Skull-themed fashion attracting Tokyo youngsters

TOKYO —

Legwear and T-shirts bearing images of human skulls have become popular in Tokyo as many youngsters regard the token of death as ‘‘cute’’ or as something symbolizing the love of delinquency.

Popular model Tsubasa Masuwaka is an icon leading the trend. She produced a series of socks with skull images and other legwear with the brand ‘‘S-Leg’’ for Fukusuke Corp, Japan’s major sock and underwear maker.

Fukusuke has sold more than 30,000 pairs of socks including those with skull images every month since launching the brand in March, aimed largely at teenage girls and women in their early 20s. The socks were priced at around 500-1,000 yen a pair.

A Fukusuke spokesperson said it was rare for the company to see products with a new brand selling that well and that it is willing to release a new ‘‘skull’’ series in the fall and winter.

Masuwaka said the skull image that some might find scary does not discourage young people from buying the socks.

‘‘Some skull-themed socks look very cute depending on their design…The skull image is a fashionable sign, like a heart,’’ she said.

Skull images have also appealed to men. The casual men’s brand Jackrose has sold more than 1,000 T-shirts embroidered with a skull and crossbones on the back every month since its launch in March, ach priced at 7,245 yen.

A salesperson at Jackrose’s shop in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district said young men prefer shirts with a skull image as it gives them an air of aggression or roguishness.

The brand is aimed at attracting men in their 20s but skull-themed shirts also draw those in their 30s, the spokesperson said.

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Latest 15 of 20 Total Comments Show All

Pump24 at 10:47 AM JST - 28th May

Great. My faded 'Misfits' skull face t-shirt from the 80's is finally fashionable.
Hopfly at 11:04 AM JST - 28th May

Blame it on Yoko and Gurren Lagann,
vajra at 11:51 AM JST - 28th May

A few shops in Kyoto been selling Dogtown skull fashions for half a decade already .
Weasel at 12:35 PM JST - 28th May

Seems like fashion always repeats every 20 years
jalways at 01:14 PM JST - 28th May

Weasel, Now if we could only get the adult women wearing wicked weasel wear, now that would be fashion, instead of what my grandma wears daily. You know what I'm talikng about. Check it out if you don't. www.wickedweasel.com, its all fashion to me!
jonnyboy at 01:15 PM JST - 28th May

just look like stripy socks to me
gamera at 02:52 PM JST - 28th May

Skulls never go out of fashion. I always my my Misfits shirt.
Altria at 02:58 PM JST - 28th May

Skulls have always been fashionable here, but the popularity of the Somali pirates has taken the craze to another level.
sydenham at 03:57 PM JST - 28th May

This is just fascinating.
TokyoXtreme at 04:35 PM JST - 28th May

And to accompany the article on skull-themed fashion is a photo devoid of skulls?

Moderator: The article is about skull-themed fashions and the photo shows Tsubasa Masuwaka's line of socks with skull motifs on them, which is mentioned in the story.
sydenham at 07:46 PM JST - 28th May

Ooh, after using the zoom feature on my browser, I can barely make out a smiley face/head thingy. They look like signatures to me, but whatever, its fascinating stuff.
ca1ic0cat at 08:58 PM JST - 28th May

Are they all going to start riding Harleys (or at least chopped Hondas) and getting tattoos and piercings too? That would be something!
Fadamor at 11:17 PM JST - 28th May

Someone please tell me that's a typo! T-shirts sell in Japan for about $72.50? They'd better be using gold lamé thread in that puppy!
IvanCoughalot at 11:30 PM JST - 28th May

For 7,000 yen, I would expect a young lady to be inside the t-shirt. Andnot one who looks like a skull, either.

Although I'm sure there's a joke about head there somewhere.
OhioDonna at 02:55 AM JST - 29th May

Not cute in Japan! Not cute in America! It has been her for sometime. I wish this fad would pass away!