Word: amekaji
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...more diversity of styles, the better. Still, when the youngsters get confused or the designers founder, the style that always seems to endure and prosper is Amekaji, as the kids call American casual. Says Tomohiro Ando, sales manager of Octopus Army: "American design remains the base. Amekaji is always such a comfortable and functional look." The labels of Octopus Army shirts thoughtfully proclaim those virtues in the fractured English beloved by Japanese teens: "Best in the field of Spangled Stars, Americanized as hell as well as originality." Exactly how that translates is not important; it's the feeling and verve...
...recent years, American designers and manufacturers have rushed to cash in on Amekaji. Designers like Ralph Lauren prospered during the upscale preppie fad, or toraddo-bumu, but interest in the traditional look has recently faltered -- though it will never die out because of the Japanese partiality for neat and tailored clothes. Interest in American sportswear is strong, and the California influence is evident everywhere. Last summer many teens were captivated by the surfer look, with shirts and shorts in neon lime and fluorescent orange. The University of California, Los Angeles, through its own licensees in Japan, sells annually some...
Some kids have learned the lesson of American free thinking and independence all too well, and that may eventually spell trouble for Amekaji. "I like the casual look," admits Hikok Asano, 19, but he quickly adds, "I really don't want to wear too much Amekaji. Everybody who wears Amekaji looks the same." In short, the ultimate way to look American may be not to look American...
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