Honestly, the retro inspired outfit is something that I have never got tired of, if like me you had the privledge (scoff scoff) of experiencing the 80's, 90's AND early 2000's fashion trends then you'll probably be hanging onto some fond memories!
Graphic tees are a wardrobe staple when it comes to creating a retro style outfit. Here are five of my absolute fave ways.
Pair It with High-Waisted Jeans: Ok, ok, these are not for everyone, I know that. But I get so many people message me asking to recommend a style that goes with high waisted jeans, and let's face it they were an 80's and 90's staple.*If* you succumb to this very popular style, I'd recommend tucking your graphic tee in to some mom jeans (literally hate that phrase) or a classic 80's acid wash denim. My fave is always going to be a wide leg, but I no longer have the patience for them dragging along the floor and subsequently getting dunked in every puddle. But I still love them.
Go 80's with a denim jacket. The bigger the better imo, a nice super baggy, light wash - easy peasy to pick up in vintage shops. Roll up the cuffs and layer over your tee and voila, it's 1985! Accessorise with a cute scrunchie to add that extra bit of 80's chic.
Get knotted: Do you remember saying that? LOLS. Anyway, what I'm referring to here is tying your tee in a knot at the waist, the oversized tees are PERFECT for this.
Mix Patterns and Textures: Don't be scared to have a play with pattern and texture, you can pick out a colour in your tee and match it to a colour in a a pattern or you can pair with some trusty cordrouy.
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If you're an 80's kid you'll remember these classic cuddly toys well, you could roll them up in their pouches and hide all kinds of stuff in them!
This cute lil photo of me and my sister in 1987 is what gave me the idea for the Popples collection. We both got one for Christmas and we took them to school, or at least, for the school run so that they would be waiting in the car for us at the end of the day.
I wanted to add a bit more of a retro twist to the Popples prints so you can choose between the Nope Popple for those days when you want you want to hide, or the Sup Popple for those days when you're just feeling as cool as cucumber. What I especially love about the Popples graphics is the little Yoko's Mini Mart tags on them.
The neon pink has been popular since I launched the Poochie collection earlier this year and it looks super cool on the relaxed fit jumpers and t-shirts. I was also craving a bit of grey with the darker months ahead. You can grab your Popple tee or sweater in a whole bunch of colours though, so be sure to check them all out here.
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As most of you know by now, I'm an 80's kid. And lately I've been thinking about how I can bring a little bit more of that 80's nostalgia into my work. So I've been working on a Poochie collection! If you are of an certain age, you'll remember Poochie very well. This is a Yoko's Mini Mart Poochie, I made her a little cuter and squishier! I'll be sampling some new t shirts and jumpers in the next week or so, so if you follow me on Instagram be sure to follow my stories for some peeks of what is to come next month!
]]>I get lots of emails and DM's from people asking how I do stuff so I'm going to use my channel to show you all the things involved in running YMM and hopefully inspire you to start your own brand.
I'll be posting an episode once a week so if you're looking to learn how to do what I do, it's free, it's fun and it will eventually tie in super nicely with my Yoko's Shop Skool.
Click on the telly below and it'll take you straight there :)
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When I first heard about these Mcdonald's Adult Happy Meals I was so excited! Sadly they are only available in the USA (sad face) but it's too exciting to ignore.
Cactus Plant Fleamarket are the streetwear brand responsible for making this entire experience so darn cool. And subsequently who have a their own McDonalds merch launching in 5 days time as I type. Which rightly so deserves it's own space, so I'll be picking out my favourites in my next post. You can take a peek at it here though, it's an absolute feast!
There is a great article about CPFM and the illusive designer Cynthia Lu in GQ which you can read here and learn a bit about the beginnings of the brand.
Image @cactusplantfleamarket
This collaboration is nothing short of delightful. From the whimsical characters to just how freaking cool it is to get a toy, as grown up, in a Happy Meal. The whole idea and the authenticity is so good I literally wish I had been the one sitting in Mcdonald's HQ who had this light bulb moment, but then, I’d be sitting there and not here and they’d be no Yoko’s Mini Mart 😱.
So. Let's take a look at the Happy Meals... I've scrolled through alot of content to get a good look at what's in the box. I also have a bunch of toys on my watch list over on Ebay because predictably, this is where alot of them have ended up. And I can't even promise that I won't be one of the suckers that buys one.
Obviously, the food is nothing different but inside the notably larger Happy Meal box, in it's trademark shape, is a surprise collectable toy. Wrapped in a sealed branded bag, this is sure to get even the most serious faced grown ups excited, in a world where the only sealed surprise we get these days is a bill or a reminder for another middle aged health check.
Photo: Ebay
There are 4 toys to collect, I immediately had a favourite. Can you guess which one it is? It's the funny looking guy designed by CPFM called Cactus Buddy. All of the characters feature their trademark 4 eyes and the other 3 characters are the well known Mcdonald's characters Grimace, the Hamburglar, and Birdie.
Photo:Ebay
For me, this is not just about the toys. It's about emotional connection and the ability brands have to make people feel warm and fuzzy.
What I love most about this launch is what I like to think is the acknowledgment of the ability that nostalgia has to put smiles on faces and how that feeling can be captured by brands in their products.
I'm sure the serious faces amongst us will say it's childish nonsense, but the rest of us will know of course, that it is simply branding genius.
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Some of you who have followed me on social for a while, will be aware that my studio is sprinkled with these cute little retro toys.
The collection began with a simple sticker that I created just for fun, I liked the simple graphic so much I decided to add some screen printed tees and jumpers too.
As I was releasing this print as a collection, there are 3 choices of t shirts and 2 choices of jumpers. My classic pink boxy t-shirts have always been popular but some people find them short in the body so I thought it would be a good idea to a add a couple of unisex t-shirts. The retro style ringer tee is a personal fave, it's the same tee as one of my best sellers - Closed On Sundays, and I have also chosen a super nice vintage white regular fitting tee which is a perfect everyday tee.
I really enjoyed putting this little collection together, it's a super cute addition to the shop.
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I often get asked for stuff like this so here is my very first style file! I'm sure I will think of a better word for them, but let's wait and see whether I actually do more than one first ok?
I picked the Team Rules Tee because it's my favourite to screen print at the moment and we're having a burst of summer here in the UK so I thought I'd put together a cute summer outfit.
I love combining a bit of retro style with my tees, there is something so satisfying about the pairing of a graphic tee with some vintage apparel. For this style file I've thrown in a bit of everything, some vintage (the Yamaha truckers cap and vintage running shorts), some designer (Ray Ban Sunglasses and Veja Trainers) and some cute ( Casio Retro Styled Watch).
]]>I have been meaning to write about my solo trip to Tokyo for a whole year, and I figured now is a good time - while we're all itching for travel to become a thing again.
I cannot possibly fit everything I want to say in one post, so I'm going to make it into a mini series. Blogging is new to me too, so I thought it would be a good subject to start the YMM blog with.
Right. Let's start with the essentials. The things that will make your trip easy. It's a myth that navigating Tokyo is hard if you don't speak Japanese, it is not.
That's it for my first installment. Stay tuned to hear about my favourite Tokyo snacks, shops and parks.
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