Bathing Ape: Trend Setting Fashion from Japan

Bathing Ape (BAPE for short) is a brand of shoes and clothes created by Nigo, a Tokyo designer and company owner. As with other designer labels Bape has the same name recognition as Nike and FUBU. It is the rave of the times, but for such a popular brand the shirts and shoes with the Bape logo are hard to find. Starting off as the popular wear for hip Japanese young people, the brand is beginning to become popular in the United States thanks to celebrities like Joel Madden and Pharrell Williams. As more celebrities wear the brand, Bapes is sure to become a hit on this continent.

A bathing ape is a Japanese expression for children and youths who follows trends whether it be in fashion or in cultural context. The expression literally means bathing in luke warm water. In 1933 the Bape brand began but it was mostly an underground, behind the scenes fad that few people new about. Now the company produces tee-shirts, hoodies, coats, and denim items that fly off the shelves as soon as they are stocked.

The most popular Bape item is the Bape Spa which is similar to the Nike's Air Jordans. They currently have a low price range on the web at about $65.00 and a high range of $200.00.

While shopping for Bapes, look out for Fapes. These are label rip offs that are mass produced and sold online or disreputable stores. The high price and low availability of Bapes has opened the market for black marketers and other international rip offs. The best places to find and buy Bapes are at 'The Busy Work Shop.' This is the location of the true Bape brand and, though high priced, will sell you the certified item. Beware of any street vendor or private outlet for they will surely be promoting fakes. If you are buying off an online vendor on Ebay or other sites, check their feedback and complaint files. Customers before you will know if the received the original item or not.