It's quite common to find people in Japan standing in a bookshop reading all the magazines/books/mangas. Ususally when I'm waiting for friends, I like to pop into the nearest bookshop or supermarket and flick through the enormous variety of different fashion magazines Japan has up for offer. One of my favorites is Nippon Vogue, but unfortunately every month is so thick that it's impossible for me to bring all of them back to Australia.
Other magazines I enjoy reading are Glitter, Gisele and Glamorous (I like to call them the 3 G's) which focuses more on celebrity style and street style from around the world. On the occasion I like to delve myself in a bit of Vivi, just to check out what the oshare girls in Shibuya are wearing, and of course there are the Gothic Lolita, Punk Rock and Alice in Wonderland style magazines which I also adore for the opulent costumes that can amalgamate with the streets of Tokyo but would never do so well in Sydney.
I've come across the magazine Zipper many times but the style of clothing in the magazine (very typical Japanese street style) has never interested me much.
This month, however, the magazine came with a pair of fingerless
gloves. The brand Candy Stripper is a blends the Lolita and bubblegum rock look together. It's completely not my style yet it has gotten me hooked. Thus the gloves persuaded me to buy the magazine.
When I read through the magazine, I was actually pleasantly surprised by it's contents. Although I would never be able to wear whole outfits consisting of Japanese street style (eg.
polka dotted footless stockings under a baggy white dress with black baggy suit jacket over the top, with three rows of a turquoise necklace and silver pointy flats) but there are a few pieces I would definitely like to add to my wardrobe. I do love to look and experiment with all styles and would really like to try this one out, except Japanese street style really requires a certain look. Generally you have to be small and quite cute (my friends like to say I'm the opposite of cute whenever I do a cute pose -_-;;) or cool looking in a boyish way.
This is why the young people in Hong Kong have emulated this style so well (as well as adding bits and pieces of craziness of their own). Perhaps the main reason why this style won't work for me is..
. (click image to enlarge)
The fact that the tallest girl in this picture (far left) is still 13 centimetres shorter than me. I'd be like the giant girl in the oversized clothes.
People would think I that I was participating in a postmodern exhibition of "Moving Moutains" in the Tokyo National Museum.
Oh well, at least the Gothic Lolita style can be worn by tall people..
. I think..
. wait..
. Lolita..
. bollocks >.<;;
These photos were taken at the beginning of this year by my lovely friend .
For more please go to
.This month's Zipper magazine also featured a Vivienne Westwood special, and we all know that Vivienne Westwood is love, so I'm glad that I bought this month's issue and I can't wait until winter comes so I can wear those gloves. I like it how they're a little tacky looking, goes with the whole Japanese street style look.
Can you imagine Anna Wintour wearing them? Haha.
From Wednesday to Friday last week, my school had their mid term exams. I, of course, took no part in it whatsoever (unless you count my horribly embarrassing voice recording for the 1st years English listening exam). While the students did their exams I spent the mornings in the library
I say mornings because the exams only ran in the mornings and we got the afternoon off. Do you know why?
Because exams for each subject only lasts for an hour.
ONE HOUR!!!
I don't think I've taken a one hour exam since 6th Grade!
I can't believe even their Modern Japanese, Classical Japanese and History exams can only be an hour long. I guess they do consist more of short answer questions rather than essay writing.
That's one of the problems Japan is facing at the moment. The government is trying to re-evaluate the current education system since there is a lack of discussion in class and it's basically all rote learning.
When I told my school friends that my University Entrance Exams ie.
The-Most-Distressing-Year-Of-My-Life-HSC went for 3 hours for most subjects with Advanced English being so long that they had to split the 4 hour exam into two days (thus 2 hours for Paper 1 and Paper 2), they were absolutely shocked. I gave them an extra dose of shockage (Is that a word? These days English very bad) when I told them the exams lasted for a month.
The Japanese University Entrance Exams only last for 3 days (I have to ask a teacher about it, I remember it was either 3 or 4 days, definitely under a week though) and everyone takes them together at the same time.
To tell you the truth, Japanese high schoolers don't study as much as the rest of the world thinks they do. I go to a good school at the moment (why oh why couldn't they have put me in a ghetto school so I can just enjoy myself here!
) and although they don't go out very much, they are still very sociable and don't study like crazy. In fact, I found out that they study a lot less than I did back when I was in high school.
Note: Mel=World Champion Procrastinator.
If you want ideas and tips to distract yourself from studying just email me ^.~
I had heard that Juku was the so called cram school of hell, but in reality the 3rd Years just go for around 6 hours a week. When I was doing my HSC I went to 9 hours of tutoring a week and my parents aren't even strict.
I have friends who went to tutoring for over 16 hours a week and spent enough money on it that they could have bought themselves a car. But of course there still were many people in back home who didn't go to tutoring at all and there still are a lot of very studious high schoolers in Japan who absolutely do study day in day out. I just think the reason that Japan is known for its torturous schooling is due to the extremes some students go to.
It was just a few months ago when a 16 year old boy from Tokyo made headlines because he burnt down his house killing his mother and younger brother and sister because he lied about results he got in an English exam and didn't want his parents to see his real marks.
The poor Japanese kids tend to put more pressure on themselves than they really have to but having said that, I completely understand that examination periods is always a stressful time for everyone, not matter where you are around the world. Hell I almost went crazy with stress this time last year.
And with that I want to wish the Class of 2006 who are about to start their HSC to suffer! Suffer in hands of "Journeys", calculus and Political revolution in Rome 133 – 78 BC. Suffer as much as I did last year!
!! luck =) If any of your ARE reading this, get your ass off the computer and do some work!
Now on a completely different subject, I had recieved more emails than usual after posting my last entry on well...
hot boys so I've decided to provide some fanservice from time to time. Since I have a whole folder named "Boys" solely dedicated to the photos of good looking men around the world, the phrase, "sharing is caring" came to mind. Today I've chosen this guy:
Isn't he beautiful?
His name is Gaspard Ulliel and he is a 21 year old French actor. I love French men, their accents are so sexy. He's known for starring in the film Long Dimanche De Fiançailles (A Very Long Engagement) with Audrey Tautou.
Someone gimme more French boys!
FLASHBACK!
I found a photo of me when I turned 4 years old.
I'm with mother at a friends house (we were living in Melbourne then) having a joint birthday party, since our birthday's are only two days apart.
I look like a little boy with lipstick on! Mother one the otherhand is wearing the coolest oversized cardigan.
It's so chic. I've been wanting to buy a red one like that for awhile, but I think when I return to Australia I'm just going to dig around her wardrobe to see if she still has it. Oooh, vintage *rolls eyes*.
Continued from previous post.
This was in the winter when I just turned 18. Not exactly a great outfit for winter because I was freezing, but I felt as long as I looked thin the cold was worth it LoL. As you can see my jeans are quite flared (I felt it was my duty to boycott the skinny legs craze, but unfortunately I fell in my own battle and began to love skinny legs), which actually went against all trends circa 2005.
Top: Lonsdale
Bottom: Jeans from Bubblegum.
Accessories: Brown belt mother bought in Moscow when she was 20something, pink tag Dior necklace, random brown wooden bangles from various places.
Shoes: Pointy pearl kitten heels from Tokyo.
Blah, I feel that this is so try hard cute, I guess it's because I am trying to imitate the style of the girls from a June 2003 Cawaii magazine.
The only difference is, the girls from the magazine are ACTUALLY cute (as the name suggests) and the white knits and pink skirts suit them more than it would ever suit me -_-;; But you can't blame a 16 year old for trying.
Dress: From Dotti.
Scarf: My grandma knitted it ages ago and I stole it from her closet when I was in Beijing a few years back.
Shoes: Boots from a shop in The Strand. Refer to previous post.
This was actually really recent and I posted the full photo a few months back.
Refer to
. I had to go to some Actuarial Dinner thing and the dress code was to just come in what you were wearing to work. Well since I DON'T work, I thought at least I should LOOK professional, so I donned a wrap dress I bought a year back and tried my best to look like I was 21 year old actuarial prodigy =)Dress: Wrap dress by Cooper St.
Bag: Chanel
Accessories: Necklace and bracelet both by Tiffany Co.
Shoes: Black pumps from Shoebox(?), I just remember they were very cheap.
I'm literally cringing when I look at this photo. Who on Earth would wear a t-shirt with the words, "Girl" diamanted across. Was I afraid that it wasn't obvious enough that I did not in fact have a penis?
However, the shirt is a really good fit and the material is nice and soft, due to the whatever amount of silk percentage it had in it. Maybe I'll find a way to get rid of the "Girl" and wear the t-shirt plain with a few long gold chains and a pair of grey skinny legs and brown suede round toe heels.
Top: ETAM in Beijing.
Bottom: Skirt from the markets in Sydney.
Belt: Glassons
Shoes: My Paris Hilton heels rofl from Tokyo (where they wordship there -_-;;), there is a photo where she's wearing the exact same heels. Dear me.
..
I remember some of my friends complaining about the ugly face on my t-shirt.
I just told them that I liked wearing the shirt because when people look at my face, after seeing my t-shirt I wouldn't be so bad in comparison. LoL. I remember having so much trouble coming up with what shoes to wear with this outfit.
I didn't want to wear thongs/flip flops because I was going to a casting, but I didn't want to look too dressed up either. I ended up choosing really short (2cm) kitten heels, but even to this day, a year and a half later, I still don't feel like I made the right shoe decision.
Top: T-shirt by Evisu.
Bottom: 3/4 striped pants from Portmans.
Acessories: Mother's Moscow belt and necklace from Tiffany Co. (I know it seems like I wear a lot of Tiffany's but it's all from the silver collection -_-;; I'll be ranting and raving in excitment once I can afford the platinum and diamonds).
Shoes: Black kitten heels from some shop (really don't remember lol)
In the Spring of 17, mother, her friend and I went shopping. The waist belt trend had been around in Paris for a season or so but it barely hit the Australian shores. Luckily I had a waist belt tucked in my drawers from when I was around 14.
Top: Black tank from Wish and black silk cardigan from Satch.
Bottom: Grey striped shorts from L.D.
S.
Belt: Thin black waist belt from Bally.
Bag: Louis Vuitton Pochette with Takashi Murakami's Sakura canvas.
Shoes: Black pumps from Shoebox (?)
But my name is Mel and I'm 60% strong willed and 40% influenceable but 100% fun ^.~ I just didn't think that 40% would pull through. However, Japan is this giant insidious fashion emporium that can change the minds of even the coldest Wintour hearts.
So yes, my new born baby is Punk Rock and Gothic Lolita, I will love and nurture it until it grows into something wearable.
. NANA. Yes, so I was infected with Nanagitis before I left for Japan but this illness has gotten worse.
I have never been into rock music as it's just noise to me even though some of my favorite songs belong within the rock genre (does that even make sense?) and besides many great fashionista's of our age believe that fashion should be part of your lifestyle and our lifestyle should contribute to our style. That means I shouldn't dress like Nana no matter how cool I think she is because I'll just be a phony try hard rock chick.
I have to disagree though. As I said a few posts before that I have broadened my views with the idea of trying different styles so I CAN DRESS LIKE A ROCK CHICK IF I WANT EVEN WITH MY LACK OF MOSHING WHILE WATCHING LIVE BANDS PERFORM! (Note: Lack of = 0).
Although I still think it is important to retain a certain style that you know back to front and inside out, I also think fashion is for everyone and people should experiment with style as much as possible. Not only is it fun but it also teaches people about different lifestyles and cultures. Wow just think of that concept.
The abolishment of discrimination due to fashion!
Of course it's a tad bit idealistic but I have a new found respect for people down in that Utopia CD shop. Refer to my post
Since I haven't posted any eyecandy for a long long time I'll update with quite a few pictures in this post for your viewing pleasure.
All pictures are from Kera Magazine with my digital camera. I don't have Photoshop on my host mother's laptop so the photos are a little dark and I can't watermark them, please do not use without crediting me. This blog entry has taken me over an hour and a half to finish.
Click to enlarge.
If it's Death Note, loves it.
I'm gonna dress my kids Chip and Chloe like this (even if they want wear Ralph Lauren) and make them style icons at the tender age of three.
One problem with dressing Gothic Lolita is the fact that I'm tall and unfortunately one style that doesn't look good on tall people is Gothloli. You're meant to look young and cute hence the word Lolita. Although of course models would still look amazing in something Gothic (just look at the Christian Dior Sping 2006 Couture show) but it always looks to high fashion rather than authentic Gothloli.
Another problem with both Punk Rock and Gothloli styles is that these styles require extreme waif like bodies, even more so for Punk Rock due to all the cigarettes and drugs. Not to worry though, I've lost a kilo (2.2lbs) over the weekend already (probably only water but anyway.
..) so I'll be 50 kilos (110lbs) in no time.
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