There are two boundaries to Japanese attire, the stiff crisp uniform wearers and the outrageously hip, righteously punk, fashion plates.  Both styles have gained my attention and respect.  In fact, I have attempted quite a few times to add some of this Asian flare to my own wardrobe.  Unfortunately. I have experienced little success.  I am a tallish gal, who has recently graduated to a smaller dress size, but by Japanese standards, I am a giant.  On a recent trip to The Gap in Osaka, I tried on some very hip long sleeve tops only to look at my reflection in a sort of fabric sausage casing.  My shopping companion informs me that denim sizes only go up to size 10, and even those look like toddler pants.

And the shoes, oh, the shoes.  Uniformed Japanese women wear high-heeled, pointy, six-inch ruler-sized torture chambers.  Many women also wear knee socks, often fishnet or opaque black nylons.  I cannot figure out if this is because they are trying to trick us into thinking they are wearing boots, or if this is a layover from there homogenized school days.  Either way, comfortable earth shoes are non-existent and I am sure this is why anyone paying attention to my apparel raises an eyebrow.