Tokyo is no stranger to the fashion world. From hot international fashion items straight off the catwalks of Milan and New York right through to Japanese inspired fashion and ‘cosplay’, inner city Tokyo boasts thousands of options when it comes to adorning yourself with the latest must-have piece. However, no other store seems to have attracted the attention of Tokyoites as has ‘Forever 21′.
‘Forever 21′, a clothing chain founded in the US, opened its flagship Japanese store in Harajuku this May. The multi-level store is a one-stop-shop when it comes to all things fashion including tops, skirts, dresses, t-shirts, pants, swimming costumes, handbags, shoes, jewellery and accessories. What has set this store apart from the rest is its low prices. You can pick up almost any item and it will not set you back more than 3000 yen. The sizes too are also kind to the foreigner. Although I generally fit into smaller sizes back home, finding clothing in Asia that I don’t need to be strapped into to avoid popping a button is always somewhat of a problem.
It seems the lure of foreign, hip fashion in combination with the low prices have sent Tokyo’s women into a spin. As a foreigner, one of the first things we often notice is how polite the Japanese are and the emphasis they place on showing respect in such an overt manner. While shopping in Japan one is welcomed by the familiar call of irasshaimase (welcome), most people are generally very polite as they move around the store and a bow from the shop assistant whether you bought something or not is a common sight. Forever 21 is probably as far away from a regular Japanese shopping experience that one can get.
Firstly, you have to queue to enter the store. One might be mistaken in thinking it is some kind of nightclub with security manning the door and controlling the masses. Although I must say, I have never had to wait for long to enter as the security guards seem to succumb to the pressure of the eagerly awaiting glare of young women wanting to update their wardrobes. The queues often build up to such an extent that the store opens vastly earlier than its scheduled opening time of 11am. Once I thought that arriving at 10am on a Monday (which I imagined would be a less notorious day for shopping) would exempt me from having to endure the insane crowds. However, it seems that no hour or day is a quiet one. The number of people allowed to enter at any one time far exceeds that of those exiting, which leads us to the first major problem: the sheer amount of people. The store is so crowded that moving from one rack to another is almost an impossible task. It is like being on the train during peak hour only this time with women on a mission who are not afraid to wrestle you for that perfect addition to their outfit. In fact, in Forever 21 is probably the first time I have seen Japanese people bordering on rude. Pushing and elbowing to get past even though there is no space to move into without a hint of a sumimasen (sorry/excuse me). Why some shoppers try to bring in prams or pushers is beyond me. And don’t even think about trying to get back to the same spot for a second look. This has lead to most shoppers just grabbing what they can even if they are still undecided on buying it and then trying to find a skerrick of space on the stairwell to sort through their options before dumping anything that doesn’t make the grade.
The stairwell seems to be a common respite area where shoppers gather in corners, even sitting on the floor and arranging their potential outfits for further inspection. Weary shoppers can even be seen taking a nap along with exhausted boyfriends and husbands more often than not clutching a small, sleeping child oblivious to the mayhem around them. The first time I visited Forever 21 there were two floors dedicated to men’s fashion that within a matter of a week or so was downsized to a small corner on the top floor. One can most likely assume due to the massive sales made in the women’s sections and the apparent disinterest many men have in this kind of shopping experience.
While most Tokyoites seem to associate Forever 21, and Harajuku as a whole, as a hub for younger fashion, Forever 21 does not seem to have an age limit. Forever 21 is prompting many older women to dare the crowds to pick up their piece of the craze. One morning, I took my host mother. She had been wanting to go since the store had opened, saying she is usually the last person to be so caught up in fashion or the latest fad, but all the media hype on the television and in newspapers about the store had even given her the Forever 21 fever.
If one wants to try on their potential purchases, then prepare to queue again for the fitting room with the line snaking around racks upon racks of clothing. As the prices are affordable for a new fashion piece, most women gather more than the six items allowed into the change room at any one time. The other items must be hung on the door and swapped over by the shop assistant. As the women ponder their purchases in front of the mirror one by one, the wait for others can seem like an eternity with many opting to just hold the item up in front of one of the mirrors around the store to guesstimate the correct size, or attempt an impromptu public fitting, squeezing the items over their existing clothes to check the fit. The queue to the cash register is often equally as long but seems to move quicker than the lines to the fitting rooms. I doubt the whole experience can be conquered in less than two hours. But rest assured relief for those hunger pains is not far away with local businesses also cashing in on the increased traffic by offering ‘Forever 21′ lunch and dinner specials.
What one comes out with at the other end seems to be the prized piece, more precious than the clothing itself: the yellow bag. The Forever 21 shopping bag, already infamous around Tokyo in a bright canary yellow with black, bold letters is the supposed gateway to improved social standing. Forever 21 has an online store which seems to be a good alternative to enduring the heavy crowds and lengthy queues, however, much of the pleasure comes from the experience of going to the store and being ’seen’ with that yellow bag in the busy streets. Harajuku, particularly in and around the Takeshita Dori area, is a sea of yellow. In fact, the first time I found Forever 21 was by following those yellow bags. Always carried with pride, the satisfied shopper can be assured that the passerby will notice their purchase. Recycling the bag and using it to carry other items on non-shopping days so that one can re-live that Forever 21 feeling is not uncommon.
While all crazes inherently die down, Forever 21 is not yet showing any signs of slowing up. It seems for the foreseeable future that Tokyoites are pleased with their one-stop-shop to social improvement. Have a coffee, bring your most comfortable pair of shoes, a keen eye for a winner and a bucket-load of patience and that yellow bag can be yours too.
