Kigurumi

What do you call somebody who likes to dress up as a cartoon character? Well, in the west, we might lovingly refer to this person as a nutter. But in Japan, he or she would most likely be described as a kigurumi, from the Japanese verb “kiru”, meaning to wear, and the noun “nuigurumi”, meaning stuffed toy.

When it comes to dressing up, no nation can match the Japanese for straight up wackiness and devotion to the art. That’s why, when we first started looking for something new to introduce to the fancy dress scene, we went straight to source - Japan! And why we called our company Kigu – after the word kigurumi and as a mark of respect to the world’s craziest costumers.

Kigu animal onesies are most closely aligned with the “disguise pajama” element of kigurumi culture. Hugely popular as streetwear, disguise pajamas are open-faced and look like an animal! Initially favoured by Japanese “Ganguro” – girls who dye their hair blonde and wear loads of fake tan – they’ve since been adopted by party people from around the world.

What’s best about a Kigu is that you can wear one anywhere. Wear it on the street or to a festival, if that’s your thing. But if it’s not, there’s nothing better to put on to curl up on the sofa. They’re completely cosy! Our Kigus are sourced from Japan’s number one manufacturer, famous for starting the trend in Japan. So be sure to visit our shop to check out the full selection.