Japan is a fashion watchers heaven and hell.
The young and old, the men and the women all seem to take much pride and care into their appearance, whether the look be punk, smart office, looking like doll or a rockstar. It is very obvious that a lot of thought has gone into what one is wearing on the day.
So with such a mix, as an observer you will like some outfits and detest some of the choices of course. I personally cannot stand the country flowerprint milkmaid-gone billowy frump dress with high heels. Nor I am a fan of the 'smock' favoured by Japanese ladies over the age of 40 years. Any lady under the age of 40 wearing a olive coloured smock...shame on you!
But at the end of the day, style choice is a personal thing and if it is well put together then all power to you milkmaid.
But i must ask, if you have put so much time and effort into a look (including a huge amount of effort into hairstyling and make up - another blog entry entirely), then why don't you sort out your shoes.
I jest you not, but wearing shoes of the totally wrong size seems to be a normal occurrence around here in Yokohama. Too big - great! Too small - no worries.
At a shopping mall (otherwise known as 'the models gallery') in Minatomirai, I saw a young lady, perfect in every way, hair, make-up, clothes...shoes??? BapBow! Sorry, but dragging you feet in 4 inch stilettos because you have enough room to put your iphone down the back of heel is stupid. It looks stupid and it ruins the whole look! If the shoe tries to fly off you foot from the back every time you take a step....my darling that shoe is too big for you.
As for too small, if you want to have feet that look fat (even though you are not fat) then try and squeeze them into shoes 2 sizes to small. The not at all attractive 'foot muffin top' is not something I want to see and in 34 degree C heat, small shoes cannot be comfortable.
And don't think for a moment, Japanese guys, that you look hot in your extended toes python print winklepickers. You look NOT HOT. And those shoes make your feet look like loud canoes and are not office appropriate. Or appropriate. For anywhere. Other than on Ronald McDonald.
So Japanese ladies, too big or too small - it is time for you to take a good hard look at yourselves and purchase something that fits.
I know, I know you think that the noisy Gaijin is just jealous because us Japanese girlys are so hot and don't look 40 years old until we are in fact 100, BUT NO! It is not that. I am jealous because I cannot buy shoes here. They are all to small.
As I said "I am big in Japan" but so big I can't get shoes...I am Australian Size 10 (Euro size 41) -the upper limits but great during sales when all the common shoes sell out (Bwah ha ha). But when my 13 year old Gaijin neighbor is struggling to purchase nice shoes...that a worry.
Maybe the fashion for tiny japanese girls is good after all?? Maybe demand for stupidly large shoes they can't walk in might mean manufacturers start sending bigger sizes to japan. That is the answer.
Next time I see a girly wearing shoes 2 sizes to big i am going to to her she looks hot, and the reason she is hot is the large canoes on her feet.
