How to Dress Inspired by FRUiTS Magazine

Nov 10, 2022

I’m feeling very terse today (not in a bad way, just thinking in objects that are not words), so I will mostly be writing in bullet points about how to take inspiration from the seminal 1997-2017 (RIP) Japanese style magazine, FRUiTS. Read till the end for some concepts for outfits featuring clothes that are (as of when I’m typing this) available for purchase and (always) available as inspiration.

I gleaned the mag images from the following three Instagram accounts: @fruitsmag, @fruits_magazine_archives, and @fruits_magazine.

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The 3 Cs

Three items that will quickly and efficiently FRUiTSify your look are cardigans, caps (preferably of the skull variety), and capris.

Cardigans:

ONLY BUTTON ONE BUTTON, EITHER THE TOP OR MIDDLE

Plain navy cardigan over a shapeless, light-colored or patterned outfit (dress, trousers and billowy shirt
Throw an inexplicable apron in there
Try a sheer, printed cardigan over a tank top
Short-sleeved or sleeveless cardigan, why not

Caps:

Square-shaped/double-peaked, a la Poche
Scarf (cap by technicality and convenience here) tied across the forehead and over the skull instead of above the hairline
Bonnets, always
Skullcaps, of course, but possibly a bit loosely-woven/made of mohair/slightly puffy? Dare I say… a SNOOD???

Capris:

Under skirts
Juuuuuuuust below the knee
Socks or tights must be present and excellent
Hypebeast sneakers to keep the capris from getting too mod-cutesy
Sickening, Yellow Wallpaper patterns encouraged

Layered Limbs

What it says on the tin!

Legs:

Puddling checked pants under knee-length, boxy, pleated, vertical-striped skirt from the opposite end of the color wheel. Patterns should be of differing tightnesses. Person in “MILK” shirt below is a deity
Black-and-any-saturated-color striped leggings/opaque tights under a plaid skirt vaaaaaguely in the same color family. Combat boots. Lindsay Weir jacket. An attitude

Striped capri leggings with high top hypebeast sneaks under a frilly skirt
A million skirts of different lengths in vaguely similar color stories piled on top of each other as much as humanly possible. Fanny pack and insouciant, tight graphic tee on top
Triple layer cake: capri pants or leggings and socks, both over a pair of tights. All three wildly different patterns

Arms:

Floral puffer vest over tracksuit with stripes down the arms
Patterned vest with contrasting long-sleeve top and arm warmers/fingerless gloves with same pattern as vest but in different color. Match socks to either vest or arms for good measure

Nerdy and Nice

Dressing like a caricature of someone who plays a bullying victim in a 90s PSA is actually the most powerful and threatening sartorial decision you can make, IMO. Also, sorry for the bad pun title. Until someone sponsors this blog (hr@humanrepeller.com if that’s you ha ha ha), I’m going with my oft-misguided gut for way too many editorial decisions.

Suspenders! Overalls! In denim or not. Stripes are good
Crayon-hued hair
Bandana round the neck

Belt like an airplane seatbelt
NEON kicks (and everything else)
Patches (extra points for if you actually earned them in some morbid Scouting program)
Pants with two different-colored legs

Misc.

Patterned bloomers peeking out from under a sailor-ish dress or skirt situation
Pom pom on top of head why not
Airy shawl tied in front as if to bind the arms to the torso

Colorful plaid maxi skirt + neutral, subtle tie-dye tank + argyle neck warmer (???) + what I think is actually a beanie but I am choosing to pretend is a furry headband + tiny plastic colored sunglasses = the most seasonally ambiguous, and incidentally coolest, fit ever
Outfit that’s all primary colors + green
Patterned sweats tucked into socks which are the same color-ish as the shies