Remembering 'Fruits' Magazine
The Japanese street style bible.
Top of the morning, Tasties. I come to you in a haze of pre-Memorial Day anxiety. [If you would rather not hear me bitch and moan, skip ahead two paragraphs].
I was planning to drive with friends down to Berkley/SF for the weekend. Nice, right? Then all of our cars simultaneously broke. Catastrophe! The thought of spending this long weekend stuck in LA with zero plans sent me into a spiral. So I immediately reached out to all of my friends and in the span of about thirty minutes, got five different parties on the books…only to discover that one of the cars had miraculously been fixed. So now I have to go back to my friends, tail between my legs, and explain that I am cancelling on plans I just initiated.
I have, much like Charlotte in the photo above, created all of this silly drama for nothing. Anyways, I will now be driving 8+ hours in a car that has iffy AC. Pray for me, folks. And if you have some brilliant ideas for surviving that journey, do let me know.
And now, on to the main event!
Fruits Magazine
If you’re on social media, you’ve seen Fruits Magazine. Maybe not consciously; maybe you’ve only seen a photo from the famous Japanese street style magazine, or even just an outfit inspired by the iconic looks in these pages. But one way or another, you’ve already been impacted by Fruits. I only recently stumbled into its full archives and it sent me down a rabbit hole that has consumed my last week. Which is to say, while I am by no means an expert on the subject, I want to tell you all about this newfound passion.
A little background: Fruits was a fashion magazine created by photographer Shoichi Aoki that ran from 1997 to 2017. It documented street style amongst Japanese youth, which was influenced by varied subcultures ranging from the international punk to the hyper-local lolita look. The defining feature of Fruits is that the people profiled by Aoki are so, so good at styling.
Though the magazine lists the brands its subjects are wearing, it is imminently evident that no one without true taste could think to put one of these items with another. It’s a masterclass in individuality; nobody looks quite like anybody else (as opposed to the current crisis of copy-paste Pinterest fits).
Aoki closed the magazine in 2017 because, and I quote, “there are no more cool kids to photograph.” If this is not the most damning statement ever…this is what it feels like to be truly read by an elder. It sends shivers down my spine. Shivers, I tell you!
You can read more about the history of the magazine here.
Today, I want to talk about how to imbue your look with some elements of Fruits. Like I said, these outfits are really about styling, but I think there are a few key trends that one can use as jumping off points. We’re gonna be thinking about color, texture, pattern and proportion. In other words, the basis of any good look.
Let’s get into it!
Track Pants and Para-skirts
First up, let’s talk about bottoms. During my deep dive of the Fruits archive, some things I saw cropping up again and again were billowing track pants and skirts that looked almost like military fatigues.
Let’s begin with the pants inspo.
These pants are effortlessly flowing, chic yet comfortable. It’s an even more relaxed take on the Adidas Firebird track pants all the girls (myself included) have been wearing this year. I especially like the way she chose to leave one or two of the bottom buttons undone.
For the more literal-minded, you can get a pretty similar look to the photo above with one of these options.
But can I show you what I really want? I’ve been lusting over these trousers for a while, and I think this might be my moment to pull the trigger.
I know these Briar Will trackpants are on the expensive side, but can’t you just picture them in the pages of Fruits? You can only really tell by zooming in, but this is actually a pair of old vintage trackpants that have been reprinted on a new pair. Genius! The trompe l’oeil of workout gear.
Bonus round—I think sporty capri pants could count as a spin on this idea, especially because that’s also a shape/style we see associated with athleisure.
All this to say, if you don’t buy the above vintage Prada capris, I will.
Next up, we’re talking what I’ve termed ‘para-military’ skirts. These are skirts I saw several times in Fruits. They tend to come in neutral colors—dark grays, army greens, etc—and be made in a nylon or sweat material, as well as falling to the knee or lower. Here’s a good example:
I’ve found some skirts that I think are from the same family, but all have a little bit of a twist on the form.
Who would I even be if I didn’t put the Vaquera split maxi into this newsletter for like, the fifth time? Sorry, it just fits perfectly! For a deeper brown with more shine, I like this Open YY skirt, and I think this Toilé Studios gray-green skirt looks crazy comfy. Obviously the outlier in the group is the Heather Brennan Evans skirt with stars and hearts but there’s something about that sweat-material that just feels very Fruits.
These are a couple vintage/secondhand skirts that I think would totally work for the look.
I can’t believe this vintage Onitsuka Tiger tie-waist skirt is only $40, and I know I’ve reached the limit of how many MFG items I can put in this newsletter but…here’s another denim ruched MFG skirt. Oops!
Zip-up Hoodies, Shrunken Cardigans and So Many Stripes
When it comes to tops inspired by Fruits, the key word is layering. We’re talking short sleeves over long sleeves under sweaters wrapped up in an oversized aviator. More is more. Let’s focus on a few key pieces that can make up your top-stack (my nickname for the many layers that go on your upper body).
I couldn’t help but notice many, many colorful zip-up hoodies in the pages of the magazine. While several of the tops we’ll discuss later are fairly form-fitting, I thought the hoodies were generally roomy. Sometimes they’re zipped up all the way to the top; sometimes they’re left undone, used for more of a framing device than actual warmth. Either way, they’re statement pieces designed to deliver maximum impact.
To get you in the zip-up mood, here are some cute hoodies I found that might work. (For some reason I just could not find an attractive way to lay these out but I swear they are individually cute!!)
We’re going to delve more deeply into stripes in a second, but I’d be remiss not to include this striped Hysteric Glamour sweatshirt—especially because that’s a brand that pops up repeatedly in Fruits. I’ve also been almost-buying pieces from Nil00 for months now (you should click on that link and see everything they stock), and this airbrushed sweatshirt is no exception. I also saw the star motif come up a lot in Fruits, so this Minnie Rose sweater seemed relevant. And not pictured above, but I like this navy Courreges track jacket that was just listed.
Bonus round—I’m breaking all the guidelines I set for hoodies to mention these two pieces that are really more tops than hoodies. But they have hoods and they would be great layering pieces. So there!
Logically I understand that you could find a vintage version of this Deniz white short sleeve hoodie, but this really is the best I’ve seen online in a while. I also love the idea of this FFLUENZAA cropped hoodie under a giant t-shirt.
Next, let’s talk shrunken cardigans. Clingy, thin cardigans are more tops than outerwear in Fruits. They’re often sheer and layered over another shirt as a way of creating a dynamic visual line.
Herewith, a couple of cardigans I’ve culled for your browsing pleasure. All are slinky and supple, perfect for summer.
If you want to search by brand for this category, I think your best bet is anything vintage by Blumarine. They do girly, playful and most importantly lightweight cardigans very well. As an example, check out this pink and green Blumarine cardi for just $20. And I guess it’s cheating to include a hoodie when I’m talking cardigans but this blue bedazzled Saint Sintra number (which yes, I’ve mentioned before) totally fits the bill as a layering piece. For a more muted—and much cheaper—version, try this Moschino sparkly black cardigan that’s $73 and size XL.
And if you want just the most basic, versatile cardigan, people aren’t lying when they say the Cou Cou cardigan is the best in the game.
Rounding out the top discussion, we have to talk about stripes.
Stripes pop up all over the place in Fruits: on a sock, on a glove, on a skirt…stripes are everywhere. For brevity’s sake I’m focusing on striped tops but feel free to clash them with other striped pieces to achieve the look.
Yeah, I went kind of crazy on this section. There are just so many ways to wear a stripe! The closest items to the Fruits looks are probably this Hiromichi Nakano mohair striped top, or this Watanabe tee; no surprise, as these brands make frequent appearances in Fruits. But another brand that feels very true to the look is Vivienne Westwood, and I love this Westwood asymmetrical top or this off-the-shoulder Westwood. I also think this Chantal Thomass sheer blouse could be great as a layer.
Not pictured above but as a bonus—this striped JPG top is beyond my styling capabilities but could be a great challenge for someone. Same goes with this Vivienne Westwood striped keyhole tee.
And a top that has nothing to do with anything we’ve discussed…this Prada fur-trimmed vest. Just because.
Flip Flops and Ass-Kicking Boots
The shoes of Fruits are a fever dream, and usually where I find myself going, “Okay now that I definitely can’t pull off.” Mostly because many of them have such big platforms that I’m sure I would trip and break my neck.
But I’ve managed to pull two motifs that I think could translate into my daily wardrobe. First up, flip flops.
I didn’t expect to see so many flip flops in Fruits, but they really are a dime a dozen. As someone who’s shied away from traditional flip flops for years, this was a good reminder that done right, they can be a big slay.
Here are some flip flop options to get you started.
Probably the most duped sandal of the last year are these flip flops from The Row (on sale at TRR for $287), and you can see why—they’re cute as hell. But equally cute are this patent leather Prada Sport pair, now listed on TRR in a size 11, and for a colorful twist, try this Dries Van Noten sandal.
Not pictured above—for a vintage sandal with a small lift, I love these Y2K thong sandals.
Now on to the boots. Because man, are there a lot of boots. Since a platform boot isn’t really my thing, I decided to focus on a style that I think could have been right at home in Fruits. Namely, the wrestling boot.
I’ve been getting way too into wrestling boots lately. Well, me and everyone else on the weird side of Etsy—probably because they are, by design, comfortable.
These are a few of my favorites; it’s been hard to pull examples because they keep selling out, like, seconds after I create the hyperlink. Just blogger problems!
I would say the top seller of these and other Fruits-y shoes is Darina’s Garmz. The prices are steep, but that’s because this collector seriously knows their stuff. I highlighted their Adidas Okapi boots and Adidas Missy Elliot boots above, but I really could’ve picked anything from their stock. My personal favorite of this group, though, are undoubtedly these white Puma boots. They just feel so 80s Reebok step workout in the best way possible. But in terms of wearability, I think these black/brown MFG boots are the most versatile.
And a couple of boots I didn’t include above because they’re not technically wrestling boots (though they have the same flat sole and mobility)—these Diesel knee-high moto boots and these Prada leather combat boots I have put in and taken out of my TRR cart, oh, about five times. Also these Diesel red boots are technically men’s, but they’ll fit a women’s size 9.
And one more thing on shoes—check out everything from Akikoaoki. Just trust me.
Accessories-palooza!
The accessories of Fruits are eclectic and many; there’s no way to narrow it down to one specific item. So in the spirit of more is more, I’m just gonna present a bunch of cool accessories that I think have the right vibe.
We’ll be looking at candy-colored jewelry that would be equally at home at a rave, kooky leg accessories and more.
[I think I might genuinely be getting worse at making collages?? Help??]
Quite the assortment, right? Socks first, because they’re some showstoppers: these Ottolinger green mesh tabi socks are out of this world, and these Leshji braid tights are just…insane. But in a good way! This Hollywood Low Brow tan cuff feels probably the most true to Fruits-core, though this Collina Strada ring would definitely be at home too. And I threw in this Dydoshop DnD beanie because I noticed a lot of beanies (but also, what a perfect gift for the DnD player in your life).
Quick question
This post is already overlong, so I’m gonna stop here. Hope you enjoyed these delicious Fruits!
For paying subscribers—I’m considering doing a paywalled piece that’s sort of a Part II, about where I’m buying a bunch of the niche brands featured in Fruits on the cheap, as well as my advice for navigating the site. I’ve never used the paywall before but…sometimes a girl’s gotta gatekeep a little. Let me know if that interests by leaving a comment below or emailing me directly <3
TTYL, Tasties!
I may earn some money if you make a purchase through one of the links above.
This was such a nice nostalgia trip! Reminded me of so many things I wore in the early 2000s and brands I loved then. I’d totally forgotten about Fruits but it was such a visual feast.
This gives me such good memories! Fruits was so iconic.