Dress & Appearance?

[DemstarAus]

Hello All,

I am currently planning a trip to Japan, I've never been.

I know that as a Westener, I will not be able to avoid bemused stares or 'unwanted' attention in general, but is there anything I can do with my appearance that will minimise how much I stand out, or at least appear respectful/modest in the eyes of the locals?

I'm Caucasian, currently have blonde hair (unnatural) with purple streaks and am 5'9", I don't exactly have genes on my side. I will probably be dyeing my hair black or dark brown for my trip, and obviously won't be leaping around in hotpants and a low cut, see-through top, not that I own either anyway.

What do you consider to be 'safe' clothing, and is there anything else like jewellery or makeup that I should be careful with? I'm not a particularly dolled up kind of person anyway, but just to be sure. Should I avoid being rainbow from head to toe? Geez, that gets me enough looks here!

Also, I have a question about yukata/kimono - I am planning on buying one (with all the accompaniments, of course), would it be appropriate for me to take it with me? Are there certain colours/styles that affect the occasion it's suitable for? For example going out for dinner at a traditional restaurant or visiting an onsen etc? I don't want to look silly...

I know it's a lot of questions! :?

Thank you

 

[Half-n-Half]

This is from what I noticed in Sendai, so take it with a grain of salt.

I think it's safe to say, that no matter what you wear, somebody has already beat you to it and you won't be looked at funny. It probably depends on where you go, i.e. the city versus bum fu** rural Japan, but most women in the city wear pretty fashionable/outside-the-norm clothing. There are plenty of dolled-up girls walking around.

Being a 5'9" Caucasian you will probably get the occasional glance, but usually not more than that.

As for yukata and kimono, yukata is for the hot summer months and is worn to like outdoor matsuri's or hanabi viewing. I wasn't present during the summer so I can't say too much about yukatas, but I never really saw people wearing kimonos. It's not as common as you probably think. They are mostly reserved for special occasions i.e. 成人の日, but I can't say anything about wearing them to traditional restaurants. If you wear kimono you will stand out, Japanese or not just because they aren't too common, but I could be wrong on this.

 

[DemstarAus]

Thanks for your response. I'm aware that there are lots of colourful people in the cities, but I'm concerned as I plan to stay with families in more rural/traditional areas. I guess general modesty as is accepted here would be fine?

 

[Mike Cash]

The primary reason you will stand out is the one thing you can do nothing about: your height. Put your mind at ease; you needn't worry about this sort of stuff at all.

 

[epigene]

Thanks for your response. I'm aware that there are lots of colourful people in the cities, but I'm concerned as I plan to stay with families in more rural/traditional areas. I guess general modesty as is accepted here would be fine?

That's right, and HnH and Mike are right, too.

Also, there is a thing about tatoos among older, conservative Japanese. If you don't have any or have them where they're hidden by clothing, that's fine.

 

[Glenski]

Just be yourself. You're going to be noticed no matter what you do. Sounds like you are already courteous enough to ask. Wear less than neon-bright colorful clothing, and you'll be fine. What's a little gawking anyway? You make it sound as if there will be kids pulling on their mama screaming, "AHHHHHHHH, ALIEN!!"

Yukata.
Get what you want. It's just a robe and sash.

Kimono.
Expensive. Secondhand ones are available, but you'll probably want to be fitted. Can you actually put one on anyway? It usually takes someone a helper and an hour or so. Want to get one anyway, and I would recommend shipping it home.

 

[DemstarAus]

Gah, thanks. Not really what I was talking about but that's ok...

 

[Mike Cash]

If that is you in your avatar then I wish to revise what I wrote above, as there would be two reasons you would stand out.

 

[Half-n-Half]

Gah, thanks. Not really what I was talking about but that's ok...

If you're referring to your question about kimono color and occasion, the only one I can think of is white for weddings, but even then you need a special wedding hat, called a ﾅ?p窶ｰB窶堋ｵ(tsunokakushi). The wiki article seems pretty informative. I think the color you choose is pretty much up to you and is not affected by the occasion too much.

Also, if you go to an onsen, they usually provide you with a yukata to wear.

 

[DemstarAus]

If that is you in your avatar then I wish to revise what I wrote above, as there would be two reasons you would stand out.

Yes, it is me, and it's a slightly older picture. What do you mean? Is it my wolf-man eyebrows? I've always been self conscious of them. My hair is naturally dark brown, but my eyebrows have always been black. I'm getting all worked up with the suspense!

 

[Mike Cash]

In addition to being tall, you happen to be very attractive. You'll get noticed.

 

[DemstarAus]

I guess taking a yukata to Japan would really only matter if I had planned to do something special while I was there. That would depend on the time of year etc. I will still certainly purchase one anyway, to see what it's like and practice. I don't have any tattoos, I don't think I'd be patient enough to stick with one thing forever like that!

 

[DemstarAus]

Another question regarding yukata (I doubt I'd be doing anything that would require me to wear a kimono on my first stay), would it be suitable to wear a yukata if I was on an outing to a hot spring?

 

[Toritoribe]

It's common to stroll around hot-spring towns in yukata, though they're usually the ones provided by hotels, as HnH-san mentioned.

 

[DemstarAus]

Ooh, thanks for the pic. I notice there's a woman wearing an 'overcoat' (I've forgotten what they're called), is that because it's a cold day?

 

[Toritoribe]

It's called 茶羽織[chabaori]. The one in the picture would be a 袖なし茶羽織[sodenashi-chabaori], i.e., sleeveless chabaori. Thus, it would be not so cold but a relatively cool day for her only in yukata.

 

[bsensei]

Yukata are fun, but I wouldn't wear it to the onsen- they provide a simpler one to wear there. If you want a nice yukata, then it is a bit difficult to get on and off without help. Even the cheating ones, with the clip-on bows, fairly common for younger people, are a bit difficult. Wear it to the festivals. Also, the shoes that go with may or may not fit. Women's shoes generally run up to 24.5 cm.
Safe clothes- not too low cut, not spaghetti strap tank tops with nothing over it. No matter what, people will stare. It is most important to be neatly dressed, with no stains, tears, etc. When I was there, the overly big and baggy was out.

 

[206jazz]

Here's a site where you can see what the Japanese wear in Tokyo. Big variety so I would not worry about it too much. I have seen some short skirts and shorts on women there but being more conservative is always safe.
style-arena.jp/?langType=en
Another one:
tokyofashion.com/tag/tokyo-shops/
Yukata are worn to festivals and the girls look very nice in them but most folks don't wear them as daily wear.

 

[DemstarAus]

Here's a site where you can see what the Japanese wear in Tokyo. Big variety so I would not worry about it too much. I have seen some short skirts and shorts on women there but being more conservative is always safe.
style-arena.jp/?langType=en
Another one:
tokyofashion.com/tag/tokyo-shops/
Yukata are worn to festivals and the girls look very nice in them but most folks don't wear them as daily wear.

Lots of layers... yay, that's what I do in general. I'm a scarf/shawl freak. Going through some of those pictures, there's really a lot of different type of faces, very cool. Not to sound odd but that's the most variation I've seen. Damn, I wish my thighs would do that 'out at the thighs, in at the knees' thing.