourself to take in different inspirations from the city: window shop, people watch, and just breath it all in. Mix and match. Be creative. Try a new color or even a new style. Dress a certain part – from pretty in florals ready to luncheon to sharp in striped suits at the office. Showcase yourself through your own interpretation of this year’s trends. Be confident, proud, and excited about what you wear. 


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