SWEET LOLITA SHOPPING IN TOKYO, JAPAN. LAFORET HARAJUKU: ANGELIC PRETTY, PUTUMAYO, NILE PERCH, ATELIER PIERROT.
Visiting the Gothic Lolita Punk boutiques in the basement of Laforet department store (on Meiji-doori in Harajuku) feels a bit like trick-or-treat. Each shop is lavishly decorated to match the brand image.
Angelic Pretty is, naturally, an over-the-top pink candyland.
The pastel JSKs aren’t my cup for tea, and I almost never wear pink. I do, however, like the strawberry yukata (summer kimono) on display.
Putumayo is a solid brand with something to please everyone. The clothes range from casual J-rock to Goth to Sweet and Classical Lolita.
The storybook Alice in Wonderland and Cheshire Cat print on this Putumayo Lolita dress is to die for.
Alice and Pirates (left); Metamorphose temps de fille (right). What do you think of the yellow Lolita dress? Too much?
What about this Metamorphose temps de fille coordinate? Sweet meets Gothic.
The shoes and socks at Metamorphose are in a bit of a jumble. I think the store needs a re-design.
Fairy Key shop Nile Perch… it’s like time travelling back to a 1980s girl’s bedroom.
I think my bedroom looked like this when I was a kid.
Which Laforet Lolita shop reflects your personal style the most? For me, it’s Atelier Pierrot and Alice and the Pirates.
Want more photos of these stores? Everything is in my Gothic Lolita Punk shopping guide to Tokyo here.
Japanese Word of the Day: Wazawaza = Intentionally, take the trouble to do
Song of the Day: Secession – Touch (1984. A horrible and fabulous year for music.)
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LA CARMINA & TOKYO SPOOKS ON TRAVEL CHANNEL TV PROMO, ANTHONY BOURDAIN NO RESERVATIONS! JAPANESE PIRATE HAT, SKULL CROSSBONES BOTTLES.
Arrrr-mazing news: Tokyo Team Spooky and I are featured in a promo spot for Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations 100th episode! You can see it running now through Monday on Travel Channel.
My friends and I are at the beginning of the clip above and on Travel Channel’s YouTube. (The No Reservations anniversary special begins 9am Monday and ends with a new Paris episode at 10pm E/P.) I hope Tony Bourdain liked our Goth version of his Tokyo show!
One of the images in the video shows G-suS, Naomi and me at absinthe Bar Tram in Ebisu. (More photos and a full report of that night in this post.)
My Tokyo spooky ship keeps on plowing forth. We went to a cheap but delicious izakaya in Ebisu (each plate cost 270 yen, or less than $3). After, we went to drink absinthe at Bar Tram, then checked out the small gay clubs in Shinjuku’s 2-chome district.
Many of you commented on my pirate hat, which I wore during the BlogTV live chat. In Japan, Halloween items are popular all year round — and they’re already for sale at Claire’s and Tokyu Hands. I got this felt and ribbon hat, affixed to a headband, for a few bucks at Tokyu Hands. Everyone tried it on (in this pic, it’s Photoshopped onto Yukiro).
My DIY ripped tights would look good on a pirate. I used scissors to tear 1-inch-long vertical runs into my leggings, then tugged at them to extend the stripes. My red skirt is secondhand Emily Temple Cute (more photos to come).
At the Sunkus convenience store, I turned the yellow cat drawing into a Scottish Fold. Bad kitty.
Anyone have ideas for what to be on Halloween? It’s coming up sooner than I expected! Tons of photos from the Australian and Dutch TV shoots coming right up… as well as Tokyo store photos, a crazy Osaka fashion shoot, and a huge clothing giveaway from one of my favorite brands. Check back tomorrow (and tune into Travel Channel to see us!)
Japanese Word of the Day: Tamaru = accumulate, or collect. The word for “tamari” sauce comes from it.
Song of the Day: Yo ho! Yo ho! A pirate’s life for me
LA CARMINA
