Summer Trends in Japan 2008

You never know what the next "boom" of the summer will be in Japan. One year it might be a trend towards girls making their own jewelry, the next they'll be wearing sneakers with ridiculous 10-inch high soles. This year fashionable clothing maker Uniquo, often thought of as the "Gap" of Japan, has scored big with a line of tank tops for women that feature bra cups built into them, allowing women to feel completely free as they go around town this summer. Other fashion trends you see this year are extra-colorful skirts and tops known as "Brazil-kei" which represent Japanese copying the stylish Brazilian-Japanese population living here, and "gladiator sandals," which go all the way up the leg like something the ancient Romans might have worn (they really look quite silly). Remember that J-List offers monthly subscriptions to some awfully cool fashion magazines, if you want to keep up with what's going on in the fashion world in Japan.