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[Topo Gigo]

So I'm finally getting ready to leave for Japan (yey ), and am doing some last-minute shopping. The thing is, I've done very little in the way of clothes shopping for the last year or so, so don't have an awful lot to bring, so am trying to decide whether I should go on an almighty shopping spree here in the uk (taking into account my weight limit of course), or to just bring a few things to tide me over and do a big shop over there?

So what do you think? Will I find clothes to fit over there, being a 5'7" (174 cm) female and size 12uk (10 usa/42 EU)? And what about shoes? Am size 6 uk, 7.5 usa, 39 eu.

Also, do people tend to dress up a lot to go out (will i need to bring heels?)or is it generally ok to go to bars in jeans and trainers/ work clothes.

I know these are dreary dumb-arse questions but it would be very helpful to me to know the answers, so I appreciate any input. And yes, I have used the search function... I have found talk of 'big people' shops, but how much choice do you get in them, and do I qualify as a big person? I've met a few Japanese people over here and a lot of them were around the same height as me, although yes, they are all a fair bit skinnier. Has the obesity thing taken hold in Japan yet or do they still only do skinny people clothes?

Any other non clothing related advice you care to throw my way would also be much appreciated.

Cheers, TG

[JimDunlop2]

I'll make it as simple as I can for you. Japan is a civilized enough country that given enough time, and exerting enough effort, you can purchase just about anything you can dream up back home. The KEYWORDS here are "time" and "effort."

My wife and I, both fairly average Westerners (I'm 183cm/85kg, my wife.. ummm... well... if I go there I'm in the doghouse -- but let's just say that she is probably very similar in physical stature to you -- just with a somewhat larger foot size)... Over the few years we've been here we've gone from having a 100% Canadian wardrobe to having a 50-75% Japanese wardrobe. Yes, that even includes shoes... But I'll tell you right now, that those are tough to come by (for Western women).

Here's a list of some common maximum sizes for random stuff. Again, if you search long enough and hard enough, you can find just about anything -- but let's face it -- how much free time and knowledge of your surroundings do you realistically think you're going to have in the first few months of being here? And how much of that do you really WANT to dedicate to hunting for things you could've much more easily have brought from home?

pants/skirts ----- men: <94cm waist ----- women: <67-75cm waist (pant lengths tend to be a bit short too)
shirts ----- men: <43cm collar <86cm arms women: ??
shoes ----- men: <27.5cm ----- women: <25.5cm
dresses: US size 10 (if you're lucky)
bras: (from my wife's experince, not my own) cup sizes tend to fit differently in Japan -- but generally anything larger than a C is hard to find
nylons: L-LL size is generally smaller than "queen size" back home, but knee-highs tend to fit just fine
others: items that don't have measurements but an S, M, L, LL rating -- (like jackets) always try on the LL size first, but your chances are 50/50 whether it will actually fit or not. It's really hit n' miss. When it comes to something like motorcycle jackets or leather pants, 3L or 4L is needed. LL is way too small.

For myself, if I walk into a Uniqlo, I can usually find just about everything to fit me -- but only if they have their largest size in stock. For example, I wanted a corduroy jacket last year, which TECHNICALLY was available in sizes S, M, L, LL.... However there was only 1 Uniqlo store within a 50km radius of me that actually had a single LL sized jacket. Shirts? Most mens' shops are fine -- providing that they stock a size 44 collar, 88cm arms. I won't leave naked, but I probably won't walk away with the style/colour I had wanted either. Shoes? If I see a pair I like, I try on the standard 27.5cm but I don't hold my breath either. I'm an even size 10, so technically that's 28cm (a bit on the rare side in standard Japanese shops) but sometimes I luck out and 27.5 fits.

My wife: When it comes to jackets, pants, shirts and some types of shoes (eg. hiking boots or sneakers) she just goes over to the mens' section and shops there... Otherwise, she does her best but she usually has a much rougher time than me in any given store... But Uniqlo womens' wear? Pants/Skirts? Only if they have elastic waistbands. shirts/sweaters? LL size: maybe.

Anyway, other than that, non-clothing related advice -- make sure you bring all the deodorant, and medication you're going to need when you're over here. Feminine hygiene products also tend to be an issue -- but I do believe there's at least an old thread or two discussing that well enough...

[Brooks]

I used to work with a woman who is 5'4" and she thought shopping for clothes in Japan was a real pain. I think you should bring enough clothes to Japan.

Most Japanese women will be shorter than you, so I think finding the right sizes could be difficult.

It is much easier to find the right clothes when you can speak English.
Shopping in Japanese is not always easy.

[earthmonkey]

I'd shop before coming. Aside from the issue of size, there is the price. There are some low price shops here such as Uniqlo, but in general stuff is more expensive, sometimes outrageously so.
One example:
I went home (US) last month. I bought Levi's jeans for $27.99 per pair. That's around 3,000 yen. I've never seen Levi's here for under 8,000, usually over 10,000. That's more than 3 times as much.

[Brooks]

for shoes, I would say buy them before you come over.
My wife (Japanese) prefers buying shoes in America than in Japan. She thinks the selection is far better and the price too.

[TK4Lakers]

In terms of dressing up when going out, its really up to you. I do occassionally see some 30ish year old ladies who are dressed pretty nicely, with kind of a mid-long skirt and heels. Also, for enkai's (teacher drinking parties-I'm an ALT), there are times when professional attire is mandatory.

Japan has a pretty big fashion culture. You'll see some unique styles, but a lot of trendy ones too. Just be yourself if you want (meaning, bring over what you usually wear out and be urself).

[maya.the.bee]

[Topo Gigo]

Thanks for all the replies. That's a big help. I hadn't really considered that I'll probably have more important things to do when i first get there than shop!

So, I guess I have a fun couple of shopping days ahead... i wish i was a normal girl and enjoyed clothes shopping..

[wintersweet]

A couple of fashion sites in case you're interested:
http://www.fashionsnap.com/index.htm
http://www.style-arena.jp/index_e.htm


When I was there for a few weeks I saw hardly any women I'd even consider slightly curvy, and maybe a handful who were actually a bit pudgy. (I'm going to feel enormous :p)

[Apsara]

Japanese people do dress up a lot even just for a trip to the supermarket, particularly in big cities, and it can rub off on you if you live here for a while. When I go back to NZ lots of people look like complete slobs t me these days!

I'm about an inch taller than you and my shopping possibilities are quite limited- I have pretty long arms and legs even for my height, and clothes in normal Japanese stores are usually far too short for me. Since I live in Tokyo, this isn't too much of a problem, as I can clothe myself quite decently with stuff from Zara, Benetton and Gap, although Gap stuff tends to be a bit short as well.

I get almost all my shoes other than sneakers when I go back to my home country- I'm a US 8.5 (25.5 cm), whereas the biggest size usually found in Japanese shoe shops is 24.5 (7.5). Some sports shops and Skechers have sizes up to 25.5.

I'm on the lean side (size 6 US), but am a different shape to most Japanese women- wider in the hips- so even though I could get my size in skirts etc most don't fit well. Uniqlo stuff fits better than most and they have a much bigger range of sizes than most Japanese stores. I get a lot of T-shirts and sweaters there and just push the sleeves up to disguise the fact that they are too short!

UNDERWEAR is a major consideration- there have been threads about this before. I am pretty similar to most Japanese women in the upper body so size isn't an issue, but bras are almost always heavily padded and covered in lace and other decorations- I prefer something plainer so buy mine at home or order both top and bottom underwear online from the US.

[ironopolis]

I'd definitely agree with the advice about shoes. I usually need about a Japanese size 28-29 for men's shoes (10 back in the UK) and even when I've found them, they often seem to be ok lengthwise but uncomfortably narrow.

It's also very frustrating going shoe shopping when you continually have to make an extra effort just to find out (a) if the shop has any bigger sizes in the first place and (b) where the hell are they?!! Even after getting the answers you want to those questions, you then find there isn't much of a choice and that they're generally more expensive than smaller sizes. Sometimes I've also ended up buying footwear I didn't really like, just because it was the right size and I was both tired of the endless search and worried I might not find the right size for some time again.

I more or less agree with what Jim Dunlop said about maximum shoe sizes, depending where you shop of course. However, not so sure about women's shoes, but with men's I've often found the bottom shelf of biggest sizes will be labeled "27", but you then pick up half the shoes there to find they're actually 26.5! I once taught a shoe shop manager and asked him about this. He said it was often true - they generally didn't have much above 26.5 in stock for men, so just filled up the 27 shelf with the next biggest size, knowing not many people would be looking on there anyway.


Another shoe thing to bear in mind- even if you prefer laces to slip-ons, remember you'll be taking them on and off an awful lot more than you did before and you'll eventually get tired of seeing others just effortlessly glide in and out of their footwear when entering or leaving a house, while you lag behind having to bend down to tie or undo your laces etc.

[GWUstudent]

I am a size 4 or 6 depending on the brand, and usually fit into US small sizes. I had a tough time fitting into the xxl sized jeans and was told by my students to shop in the mens departments for pants.

There was a Ralph Lauren in the mall near where I lived, so that was great for pants...but wayyyyyyy overpriced. I suggest bring as many items as you can from home. Same goes for shoes. I could find the occasional size 8 1/2, but it required a lot of searching.

I also agree with whoever said you will end up loosing weight with all the walking and bicycling. Happened to me and toward the end of my stay in Japan....though I still prefered buying American clothes when I could...I just prefer the cut and style.

Good luck:)

[madeira]

Fourthing or fifthing the shoes thing...

My feet are short enough for ordinary shops in Japan. Problem is, they're not shaped like tugboats. Most shops have triple D widths ONLY.

Buy clothes too. Sorry, but you'll be happier. Again, my size is basically OK... (US 6 petite)... but I end up in the sections reserved for fat old folk. The bust is often too tight, the pants too short. And yay! Grey suits!

Buy more than you think you'll need, too. The humidity kills shoes. If you're teaching, those whiteboard markers don't come out of fabric...

[Quibby84]

what kind of clothing would you suggest bringing to Japan? Any in particular?

[TokyoLiz]

You'll find that Uniqlo, The Gap, Talbots, and Zara may be the few places you can find clothes sized to your proportions.

Eddie Bauer in Shinjuku has casual and business casual clothes that suit foreign women's curves, but their size is limited to petites only. No talls.

Your shoe size falls just inside the limit. You might be able to shoe shop here, but I recommend you bring shoes in abundance.

You might find some insights on the www.being-a-broad.com discussion board where there are frequent questions about shopping in Tokyo and Osaka.