Every year there are countless conventions around the world where attendees dress up as their favorite anime characters. Cosplayers have long known that there are multiple series that have some of the best fashion sense and it’s their duty to replicate that as best they can.
Even non-cosplayers don’t need an excuse to recognize a drip when they see one. There is a reason why even DBZ the gi is so iconic; it is mass produced as muscle tops and undershirts that anyone can wear. This is not the only case, as there are several series that have inspired fashion trends for mass consumption.
10 Demon Slayer
The unique Haori patterns make it killer
While the Meiji era was the one that westernized Japanese standards in terms of politics, economics and imperial reach, the Taisho era solidified the hybridization of East and West and revolutionized Japanese fashion trends. When choosing an environment for your series, Demon Slayermangaka Koyoharu Gotouge made sure to implement these trends.
Haori and kimono continued to be a staple of Japanese fashion for everyday wear. So when designing her characters, Koyoharu made sure they each had their own patterns for their Hashira uniforms. Tanjiro’s blocky Haori, Zenitsu’s Urokomon Haori, and Giyuu’s halved Haori stand out.
9 Cowboy bebop
Fashion 2071 is very reminiscent of the 90s
When considering the aesthetics of the 90s, when anime is mentioned, Cowboy bebop is already there before any other answer could be provided. The series is easily the most accessible to those who are not fans of the anime medium, which makes it even more iconic.
From Spike’s blue leisure suit to Faye’s skimpy yellow cut, each of their outfits evoke many of the 90s anime aesthetics. When showing the future in the new space age, Cowboy bebop excels in mixing western clothing with neo-Tokyo urban pop. Bebop was supposed to be a cavalcade of mixing genres, so their costumes reflect that.
8 Jujutsu Kaisen
The Shonen series that is best costumed in timeless fashion standards with a twist
There are countless anime that revolve around the Japanese school uniform, but none have managed to look as cool and unique as the uniforms designed by Gege Akutami Jujutsu Kaisen. The Tokyo Wizarding World manages to outdo its Hogwarts predecessors with their assigned uniforms.
It’s not just Yuya’s unique hooded school uniform or Yuya’s certain color; there are countless Tokyo Metropolitan Cursed College alumni who play some of the series’ most legendary combos. The biggest culprit is Yuji’s mentor and best supporting character, Kento Nanami. His salary suit is elevated with his tie pattern and Tag-Heuer Carrera making him more iconic.
7 Bleach
Managed to make ’00s fashion look cool
There’s no denying that the early 2000s may have been the worst era for fashion. From baggy jeans to velor tracksuits, there was no end to these ornate trends. However, when Tite Kubo was creating his hit series, Bleacharound the same time, he somehow managed to take all these trends and make them timeless.
Ichigo Kurosaki is still considered one of the best main character designs, and his sense of style helps to prove it. From his shinigami outfit to his street clothes, everything manages to evoke his cool and unique image. During the series, Kubo himself drew various characters in sick clothes. A trend that continued with the premiere of the film The Thousand Year Bloody War anime adaptation.
6 Blue lock
Attracted the attention of the World Cup
There aren’t many manga artists who can boast the fame of having been given the privilege to work with Adidas on Japan’s World Cup jersey. Blue Lock’s illustrator Yusuke Nomura is one of two mangaka who have made this claim. Japan’s samurai blue jerseys have been one of the hottest topics surrounding the World Cup due to the jerseys’ association with the hit anime that premiered that year.
Despite the monochromatic blue look of the series, Blue lock manages to use it to his advantage. Never since maybe Knock did sports anime/manga look so effortlessly cool. Each of the main character’s outfits further emphasizes their strong drive and competitiveness.
5 My darling for dressing up
More fashion outside of Cosplay
Although My darling for dressing up focuses more on Kitagawa’s cosplay and Gojo basically wearing the same thing every day, the series nonetheless has interesting cuts for its protagonists. This is especially true when it comes to one of the best gyaru characters in anime.
The show’s fashion sense is best seen between its cosplay montages. If anything, it’s best highlighted when Marin Kitagawa earns money for her cosplay by modeling for fashion magazines or whenever she and Gojo go to get cosplay materials. Marina’s sensibility to influence her gyara aesthetic truly shines.
4 Akira
The ultimate cyberpunk trendsetter
Quite possibly the most influential cyberpunk film, Akira is known for its dazzling animation and gloomy world-building. Like many cyberpunk titles, Akira doesn’t let up when it comes to inspiring fashion trends. As Cowboy bebopthe site of Neo-Tokyo after the original is destroyed in a nuclear holocaust seems to be a hotbed of style that embodies both the old and new worlds.
This is best seen with Kaneda and his band of bikers who immerse the greaser style of the 50s in the dystopian future of 2019. But the most iconic piece of clothing has to be Kaneda’s red/blue pill jacket, which is one of the most requested pieces of anime fashion by fans.
3 FAMILY SPY X
Fashion trends of the 60s embody this Cold War-inspired thriller
As Incredible, Spy x family is set in a world reminiscent of the middle of the 20th century. A period marked by Cold War tensions made it the perfect setting for Tatsuya Endo’s inspiration when he created the highly popular series.
To best evoke that era, the show’s costuming could easily be compared to AMC’s Crazy people: skinny ties with sharkskin suits, porkpie fedoras, sweaters that end just above the knee, and various pantsuits. While the tensions between Ostania and Westalis are cold, the central figures operating behind the scenes to keep the peace are hot in the views they serve up.
2 Sailor Moon
It sets the ultimate 90s aesthetic for Pinterest
It’s hard to find a more famous anime from the 90s than Cowboy bebopbut in a way Sailor Moon manages to surpass it in terms of popularity and merchandise. Unfortunately, Usagi and her friends are used by many who are not fans of the media as an example for their thinking.
Regardless of anyone else’s opinions, it’s undeniable that the show is hugely popular for a variety of reasons, one of which is its chewy urban-pop aesthetic. When not battling galactic threats, Usagi and her cohorts are outfitted with some of the best wardrobes the ’90s had to offer.
1 JoJo’s bizarre adventure
He sets his own sense of fashion
When it comes to a series that creates its own style, that style becomes synonymous with everything associated with the title. JoJo’s bizarre adventure is the loudest and proudest when it comes to this. The series, which is heavily inspired by western music, is one of the most popular series to come out of Japan, and its fashion is proof of that.
Rohan Kishibe and Jotaro Kujo are probably the biggest offenders of this. Rohan’s diverse wardrobe electrifies his eccentric personality, while cool Jotaro effortlessly chooses a cut that matches whatever his hat has changed for the day. The series’ iconic outfit is one of the most appealing ventures and lends credence to the idea that JoJo is its own beast and imaginatively unique.