It's 30 degrees in Okinawa but I guess it must be snowing somewhere on campus because I am surrounded by girls decked out in autumn/winter gear.
of my years living in japan, i can never seem to get over how the girls here dress. no doubt that the japanese ladies are extremely in tune with the biggest fashion trends, but the way they adhere so strictly (to the point of being fastidious) to the seasons and the dictations of fashion magazines borders on mild insanity.
i was stepping out of the library togged in a singlet, jeans and slippers when this girl in knee-high boots, a knit dress and a thick scarf breezed past me. there i was, squinting under the glare of the sun and debating whether i should use an umbrella when she trotted up the stairs in her getup.
if we were right in the middle of winter (which is pretty mild in okinawa by the way), i would have given her outfit an appreciative second glance. but of course all she got from me was my slack jaw.
no matter the actual temperature outdoors, the japanese fashion bible requires its followers to dress according to the months of the calendar. if it is the end of september, you'd have to eschew the shorts and slippers for thick jackets and boots. you may sweat under your scarf but there is no way you can commit the fashion faux pas of not following the seasons. likewise, even if you are trembling from the cold in 8-degree sapporo in april, it is necessary that you wear your flowery spring skirts and thin cardigans. why? because the calendar says it's already spring!
and then there are the gladiator sandals (big hit this summer but it made everyone's legs look stumpy) and spandex tights under denim mini skirts and shorts, along with suspenders intentionally left unbuckled on one side. i simply dont get it. whatever happened to "wear what you look good in" or just plain old common sense?
as for me, i shall stick to my singapore getup until the thermometer tells me it's time to step into my boots.
the very creative poem alvin was made to write for his bride.