First inspirations: Popteen January 2009

(Scans are for personal use!)
I've been meaning to find this magazine for awhile, but I finally got around to looking through my stack and figuring out that this was the one I was looking for! I own a number of older Japanese magazines because that is what I used to ask for when people when on trips, mostly family friends. These magazines is where I first got my jfashion/gyaru fashion inspiration! In terms of my current style though, this issue of Popteen - January 2009 - is the one that really piqued my interest in Liz Lisa specifically! I didn't actually own any pieces from Liz Lisa until I visited Japan myself in the summer of 2012, but the reason I sought the store out at all was this spread -

Since it's a January issue, obviously it's winter fashion, but I fell completely in love with the all white looks in the Liz Lisa part especially. (At the time, I was really confused about what this Tralala and Liz Lisa Doll thing was and what their relationship was lol.) These outfits here are not right for Hawaii, of course, but there was something I particularly adored about it.
The Liz Lisa name stuck with me, and I am so happy that while I was in Japan during my study abroad I remembered that I wanted to seek out the store. When I first learned I was going to Japan, I didn't immediately think - oh wow, I'm going to buy Liz Lisa! In fact, if there was any brand name that came to mind, it was Cecil McBee and that's about it. Liz Lisa wasn't at the forefront of my mind at all. It didn't even occur to me until someone asked me during my first week there if there was anywhere I wanted to go in particular and I wracked my brain and finally was like...uhhh there was that uhhh one brand I think I remember from a magazine uhhh ...Liz Lisa?? Hahaha. Someone helped me figure out that there was a Hep Five store in Osaka and that's where I bought my first pieces!
Anyway, I definitely have this particular issue of Popteen to thank for my current obsession :)

Since I was already scanning the magazine, I decided to get a few more spreads that I enjoyed in this issue as well to share with you! Sorry some of them are a little cut off/crooked, but I tried my best lol.
[click images to enlarge]

I really loved this full year of nails!

back cover

Hope these scans are interesting to some of you! Popteen content sure has changed over the years. I mean, check out taskin-illusions's photos from Popteen February 2002!  I have a few other magazines that were a huge inspiration to me awhile ago (while I was still in high school) that aren't necessarily the style I currently dress in, but were definitely a building block that got me to where I am now. I think perhaps I will do a few more blog posts in this "First inspirations" series if I have time with a few more old magazine scans :) Current magazines are good as well, but I just love looking back and seeing how fashion has evolved and how old spreads have really influenced me personally!
I do not claim ownership of any of the scanned images. Please purchase and support where you can!