That subtitle is a little misleading, as this is more of a scrapbook with comic strips included.

Tokyo Fashion by Nodoka has 44 suggestions on “how to look stylish when you’ve got zero time to think about it!” (Plus, four for men, although they’re weirdly specific.) Each tip is accompanied by a couple of outfit drawings and a short (3-4 panel) comic strip in which the protagonist takes advice from her cat.

Of course, the usefulness of any style advice depends on how much you trust the giver. Her insistence that it’s better to buy cheap clothes and donate or discard them every three years instead of investing in a truly stylish look probably comes from her time working for “a large fast-fashion retailer”. Which I should have known before reading this, as it didn’t match my perspective on buying clothes, and it ignores the politics and impact of that approach to purchasing.

Some ideas are more relevant than others. The first tip is that wearing a watch will help you “look amazing” because “the subtle gesture of a woman checking her watch is incredibly cool.” This was not a promising beginning, as it put appearance over functionality and comfort, and it treated the reader as the observed, the object of someone else’s viewpoint, not someone making her own decisions.

The second tip is “make your tops simple and your bottoms flashy.” Which isn’t a bad idea, but it doesn’t apply to every body type. Neither does the author’s love of loose, oversized tops. Of course, the women in this book are all of the same slender shape.

However, some of the tips were classically good ideas, such as keeping logos small and using a scarf for accent. Some are thought-provoking, like the idea you only need three pairs of shoes (oh, and plus sandals and boots). Some are obvious, like how it’s better to buy tops you don’t have to iron or that people want to wear white in the summer. Some are oddly specific, like the one about how navy-striped shirts are better than white ones, or that floral patterns should be large, or how socks should only be white or gray, or the few that deal with appropriate colors for outerwear.

I didn’t mind flipping through Tokyo Fashion, and it’s usually a good idea to think more explicitly about what’s in my closet and what kind of impression it gives, but it’s certainly not a book I’ll reread or need to own.

Ah, Spring has officially sprung! Time for a good amount of spring cleaning. Typically, most folks are looking to overhaul their wardrobe, especially their closets. But maybe instead of sparking joy, your closet is sparking irritation. Maybe you’re finding yourself completely out of season, fashionably-speaking. Well, worry not! That’s where Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book can come in handy to give your current wardrobe a new lease on life.

Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book is written by Nodoka. Nodoka is billed as “an official top blogger for the popular Japanese social media site Ameba,” which you can check out here. Nodoka also has an all-Japanese Instagram featuring her illustrated OOTD (outfit of the day) suggestions. Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book was translated by Abby Lekrke. Evan Waldinger handled the retouch and lettering. Yukiko Whitley did design. Finally, David Brothers served as Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book’s editor.

A design school graduate, Nodoka worked as an advertiser before joining a large, fast-fashion company. Afterwards, she used her fashion industry know-how and art skills to create a blog and a fashion column titled “Don’t Spend Money, It Doesn’t Have to be Perfect.” Naturally, with a name like that, the column was a hit. It’s still regularly updated, with lots of recent entries. That same snappy naming extends to Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book. Some topics include the three kinds of bags/purses you need, limiting your wardrobe to the colors in a twelve-piece color pencil set. For masculine readers, there’s a section with a small range of topics. Those include wearing high-water pants and some general tips.

Despite being published in 2018 in Japan, I found Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book to be incredibly helpful. It’s incredibly accessible no matter what level of fashion enthusiast the reader is. Having a section for “women” and “men” was nice, and while the language is gendered, all the fashion tips can be used regardless of gender. In fact, I encourage readers to apply what they feel works to their own wardrobes, especially if you’re curious about inviting a bit of late 2010’s Japanese fashion into your life.

One thing I’d like to praise Tokyo Fashion for is its body inclusivity. Oftentimes, we see only a singular body type in Japanese media: thin. However, in reality, there’s a range of sizes, shapes, and presentations. The idea that Japan is a country of rail-thin women is incredibly outdated. So seeing a Japanese writer include all bodies with a Tokyoite style feels really nice, especially as a plus-sized writer myself.

Japan has just as much body diversity as any other country. Think about Watanabe Naomi, Yuriyan Retriever, and Nao. All those women I listed are notable plus-sized women who have helped to diversify Japan’s fashion industry in one way or another. You can also look at La Farfa, a hit plus-size fashion magazine that’s still up and running. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about AMAB models in Japan to speak to that, though I know they’re out there.

Essentially, seeing a Japanese fashion blogger write an accessible book about fashion for all is important. Thankfully, I felt Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book captured that mindset, even if it’s not front and center.

Additionally, all of the items in Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book are items that Nodoka owns, which I found really interesting. She’s really practicing what she’s preaching, which is further encouragement for folks looking to revitalize their closets. In fact, Nodoka really encourages you not to chuck everything out. Instead, work with what you’ve got, and buy practical things that you can actually use. That’s my kind of advice. However, Nodoka does note that some items are probably no longer available, which of course, makes sense. Fast fashion is fast for a reason. Still, I suggest checking out UNIQLO, one of Japan’s biggest fashion companies. While they’re not necessarily fast fashion, they still capture the styles that are in this manga.

I’d love to see Viz bring over more non-fiction advice manga in the same vein. In fact, I’d really love to see more manga publishers pick up non-fiction titles like this. These titles are just as much fun as the rest of Viz’s line up. In fact, as an adult reader, I found Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book to be really refreshing, though I’ll always be a manga fan at heart.

I can’t wait until I integrate Nodoka’s tips into my own wardrobe for a bit of Tokyoite flair.Thanks to Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book, I’ll have a much easier time updating my wardrobe. For all you fashion enthusiasts out there, I hope you have just as much fun as I will!

All in all, I’m really glad I got to spend some time with Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book. As a comic, it’s a thick, enjoyable read. But as a fashion guide, that’s where Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book really excels. It’s fun, it’s straightforward, and honestly, there’s a lot of really good advice within. Nodoka’s advice is witty, enlightening, practical, and best of all, easy to implement into your current wardrobe with a few adjustments. Coupled with a solid, but playful translation, stylish lettering, and an overall high quality of production, Tokyo Fashion: A Comic Book is an easy recommendation.

The art is beautiful but the layout is a little chaotic making it difficult to read. To be fair, the sample provided by publisher was only a few pages.

Based on the preview, this is going to be a useful guide to color matching and style mixing. It'll probably be good if one is just getting started with putting together their own wardrobe or if they want to shake things up a bit. It's definitely geared toward a more femme, chic, and minimalist style, but all the looks in the preview are totally wearable everyday wear.

A charming, easy-to-digest guide to timeless style

If you've ever been to Tokyo, you'll notice that women of all ages pay attention to wearing simple, but stylish outfits. Similar to European cities, it's rare that you'll see women wearing track jackets, sweatpants or anything tacky or too revealing in Japanese cities.

Presented in full-color, with a mix of annotated fashion illustrations and whimsical comic strips Tokyo Fashion provides some simple, easy-to-remember guidelines on how to buy and wear a timeless wardrobe. It shares ideas that will take you from a day at the office to a dressier evening out with friends and a weekend date with someone special. This guide is useful anyone looking to upgrade their look without spending a lot of cash as well as handy for travelers who want to look more like a chic local than a schlubby tourist in the more fashion-conscious destinations of the world.

This was perfectly functional for an excerpt but part of me thinks one may be better served just browsing how clothing manufacturers style the current season of clothes they have on the market.

Cute but extremely small.
I'd love a bit more as I plan to go to Japan next year ( if Covid allows) and fashion is huge and interesting there.