If there is a magazine which I have consistently have read when I was much younger and still in college and now as an adult, is “Fine Magazine”.
“Fine Magazine” is a magazine which I would describe are people who are more into surf and outdoor culture. In Japan, “Outdoor” tends to mean camping, hiking, going to the beach, etc.
And have been to many events that pertain to that.
And back when I was in college, “Fine Magazine” was more about surf culture featuring tanned models in bikinis and long hair Japanese surfer guys showcasing their fashion.
But times have changed, a plethora of fashion magazine competition and “Fine Magazine” has now evolved to a outdoor magazine and the fashion that goes along with that.
And the demographic has evolved form older teens to young adults to young adults to those middle-aged. May they be single, parents, or those who are young at heart.
Granted, Japanese fashion culture for outdoors differs from the US. Where many people in the US who spend a lot of money on outdoors gear, it’s more of their lifestyle of challenging themselves may it be for health or hobby, but it’s something that they look forward to doing and traveling to a far location and doing.
In Japan, it’s more of fashion and culture. There are those who take it seriously, those who travel far, but it’s a different vibe.
In Japan, people love stylish products, especially when celebrities wear them.
When celebrity Kimura Takuya sported M&M checkered boardshorts which sell for Y18,480 (about $190 US), people flocked to the shop and all 500 shorts sold out.
I’m guilty of this! I remember when Kimura was a member of SMAP and sported Filas, I wanted those exact Filas and bought them!
While I have changed a lot in terms of my clothing style over the years, there is one fashion style that I come back to and that’s clothing inspired by Japanese fashion, Hawaii fashion and surfing culture.
Having grown up with this magazine, instead of dumping it for another fashion magazine, this magazine has grown along with me, in terms of what is featured and the targeted demographic.
What are differences? We know that many people in the US like to wear tailored-fit, tight fitting Hawaiian shirts without an undershirt (in Hawaii, it’s a bit of both of classic and tailored fit), while in Japan, guys tend to wear t-shirts underneath their Hawaiian shirts and when they wear Hawaiian shirts, they are oversized, almost like a size or two sizes up.
But what about guys who are in their older 40s or up? Is there a magazine similar to “Fine Magazine” but tailors to an older demographic? Yes, it’s called “OCEANS” and I’ll talk about that magazine next blog post.
