We ask a Harajuku street fashion merchant to dress Mr. Sato for under $100 【Photos】

Will Mr. Sato be able to find the perfect outfit in the trendy Tokyo neighborhood?

Tokyo’s Harajuku is one of the major centers of trendy Japanese fashion. It’s likely one of the first places you’ll visit on a tour of the nation’s capital, and it’s not uncommon for famous celebrities and artists to make a trip to the district incognito to get their hands on the latest clothing styles.

While some people dive into the shops without any coaxing, on Takeshita Street you’ll also see foreign merchants on the street, similar to the guys that try to persuade you to visit certain clubs in Roppongi, calling out to tourists and asking them to look at their wares. They might be somewhat loud, but they also seem to know a bit about fashion, and so we decided have Mr. Sato ask one of them to hook him up with the perfect outfit for under 10,000 yen (US$93).

The result was something much more than we’d bargained for.

As you can see by Mr. Sato’s hand-me-down shirt from a friend and jeans that came out of a New Year’s lucky bag, he’s not exactly the most stylish guy. Surely one of Harajuku’s many street fashion sellers would be able to give him a hand, though, right?

Not long after Mr. Sato began to make his way down Takeshita Street, he was greeted with a “Nice to meet you” from a man in a red shirt, who then extended a hand to shake his. Hoping that this would be his fashion savior, Mr. Sato returned the gesture and started telling him about his wardrobe dilemma. The man quickly beckoned Mr. Sato to follow him to a nearby building, where the two of them made their way up to a small shop on the second floor.

At a glance, it appeared to be some kind of hip hop fashion store. T-shirts and caps lined the shelves, and seemed to resemble a few brands we’d seen before.

Mr. Sato was greeted by the shop owner inside, and they quickly got to talking. The owner told Mr. Sato that he had come to Japan from South Africa, and that our new friend in the red shirt was originally from Nigeria. By the way, his command of Japanese was quite impressive, and the two talked animatedly about soccer and Japanese politics before Mr. Sato asked him to help him pick out an outfit for under 10,000 yen.

He asked Mr. Sato what he thought about various items as he pulled them off the rack, before ushering him into the changing room.

Here’s what the first pair of shorts he recommended looked like:

Not bad, eh? They’ve got a summer feel to them, and Mr. Sato said they felt cool enough on. In fact they were great considering how warm the weather already is. The owner paired them with a Chicago Bulls T-shirt, and Mr. Sato proceeded to pay.

Mr. Sato: How much for both?

Owner: 15,000 yen (US$140).

Mr. Sato: Wait a sec! I thought you said you were going to find me something under 10,000 yen (US$93)?

Owner: Okay, okay. As a friend, I’ll sell you both for 13,000 yen.

Mr. Sato: That’s very generous of you. Okay, 13,000 yen it is.

But somehow the outfit seemed a little lacking, like it could use some accessories. Mr. Sato’s eyes traveled to a display case, which held a number of flashy necklaces.

Mr. Sato: Could I get that necklace?

Owner: Sure, it’s 5,000 yen. So all together that’s 18,000 yen.

Mr. Sato: I’m afraid that’s a little out of my budget. Could somehow you cut me a deal?

Owner: Okay, for you, 16,000 yen.

Mr. Sato: How about 15,000 yen?

Owner: 16,000 yen.

Mr. Sato: C’mon, cut a guy some slack…15,000 yen?

Owner: All right, but only if you beat me three times at rock-paper-scissors.

▼ Let the games begin!

▼ And the winner is… Mr. Sato!

Alright! Now Mr. Sato would be able to blend in with the young crowd, and become the trendsetter he’d always wanted to be, all for just 15,000 yen.

Here’s a picture of the t-shirt and shorts together, by the way.

Now looking on point, it was time for Mr. Sato to head to Harajuku’s most popular shopping mall, La Foret. But before that, he wanted to get a picture with his two new buds.

But wait a minute… Weren’t they supposed to find something for him under 10,000 yen? Mr. Sato got so caught up in the moment that he forgot to stick to his budget. Was his outfit worth the extra splurge? You be the judge!

▼ Hmm, it appears the brand is called BULLS, not Nike…

▼ We ran a Google search for the brand So fuime, but came up empty-handed.

▼ Not to mention, the stitching could have been a little better.

Still, we think he looks pretty good, especially here next to the legendary Boombox Granny!

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