(picture: outside of the UNIQLO in Ginza)
Unless you're my mom, my best friend from 7th grade, or Mark, you don't truly know how hard it is for me to find clothes that fit well. You might think you know, or you might think you can sympathize, or you might purposely choose to not sympathize because, "cry me a river, don't we all wish we were 'too small'." But until you've searched all the racks for the non-existent extra small skirts with me, or until you've had to endure my post-shopping cranky mood, you don't KNOW. But maybe you can imagine. So try to imagine my delight at living in a country chock-full of small people! As one of my LST readers a few years back put it..."Japan is Kelly-size."
It turns out that Japan is Mark-sized too. That's why shopping has become a fun activity for us! Really fun. Probably too fun. We are on a first-name basis with the clerks at several clothing stores around Mito--one of them even knows our birthdays. While I realize that it would be better if we spent our money on worthier causes (I do acknowledge there are worthier causes out there), I also realize that, in a few short months, we will be back in the land of the ever-expanding waistline and the long lengs. So now, we view each shopping trip we make as an investment in the future...each pair of pants that fits will be a pair of pants that we'll probably wear for the next five to ten years:)
One more thing...not only does Japan have stores with cute clothes (this is a matter of dispute among foreigners who live in Japan, but I happen to like most Japanese fashion), reasonably priced clothes (American equivalent: Target or Old Navy), and smaller clothes, but most stores even offer in-store alterations! Ready in less than one hour! For $3! And the alterationist (?) comes right to your dressing room!
What's not to love about that? Japan, we will miss you. And I suspect you will miss our Yen.
Also, here are the jump rope pictures I promised. Not great, but maybe you can get the idea.
3 comments:
Yes, no one ever understands (or wants to hear about) how hard it is to find pants for a curvy figure either. I wonder if Japan has clothes for me?
HEY! mom just told me this weekend about your link to my donation page...THANKS! i saw that once and figured that "a great way to spend some money" meant it either went to a refugee site or a kelly-sized-clothing store that you were wanting to advertise for out of gratitude. i didn't even check! wish i could have talked to you longer on friday, call me next friday! love you!
I know the feeling, not so much in the clothing sizes, but with shoe sizes! I always found shoes in my size in Japan, and Uniqlo was my favorite place to clothes shop -- that and Jusco! What are your plans when you return to the states?
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