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Serving
Students at
Santa Ana
College and
Santiago
Canyon College
JAPAN
Dress
|
CLIMATE
Fashion
In general,
the Japanese are much more conscious of their appearance in public than
we are in the West. This is evident when they leave their homes for a quick
shopping trip or a day's work. Some Japanese would rather spend money on
clothing than on food. In the large cities your clothing is a sign of your
background, social status, or wealth. Young secretaries will save months
of salary just for the perfect designer purse that they can wear on the
bus or train.
The attire and
styles are also more formal and conservative. In general, women do not
wear sleeveless tops, shorts, or revealing styles. For work, most women
do not wear slacks. To conform to the typical businessman's style, men
wear dark two piece suits with plain white shirts and conservative ties.
Adults rarely wear bright colors and bold designs. These things tend to
make you stand out from the crowd or group, and this is not desired behavior
for the Japanese in contrast to North Americans. Slip-on shoes are best,
as they are removed frequently. If you wear a kimono, wrap it left
over right! Only corpses wear them wrapped right over left.
The Japanese
do not wear excessive amounts of jewelry that are obvious signs of wealth.
Although a piece of jewelry might be expensive, it is worn with a sense
of quality, not quantity. Wedding rings for women are usually gem
less bands of gold or platinum. As with all clothing, designer items are
a sign of status. Traditionally, the Japanese refrain from using cologne
and perfume and for the Westerner, it might be best to limit the amounts
used.
Links to
More Information
Japanese
Fashion
Dress
Design
in East Asian Costume
..
Sources:
Design
in East Asian Costume |
