More than just cartoons watched on television and computer screens, anime is a lifestyle. Raves and other events often warrant dressing up, and in Goth and punk lifestyles that also means going Anime style. It’s fun to get in costume or play the part when hanging with a group of peers that share your same interests. Four genres of anime are popular in the way of people matching fashions with their favorite character; those are below with a couple of examples.
Magna
Magna takes after the 1970’s era of Western styles with fur lined jackets, short skirts and low cut tops. Magna tends to take a more innocent approach to clothing. Some male characters wear loose fitting suits with t-shirts rather than button downs. Female characters are seen wearing t-shirts instead of blouses and short, but loose fitting skirts with knee socks.
Harajuku
Created by street-teens in this area of Japan, Harajuku is popular among young adults as well. It is hard to stay up-to-date and in-trend with this style. It changes quite frequently. Characters in this genre mix and match various types and styles of clothing. This is similar to urban styles. One popular outfit mixes a Kimono-style top with skinny jeans and sandals. Females are more apt to take the Victorian doll approach to the style and wear long, elegant Victorian-style dresses.
Harem
The Harem anime genre is very relaxed. Jeans and t-shirts or a polo shirt are acceptable here. This style is meant to be comfortable and human-like, so no special outfit accessories are needed. High-top tennis shoes, similar to Converse generally round out the outfits. Characters in this genre don’t wear anything too revealing, consider this genre as being the most conservative in style. The idea here is to win people over with your personality rather than your wardrobe.
Magical Girl
This feminine anime genre grabs the attention of male viewers. Short dresses, with quite a bit of cleavage showing are common. Some of the garb here has a corset-top feel to it with a petticoat or fluffed skirt portion. The idea is to be provocative. Hair and makeup styles are playful, with pigtails being popular for the characters. Plump, red lips and highlighted cheek bones add to the attraction. The most common colors seen in the Magical Girl genre, as far as clothing is concerned, are black, lavender, pink and powder blue.
Dressing like your favorite anime character takes a little creativity. It’s more important to emulate the style than it is to actually find an outfit that is nearly exact to what the character wears. The idea is to make the style your own while making it easily recognizable what genre you represent. Every anime lover has a favorite character, episode and genre. Clothing styles tend to follow suit in this instance since it also represents a specific personality within anime lovers in the Goth and punk world. Anime is an art form; make sure that your fashions are also an art form that speaks loudly to aid in defining who you are as a person.