Japanese Preppy

I have something to confess……  I have a penchant for Japanese preppy style clothing.  It would surprise people to know that the brands that make up a lot of my everyday wardrobe are from the Japanese global giants – Uniqlo and Muji. 

Muji is actually a lifestyle brand – a minimalist department store that sells everthing from food to furniture and lots of wonderful stationery.  I won’t wax lyrical too much about the lifestyle side of things but do check out the website if you haven’t been Muji-ified yet. (If you navigate around the Japanese sections for a while, you’ll find all their beautifully photographed catalogues.)  Their clothes however, are my lifesaver.  There is a very A.P.C. feeling about them though obviously not as pricey and they manage to make basics not seem so….well…basic. 

I love the fact that they make officewear that doesn’t feel too formal and over done which is SO useful otherwise I’d be forced to go into Marks & Spencer to get ….god forbid….a suit! 

My second Japanese preppy brand of choice is Uniqlo – a sort of Japanese Gap except the prices are RIDICULOUSLY low!  Like Gap, they have a very good denim range.  I’m quite a big fan of their straight leg jeans (note, STRAIGHT not SKINNY!) which I bought for £12 (USD20!).  I like to come here for more casual basics like t-shirts, socks and they also have a pretty together knitwear section – it may be cheap but they don’t scrimp on quality.  I picked up some lovely silk knit thin sweaters and cardigans for the summer. 

The weird thing is I go into these stores thinking I’ll buy a t-shirt but then I come out with a bag full of stuff.  I guess, I’m more into utility clothing then I thought I was!  Bottom line is, as much as I love the whimsical, the cute, the dramatic and the frippery about fashion, I too need my basics as much as any other person.