How to Dress in Manga Style

Mr Smaggle and I are planning a trip to Japan this year and I am so excited I can hardly contain myself! We are going for a full month and only going to Japan so we can really soak up the culture. We are also going to do Japanese lessons before we go. And in preparation for my trip and I have developed an obsession with Manga style. Yes I consciously choose my obsessions. Here are a few manga beauties to get your creative juices flowing… Oh and by the way I am not talking about Gothic Lolita or Sweet Lolita style. I mean a style stolen straight from anime films. I don’t even know if people dress like this but the point is that people should!

Here are some tips on how to achieve that animated look

* Make a statement out of your hair – Dye it a crazy colour like pink or purple and grow it long. Make sure you have a fringe that flops in around your eyes and wear heaps of colourful clips and bows in it. Visit Designer Wigs and Colour Wigs for some awesome inspiration. The wigs are quite reasonably priced as well.

* Match your make-up to your clothing– Some people think it’s a little daggy but I think it’s quite demure yet punkish to wear bright splash of eye shadow that matches a colour in your outfit. For that true Manga look go for pink or neons. Try Strawberry Net for quality make up at bargain prices.

* Wear the tallest platform shoes you can find– I know that Manga girls are based on Japanese girls who are traditionally quite short and that’s why they all wear platforms but the extreme cartoon look just wouldn’t be complete without massive Baby Spice-esque platforms. If you are really tall like me just go for it anyway. It’s already an extreme look so you might as well do it the right way.

* Show a bit of skin– Manga girls are sexy. Lets face it, with all that leg and breast showing it’s little wonder that half the geek population of the world are anime fiends. But to make the transaction from cartoon to real life smooth just keep it classy. Show a lot of breast OR a lot of leg. And never both.

*Go nuts with little kid accessories– Stock up on all kinds of plastic accessories and wear them all at the same time. Visit Girlprops for colourful and funky accoutrement.

Love Lady Smaggle xxx