Living in Tokyo has it's many hazards. For example; it's polluted, expensive, the train system is like an impenetrable maze, and the residence taxes will impoverish you. It will also turn you into a fashion whore. I kid you not.
I used to be the baggy t-shirt, jeans and running shoes kind of dresser. I wasn't a tomboy, because they are usually good at sports and other traditionally "guy" activities, and I'm a failure at those things. I didn't have a clue how to dress myself and, I cringe at this, often let my mother dress me for "special occasions."
When I moved to Japan, I started to notice Louis Vuitton bags everywhere. You can see Vuitton bags on the subways, in trains, on buses, you name it. I can probably see at least 15 to 20 bags a day, if not more. In Canada, I had never even seen one in real life. My exposure to Vuitton and other big name designer bags was limited to T.V. and magazines (and frankly my dear, I just didn't give a damn).
My first real home in Japan was in Fukushima. Since we were in the countryside, people weren't walking around like living fashion plates. While Koriyama has some shopping, it's nowhere near what Tokyo has. I didn't even have the fortune of living in Koriyama, and had to make do with the poorly fitting bargain clothes I could scrounge in Fukushima City. If a lady in Fukushima doesn't want to spend 18,000 yen to run down to Tokyo for a shopping spree, her choices are limited. Sendai (in the neighboring prefecture; also the boonies) has the lone Louis Vuitton store in the north, and they think they are IT. All the women worth their fashion salt carry a Vuitton purse. It's the height of taste and envy to a Tohoku woman. As it was, I felt that while I lacked a Vuitton bag, my clothing didn't really stick out in bad taste.
A year later I moved from Fukushima (a.k.a. the hicks of Tohoku) to Tokyo. Suddenly it was designer overload. I felt like a poorly dressed country cousin when I walked down the streets. Everywhere I went there were department stores touting Manolos, Jimmy Choos, and Chloe. I got a crash course in materialism. Women in Louboutin stilettos with Gucci Jockey bags (in Python!) were sashaying past me to their dates in fancy restaurants. Boyfriends were buying Chopard watches for their girlfriend's birthdays, and I was wearing no name jeans and a t-shirt with tomato stains. It was not a good feeling.
All that exposure to fashion started to rub off on me. I began to notice styles and brands that I liked. Slowly I began to assimilate those items into my wardrobe. A Gaultier bag here, a D&G watch there, and those only lit the fire for more. Now I have reached the point where my taste is far beyond my means. Little by little my standard of what is reasonable has gone up. I stand in front of the windows of brand shops and sigh over their $4000 bags, or think $700 for a pair of Louboutins is a steal. The next stage (from my careful observations of Japanese women) is to begin scrimping on the other expenses in your life so you can afford those designer goodies. This is why you see Japanese women wearing a $10 dress with a $3000 bag. It's all about the designer goods.
While I could never afford half the stuff I lust after without starving or going homeless, I can do something about it. Namely, make the stuff I like myself. This will never extend to shoes (or maybe it will. I'm investigating that now), but everything from the ankles up I can make myself. All it takes is practice.
Currently I'm working on a cardigan based on the style Cameron Diaz wore in The Holiday. Any woman who has seen that movie most likely wants the majority of Cameron's wardrobe. Since I will never have a few thousand bucks to throw away on a Dior shearling coat or a TSE cashmere sweater, I"m working on my own versions. So far I'm half done the first sleeve. It's a complicated pattern, so it takes a lot longer (and more wool) to get done. Can't afford to do it in cashmere, so I'm doing it in a mohair/acrylic blend that is soft and fluffy.
Behold the half a sleeve I have finished (with an unimpressed Mochi!)!
I'm also working on the sewing skills and have half the lining done on a coat I'm making for the winter. After that I have two pencil skirts, a silk blouse, sweater top and several outer wear projects lined up. Hopefully some of them will actually be made in time for the winter season! The sweater is taking a long time... I knit on the train each day, on the bus, at work if I can sneak some free time, and while I watch Project Runway and True Blood (was that not a disappointing season finale?!?). Fashion has taken over my life. This is what Tokyo does to you.
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