I noticed a few people have commented on how cute and fashionable Miki Honoka looks in Itazura na Kiss and I wholeheartedly agree. I think Miki possess a tremendous amount of charm all on her own, but her outfits & hairstyle are impeccably adorable from episode to episode and contribute a lot to her charm as well. And like Heisui remarked, the outfits in Itazura na Kiss also look completely accessible! I might admire an outfit or two in drama on occasion but I never seriously embark to emulate the style because nothing that I can afford will compare to the brand names that the actresses are donning. But Kotoko’s clothes, despite being very cute, even meticulously so at times, don’t look very expensive at all.
Kotoko’s pink dresses and cardigans are bit too much for my black&grey wardrobe but there are some elements of her style that I absolutely love. For example:
1) Button-down shirts tucked into skirts.
Very classic look and allows for a lot of variation in colors and form. I think I prefer the combination of pastel top + flowery skirt like that one Kotoko wore in episode 12 the most but I also like pastel skirt + blue or darker color too (and no, this picture is not here only because for pretty cherry blossoms):
Via We Inspire Us
2) Shoes + frilly socks.
This is not something I’ve yet to pull off myself but I always wanted to. This is a bit extreme in terms of color combination but definitely inspirational:
Via Modcloth Blog
3) Dressy button downs shirts.
This look is from YesStyle. They have a ton of cute clothes that are right up Kotoko’s alley but you have to be careful. As someone who has ordered from YesStyle on several occasions, I can tell you their quality varies a lot. The shoes has been mostly good and always last a season (standard fate of all my shoes) and sandals have always been extremely comfortable (seriously, cannot find an alternative to shoes anywhere). Some random items like shirts and sweaters have also been good but I’m not impressed with their dresses. One was of horrible quality and another one was a bit too short on me (I’m 5’4 not exceptionally tall, but apparently too tall for their one size dresses). I’ve been to their physical store in San Francisco too and even though it was tiny, the selection of dresses was of much better quality.
Via YesStyle Blog
4) Headbands. This one is from YesStyle as well. I love all of Kotoko’s hair accessories but especially the headbands. Mournfully wishing they looked just as good on me.