What to wear to Japan, and what to buy there?

[jadedgrl]

I was in Japan in December. Definitely check out the Ginza department stores and shops in Aoyama.

I wouldn't recommend buying designer stuff that you can get from the US - they have a pretty hefty mark up on those items. DVF dresses cost like $650 over there :X

 

[Cherry44]

I went to Japan earlier this year..They have a bunch of beauty and skincare products there that are great and not available in North America

I agree with Carmen, my skin is very sensitive, most japanese brands are works so well!

 

[tiny cat]

Thank you for this thread! I'm going to Japan for a short visit soon and I'm reading along. Any recommendations for skin or haircare products? Oh, and is there any designer stuff that ISN'T marked up to high heaven?

 

[twilight_sky]

I would sugest going to Shebuya or Harajuku. Both areas are in Tokyo. Both have really nice department stores. I spent nearly all of my money in Shebuya. I think the department store was called 179. Or something like that. There are two of them though. go to the original one and not the 179-2. that one was not very good.

 

[coach_prada]

haha oh man...shopping heaven. Tokyo is literally one huge mall. It's actually really hard to live here paying rent and bills when I am tempted to buy something everytime I leave the house. If you're looking for the more expensive market, i recommend ginza, aoyama, and omotesando. Eventhough there are designer boutiques everywhere, those streets in particular are lined with designer shops. For something a little cheaper (sometimes) go to harajuku(near omotesando), shibuya, and shinjuku. Harajuku and shibuya are the big fashion areas for teenage and college age girls, ginza, omotesando, and aoyama is big for alot of women in their 20's and 30's and shinjuku has something for everyone. Look at the department stores, and i recommend buildings like 109 and 109-2 (which has mainly accessories) in shibuya. Laforet in harajuku. Marui and studio alta in shinjuku. If your not thin though you may have some problems, some stores only have ONE size which is like a small in the US. I'm a 14 jeans in the US and I can find stuff here but I have to really look around for it. There are more casual stores with bigger sizes also like uniqlo, gap and zara which also have some japan only styles and are somewhat cheaper. Also if you wear larger than a 9 in shoes you may have to look in bigger shoe stores or department stores because most stores only carry to about an 81/2 to 9. The best thing is just walk around and dont be afraid to check out a store or a building. There are so many styles it's unbelievable.

 

[Carmen82]

Hm I don't know the English names of the brands there...cuz I went there on a tour..and the tour guide suggested some Japanese brands..one of them is great..it's a black coloured mask and it comes in a dark blue tube..sorry I know that's not much help..

Also, the collegen masks there are good..they have this serum in them that make your skin soooo soft..

I also use a lot of the brand 'Yumei' from Japan...they have a water booster that I use as a cream every day..it's very moisturizing but not oily or heavy.

Of course, if you're from North America, you might want to check out Shu Umera or Sheseido (bad spelling) cuz I think it's cheaper in Japan.

Hope that helps!

 

[coach_prada]

yes I was just about to say that shu uemura and shiseido are great. Alot of japanese cosmetic products are really nice and my skin is so much better after coming here.

 

[shani]

Dress sexy and chic.

 

[Saturn]

if you shop carefully you can come across some good sales in Japan, so even with the markup you can actually get some decent deals. Also, don't be afraid to buy something used, because in my experience they are gently used at most. For brands like Coach you most definitely want to get them at home. But the easy accessibility of all kinds of brands makes Japan a lot of fun. I'm from Texas and I had never seen Hermes for sale anywhere until I moved to Japan, where you can get it anywhere (I live in Nagoya, though-- the biggest economy in the country).
I recommend you get some Anna Sui products Their hair and skin products are lovely and the cosmetics are as well, plus the bottles everything comes in are worth the price alone!

 

[boobeary]

I actually heard luggage is good there (hard side with great maneuverability). In addition, my friend got a ton of 3-piece suits at Osaka, it's probably pricier in Tokyo.

 

[babyslk7]

Depends on what style are U and how old are U I like trendy, chic and sexy outfits for night out. So, "Maru-Kyu" or PARCO 109 is awesome !!! I forgot what floors they have, but all the trendy japanese girls shop there. U can find everything there, just name it and the price is pretty reasonable for japanese market. Go to Shibuya and Shinjuku. Harajuku is like the hippies, very funky, rock n roll, everything, reminds me of London.

Check out this brand: SLY, MOUSSY...... they have cute jeans, tops, etc. The hottest Jap brands. But YES, Japanese run so SMALL. Only S and M for tops. Jeans basically can run 1 size smaller. Size 27 there, is like 25-26 US jeans. So, beware. Also japanese shoes run small, their feet mainly around size 6 or 7 the largest. So finding size 8 and above kinda hard.

I love makeup station in underground the subway. SO MANY to choose and so cute. I love KATE by Kanebo. their eye shadows are great, long lasting, cheap, and it's like Stila in here or better. Very cute. Get De-Ja Vu mascara, this mascara worksss !!!!