There’s huge demand in Japan for cute, girly fashion specifically designed to fit male physiques.

If you’ve ever been shopping in women’s fashion stores in Japan, you’ll know that sizes tend to sit on the small side of the spectrum. Chances are, if you’re anything over a U.S. size 10, you’ll be relegated to browsing the racks at a plus-size store, and even then finding the right fit is tricky due to all the different waist-hip-bust ratio measurements.

While this can make shopping a frustrating experience for women who don’t fit the cookie-cutter mould of the ideal body type, spare a thought for men looking to wear women’s clothing in Japan. Though genderless fashion trends are currently on the rise, what happens when a man is specifically looking to dress in girly, conservative clothing?

That’s where Japanese fashion brand blurorange has stepped in. Catering to a gap in the market for men’s sized ladies’ wear, the company is now working on mass producing a cardigan – through crowdfunding site Makuake – specifically “for men who want to wear cute clothes“.

The cardigan has been carefully designed to create a girly look which isn’t too over-the-top, with frilled details around the bottom and on the sleeves. According to blurorange, the garment is incredibly versatile, making it a perfect addition to a variety of outfits.

While a lot of thought went into the details, the fit was one of the most important elements in creating the perfect cardigan for the male physique. In the photo below, a 183-centimetre (6-foot) tall male model demonstrates how a regular women’s cardigan, on the right, is tight-fitting, impossible to button up, and too short on the sleeves.

On the left, the blurorange cardigan fits his frame perfectly, with lots of room for movement and sleeves that extend to cover the back of the hand in a cute girly way.

As well as working hard to create the perfect look and fit, blurorange also wanted to ensure the garment felt beautiful, so they used 100-percent high-quality Australian extra-fine Merino wool to create a soft, elegant feel.

Of course, women are also free to wear the garment, which can be seen modelled on a 161-centimetre tall female below.

Made in Japan by an Osaka-based knitting company founded in 1919, the attention to detail in the high-quality garment is reflected in the price. Reward tiers range from 16,500 yen (US$146.43) for a single cardigan in white or pink, which includes a 15-percent discount off the retail price, up to 46,500 yen for a set which includes a cardigan and a one-piece dress in either pink or blue.

This one-piece has also been designed to fit the male form, with an easy-to-use back zip specially designed by esteemed zipper company YKK. The zip is longer than those usually found on women’s dresses, making it easier to reach around to get in and out of the garment.

Demand for the new products has been high, with blurorange smashing its 300,000-yen funding goal by 117 percent with 24 days still remaining in the campaign. To make a purchase, head over to their crowdfunding page here, and if you’d like to check out some of Japan’s other ladies’ designs for men, why not add some cute sailor suit loungewear to your wardrobe?

Source: Makuake/blurorange via Net Lab
Image: Makuake/blurorange