PROFILE
Born on September 28, 2004, in Hokkaido. After training with Hello! Project Trainees Hokkaido, she joined Juice=Juice in 2019. She is an innocent, lovely, and energetic young woman, and her performances—which combine cuteness with power—have captivated many fans. She is also known for her unparalleled love of octopus; whenever the topic of octopus comes up, she gets excited and starts talking very fast. Because of this, her nicknames are “Tako-chan” and “Yume-chan.” Her member color is pink.
Instagram:@yume_kudo.official
PROFILE
Born on July 7, 2005, in Osaka Prefecture. After training as a Hello! Project trainee, she joined Juice=Juice in 2019. She boasts one of the best vocal abilities in the group, and her incredibly powerful bridge sections and vocal runs are definitely worth a listen. Her sense of rhythm when dancing is stylish. She may seem cool at first glance, but she actually loves Juice=Juice more passionately than anyone else. Her nicknames are “Riai” and “Riatea.” Her member color is royal blue.
Instagram:@riai_matsunaga.official
Deliberation and Impulsiveness: A First American Casual Outfit from Two Opposites.
The setting for this American Casual Style Challenge is Harajuku. Centered around “BEAMS Harajuku” on Meiji-dori, participants will visit four nearby stores—“BEAMS PLUS Harajuku,” “BEAMS Harajuku Annex,” and “BEAMS BOY Harajuku”—to select outfits based on the American casual theme.
Taking on the challenge are Yua Kudo and Ria Matsunaga—fellow members of Juice=Juice, whose song ”Mori! Mi Amore,” released last year, is currently taking the internet by storm—a duo commonly known as “Yumeriai.” They said they’re not very familiar with American casual style, so we’ll have to see what kind of outfits they come up with. Let’s start by taking a look at “BEAMS Harajuku.”
— Today, we’re going to have you try your hand at an Americana-style outfit using men’s clothing. First, please tell us how you’re feeling about this.
Matsunaga:Since “BEAMS” is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, I’d like to put together an American casual outfit that pays homage to its 50-year history and the classic, timeless style of clothing from back in the day!
Kudo:I know I'm just starting out with American casual style, but I'd love to put together some bold outfits while still incorporating my own pop elements!
— What comes to mind when you think of “Americana”?
Matsunaga:It has a lively vibe, doesn’t it? When I’m picking out my casual outfits, I usually try to limit myself to no more than three colors, but American casual style features a wide variety of colors. Even so, it doesn’t look too busy. That’s why I want to try out different colors today, and since I love denim, I’m looking forward to wearing some.
Kudo:I think of leather and denim as having a tough, cool vibe. And when it comes to Americana, it’s all about layering! Like wearing a vest over a T-shirt or a button-down shirt. I’ve always wanted to try layering, so I gave it a shot in my own clothes before coming here today. When I asked Chappy (ChatGPT), “How would you rate my outfit today?” it said, “40 points.” Doh (lol). I’m a layering beginner. So today, I’m hoping to master layering through American casual style.
— Do you ever go to men’s clothing stores?
Matsunaga:I don’t usually go to stores that exclusively sell men’s clothing, but I do check out the men’s sections in women’s stores, and I wear those items quite often. When I want to wear a jacket or something in a loose, baggy fit, I’ll intentionally choose a men’s size, and just recently I bought a pair of men’s jeans with a star-patterned motif on the side.
Kudo:I don't have the courage to go into a men's clothing store on my own, so today feels really fresh. It was the first time I'd really taken a close look at men's clothes, and I was surprised to see so many cute items. It's almost a shame I hadn't explored this before.
— Before we knew it, Ms. Matsunaga had already gone in to try it on. It was exactly the denim jacket we were looking for.
Matsunaga:This “Polo Ralph Lauren for BEAMS” is so cool! The denim has that classic American casual vibe, and the oversized XL fit gives it a nice menswear feel. It looks like it would look good worn with the shoulders dropped, too. Okay, I’ll start with this one!
— And Mr. Kudo is wearing plaid shorts! That’s a pretty bold choice!
Kudo:I often see red plaid in women’s clothing, but I don’t see blue plaid like this very often. I really love the pop of red, and the playful vibe is so cute—it was love at first sight! Today, I’m going to build my outfit around this piece.
But wait a minute—those pink pants over there are cute, too! Oh no, what should I do? I’m torn. I can’t bring myself to give up the blue plaid ones, but the pink ones are tempting, too… I guess I can’t just layer these two together, right!?
— Um, maybe we should just pick one for now. Ms. Kudo, you’ve been actively looking at patterned items and pink ones for a while now, haven’t you?
Kudo:Yeah, I think I might like patterned clothes. Just a moment ago, I found some leopard-print pants and a shirt with fish on it, and my heart skipped a beat. Pink is a color I’ve always liked, and since it’s also my member color, I can’t help but pick it up.
Since we’d already decided on the piece that would be the centerpiece of the outfit, the next step was to choose the items to pair with it. While Ms. Matsunaga carefully considers each item and ponders her styling, Ms. Kudo simply tosses everything she likes into her basket one after another. Often described as polar opposites, this pair of colleagues—known as “Yumeriai”—are fascinating to watch, as their approaches to choosing clothes are just as contrasting.
— Mr. Matsunaga seems to be really troubled.
Matsunaga:Once I make up my mind, I go all out with “This is it!”—but it takes me forever to actually decide. I’d like to try denim-on-denim, but what color of denim pants should I go for? Faded denim looks good, and I’m also curious about distressed denim… The more I look at clothes, the more indecisive I get. I don’t think I’ll ever actually put together an outfit (lol).
— Mr. Kudo is picking out clothes one after another. He doesn’t hesitate at all (laughs).
Kudo:That's right. When I find something I like, I just keep choosing it, saying, "Decided! Decided!" (laughs). Even when I'm shopping normally, I try on a ton of clothes. I just can't tell unless I actually try them on.
Oh, wait a sec! These leather shorts are cute, too! What should I do? Maybe I'll start over and put together a whole new outfit...
Mr. Matsunaga, who has taken his time and is finally starting to see a clear direction, and Mr. Kudo, who is still busy picking out clothes. Well, well—there’s not much time left until the deadline. Let’s take a look at how things are going so far.
— Looks like you're finally going to decide on a pair of pants, Matsunaga?
Matsunaga:I'm totally lost right now. Everything looks so good, I'm at a loss (lol). At first, I was looking for jeans, and then I checked out some shorts—I was really torn—but after seeing how the sales associate styled the denim jacket, I thought pairing it with chinos might be a good idea. Yeah, that's what I'll do! I'll go with the chinos!
— It looks like Ms. Kudo could put together several different outfits.
Kudo:I’ve decided on shorts, a belt, and boots! Now I just need to figure out what to wear on top. A red bomber jacket would be nice, and I’m also thinking about a varsity jacket. I’ve narrowed down a few options for the layer underneath, like a T-shirt or a red polo shirt. I’m also thinking about layering the denim vest I found earlier!
Now that the final look is finally taking shape, we’re making some last-minute tweaks while trying on the outfits. What about accessories and other little details? Where should the belt go? What size should we go with? The two of us worked hard on the styling right up until the very last minute. It’s a complete departure from our usual casual style, but doesn’t it look great?
— I didn’t even notice, but Matsunaga-san looks great. That striped undershirt really suits you!
Matsunaga:Since the jacket and pants are simple, I wanted to add some variety with my inner layers, and I balanced out the whole look by adding patterned accents with my socks and belt. The only thing left to decide is whether to leave the shirt untucked or tuck it in. It’s tricky to style a shirt like this, but if you can pull it off, it looks super stylish. I’ll think about it a little more!
— What’s Ms. Kudo like while she’s trying on clothes?
Kudo:I'm still debating whether to go with a red or blue jacket, but it's super cute! I wasn't sure how the combination of shorts and boots would look until I tried them on, but once I did, it looked really great. I'm glad I went with red-and-blue striped socks, too. The green on the underside of the hat's brim is cute, too!
Although she struggled at first, Matsunaga pulled off a stylish look in the end. Kudo tried on all sorts of outfits right up until the very end, paying meticulous attention to every detail. From their fashion tastes to their selection methods, the two were complete opposites in every way—but looking at their finished outfits, don’t their color combinations seem strangely similar? How did their American casual looks turn out after this radical image makeover!?
