I have a thing for anime-ish arty clothes. Despite my love, all I own that is remotely anime is a Ghost In The Shell shirt from Uniqlo. And I’m pretty sure there are better places to get our otaku fashion fix. (Sorry Uniqlo, but you know what. Even as a true One Piece fan, I’m tired of seeing OP shirts) So without further ado, here’s a list of shops that sell cool manga and anime, or just generally Japanese, inspired clothing!
OMOCATSHOP
Started in 2011, OMOCAT SHOP is an online shop that sells original designs by the artist OMOCAT. I absolutely love her art so having her work on posters, books, accessories and apparels just seemed fantastic to me. I also like how her apparels’ designs are more ‘subtle’; they are a tribute to the cuteness and style of Japanese manga art but are executed in a tasteful and very wearable way.
APPAREL K
Based in Mexico, Apparel K sells clothes a bit on the grungy side. The clothes are distinctively street-style, but just Japanese inspired. Also, there’s a lot of black. You can’t go wrong with black though, so that’s always a good thing.
Additionally, if you’re an NGE fan, Apparel K might just be your favourite store. You’ll find a good range of Neon Genesis Evangelion inspired shirts and jumpers. (They even have Eva leggings, I’m not even kidding. How awesome is that?)
666 yen (previously 'waddupharajuku')
But maybe the dark side isn’t so much of your thing. If you’re going for ultra-cute with an attitude, all shades of pastel and pretty sparkles, check out 666yen on Carousell!She brings in Harajuku style clothes, accessories and bags at affordable prices so you can deck yourself out in streetsnap worthy outfits without burning a hole in your pocket. Little Twin Stars, Pikachu, Sailor Moon – you’ll find it all here.
KULTRUNIZED STORE
I also like the charm of simple, screen-printed shirts. They’re more casual, go with everything and are a great way to show your love for a certain series/character. Of course, you can scout for a local t-shirt printer and bring your own pictures to them, but KULTRUNIZED STORE has some pretty sweet pre-selected mangacaps. Try channelling the dark, surrealist vibe with their Shintaro Kago and Oyasumi Punpun range!
Katawear Clothing
Saving the best for last (based on personal opinion), I present self-proclaimed seapunk designer Katawear Clothing. This one’s a gem! Their clothes are like taking a dip in psychedelic anime dreams and they’re definitely not for the faint of heart. I didn’t even know seapunk was a thing till I stumbled upon their site. Like a lot of contemporary creative subcultures, seapunk is a tad hard to box up in a single descriptive term. In general, the fashion is defined by multi-colored pastels, vibrant hair and make-up and sometimes futuristic elements. Combine that with the forever evolving, forever strange but delightful world of manga and anime, and you get Katawear Clothing.
This has been a somewhat short list, but I decided I should narrow my choices down to the very best. Hope you enjoyed! Plus, if you have a store to recommend, why not drop a comment?
Let’s keep on keeping the otaku fashion alive. Peace out.
