Pokémon fashion comes to Harajuku, and we’ve got a massive photo preview to help you decide how to customize your dress shirt.
Harajuku has become world-famous as a Japanese fashion center, but the trendy Tokyo neighborhood is actually divided into three distinct areas, each of which has its own look. Takeshita Street is the place for the fastest fashion, with designs and affordable prices that appeal to teenagers. Meanwhile, the tree-lined boulevard called Omotesando is where high-end international brands like to put their flagship stores.
Then there’s the network of side streets collectively called Ura Harajuku, meaning “Inner Harajuku.” This is where you’ll find clothing from smaller design houses that are more mature than what Takeshita has to offer, but more unique than Omotesando’s. And last weekend, it’s where you could find the Pokémon Shirts shop.
As the name implies, the store was stocked exclusively with apparel from Japanese label Original Stitch’s new Pokémon dress shirt line.
Don’t think for a second that means the store was short on variety, though. Original Stitch’s shirts are all made to order, and allow for a huge amount of customization. The biggest decision is whether to have the Pokémon pattern cover the entire shirt or some combination of the chest, collar, cuffs, and pocket, but there are also multiple collar options and the choice of long or short sleeves.
The shop’s first floor was dedicated to four different patterns which were exclusively available to customers ordering their shirts then and there.
An even bigger treat for fans, though, was waiting upstairs…
…where Original Stitch had set up a gallery of all 151 shirt patterns for the original 151 Kanto Region Pokémon species!
There were also racks of sample shirts, showing some of the nearly endless number of possible configurations they can be ordered in.
The variety doesn’t just come from all the different Pokémon species, either. For some patterns, the character being saluted is obvious, while others are more stylized and subtle. Tropical, Asian, and even 1980s-style touches really help each shirt feel unique. The huge range of colors means there’s sure to be at least one hue you like, and the staff informed me that for the sections of your shirt where you’re not applying a Pokémon pattern, the solid cloth can be in any color you like, so you’re not necessarily locked into choosing between a Poké-pattern and plain white.
▼ The Snorlax pattern, with a Pikachu taking a nap on the stomach of the perpetually sleepy roadblock, is one of the most clever.
While the display shirts were generally single-Pokémon designs, you can also request multiple characters on the same shirt, putting one pattern on the chest and another on the collar, for example, or placing different Pokémon on your cuffs and pocket. That sort of flexibility is key, because with so many cool and cute patterns to choose from, it can be hard to pick just one species.
Of course, there’s only so much fabric to work with, so you will eventually have to narrow your list down to no more than seven Pokémon patterns, the maximum that can be used for the same shirt. So to help you do that, here’s a sample of some of the stand-out patterns, like Pikachu…
…Eevee…
…Magikarp…
…and…wait, you know what? They’re all awesome, so really the only fair thing to do is show you ALL of them, so that’s exactly what I’m going to do.
Before that, though, there’s the sad news that the Pokémon Shirts shop was a limited-time pop-up affair, with February 24 its last day. Don’t be sad, though, because on February 27 (also known as Pokémon Day, in commemoration of the date on which the very first Pokémon games were released in Japan) Original Stitch will start taking orders online through its website here.
And now, as promised, all 151 Pokémon Shirt patterns (minus one secret), in Pokédex order.
▼ 1. Bulbasaur
▼ 2. Ivysaur
▼ 3. Venusaur
▼ 4. Charmander
▼ 5. Charmeleon
▼ 6. Charizard
▼ 7. Squirtle
▼ 8. Wartortle
▼ 9. Blastoise
▼ 10. Caterpie
▼ 11. Metapod
▼ 12. Butterfree
▼ 13. Weedle
▼ 14. Kakuna
▼ 15. Beedrill
▼ 16. Pidgey
▼ 17. Pidgeotto
▼ 18. Pidgeot
▼ 19. Rattata
▼ 20. Raticate
▼ 21. Spearow
▼ 22. Fearow
▼ 23. Ekans
▼ 24. Arbok
▼ 25. Pikachu
▼ 26. Raichu
▼ 27. Sandshrew
▼ 28. Sandslash
▼ 29. Nidoran (female)
▼ 30. Nidorina
▼ 31. Nidoqueen
▼ 32. Nidoran (male)
▼ 33. Nidorino
▼ 34. Nidoking
▼ 35. Clefairy
▼ 36. Clefable
▼ 37. Vulpix
▼ 38. Ninetales
▼ 39. Jigglypuff
▼ 40. Wigglytuff
▼ 41. Zubat
▼ 42. Golbat
▼ 43. Oddish
▼ 44. Gloom
▼ 45. Vileplume
▼ 46. Paras
▼ 47. Parasect
▼ 48. Venonat
▼ 49. Venomoth
▼ 50. Diglett
▼ 51. Dugtrio
▼ 52. Meowth
▼ 53. Persian
▼ 54. Psyduck
▼ 55. Golduck
▼ 56. Mankey
▼ 57. Primeape
▼ 58. Growlithe
▼ 59. Arcanine
▼ 60. Poliwag
▼ 61. Poliwhirl
▼ 62. Poliwrath
▼ 63. Abra
▼ 64. Kadabra
▼ 65. Alakazam
▼ 66. Machop
▼ 67. Machoke
▼ 68. Machamp
▼ 69. Bellsprout
▼ 70. Weepinbell
▼ 71. Victreebel
▼ 72. Tentacool
▼ 73. Tentacruel
▼ 74. Geodude
▼ 75. Graveler
▼ 76. Golem
▼ 77. Ponyta
▼ 78. Rapidash
▼ 79. Slowpoke
▼ 80. Slowbro
▼ 81. Magnemite
▼ 82. Magneton
▼ 83. Farfetch’d
▼ 84. Doduo
▼ 85. Dodrio
▼ 86. Seel
▼ 87. Dewgong
▼ 88. Grimer
▼ 89. Muk
▼ 90. Shellder
▼ 91. Cloyster
▼ 92. Gastly
▼ 93. Haunter
▼ 94. Gengar
▼ 95. Onix
▼ 96. Drowzee
▼ 97. Hypno
▼ 98. Krabby
▼ 99. Kingler
▼ 100. Voltorb
▼ 101. Electrode
▼ 102. Exeggcute
▼ 103. Exeggutor
▼ 104. Cubone
▼ 105. Marowak
▼ 106. Hitmonlee
▼ 107. Hitmonchan
▼ 108. Lickitung
▼ 109. Koffing
▼ 110. Weezing
▼ 111. Rhyhorn
▼ 112. Rhydon
▼ 113. Chansey
▼ 114. Tangela
▼ 115. Kangaskhan
▼ 116. Horsea
▼ 117. Seadra
▼ 118. Goldeen
▼ 119. Seaking
▼ 120. Staryu
▼ 121. Starmie
▼ 122. Mr. Mime
▼ 123. Scyther
▼ 124. Jynx
▼ 125. Electabuzz
▼ 126. Magmar
▼ 127. Pinsir
▼ 128. Tauros
▼ 129. Magikarp
▼ 130. Gyarados
▼ 131. Lapras
▼ 132. Ditto
▼ 133. Eevee
▼ 134. Vaporeon
▼ 135. Jolteon
▼ 136. Flareon
▼ 137. Porygon
▼ 138. Omanyte
▼ 139. Omastar
▼ 140. Kabuto
▼ 141. Kabutops
▼ 142. Aerodactyl
▼ 143. Snorlax
▼ 144. Articuno
▼ 145. Zapdos
▼ 146. Moltres
▼ 147. Dratini
▼ 148. Dragonair
▼ 149. Dragonite
▼ 150. Mewtwo
▼ And finally, 151. Mew, whose pattern remains shrouded in secrecy
Again, orders start here on the official Pokémon Shirts website at 11 a.m. on February 27, Japan time.
Related: Pokémon Shirts official website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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Follow Casey on Twitter, where if you choose to buy an Abra shirt, he’d be honored, since the character is called “Casey” in Japan.