Bag Lady Chic

Lately, flipping through Japanese fashion magazines, I’ve noticed trend. It’s a kind of Allison Reynolds (from The Breakfast Club) look; the combination of a simple, feminine dress and a more practical, sporty thigh-length anorak. Often, there are tights and boots involved, too. Pick up any Japanese magazine that deals with clothes, and I guarantee you’ll see this outfit.

I quite enjoy this look. I feel like a lot of fashion is impractical for every day life, especially during the fall/winter months when pretty shoes can’t stand up to the rain or snow, and even the cutest outfits must be covered up by bulky hoodies or jackets anyway. So, I figure, if you’re going to dress like that, you might as well be more pulled together and deliberate about it, right?

The trick is to not choose jackets that are too quilted or puffy, or you won’t achieve that perfect edgy-dainty balance. Long dresses (below the knee or the hem of your jacket, whichever comes first) are also a no-no, as they’ll make you look a little too convincingly crazy/homeless.

If you want to be warmer side, you can add layers under the dress (which should be loose and floaty anyway), a scarf, thick tights, socks, and knee-high boots. If you’re lucky enough to live somewhere where the temperatures don’t drop quite as low, you can just pair the dress and coat with flats and head off to school, the mall, the park, etc. See? Both fun and functional.

Picture Sources: Seventeen, Vivi, Soup, Minna, and Pinky magazines

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