Seasonal Suede

     Suede has got to be one of my favorite clothing elements, right up there with metallics and scalloped edges. Previously the only suede I had was on my autumn/winter boots, but this year I branched out a bit, first with a suede H&M dress, and recently with a suede skirt from F21. I bought it on a whim online (gotta love the cash on delivery option here in Japan), because I needed a brown skirt anyways, and the suede intrigued me. I didn't know if it would wrinkle, or get scuffed or marked easily, especially since it was not real suede. But after wearing it one day at work, with my favorite speckled brown tights and suede brown boots (which luckily was close in shade to the skirt), I was pleasantly surprised. I can tell I'll be wearing it a lot in the coming months!

    Now if only I could find a new pair of black suede boots that weren't over $100! I bought 2 pairs a few years ago, one black and one brown. The brown are still going strong, but the black has faded and for some reason have become very slouchy and lumpy, so I had to toss them out. Right now I wear a lot of brown shades, but come winter I love me some black and grey, so they need to be replaced ASAP. There are some decent one on Aerosoles, but nothing too interesting and at a higher price point than I'm used to paying for the brand. I LOVE these from Born, great quality, I know the size 11 fits me perfectly, and at $250, not a crazy price for a gorgeous boot. But I'm thinking I'll be able to see a lot of options in Toronto, so for now I just settled for this pair I found on endless.com. Cute, sleek enough for work, cheap (under $70, including international shipping; they have some crazy sale on boots until the end of the month, so my order was $20 off!), and with a side zip for easy wear. The 11 only came in a wide width, so I sized up to a 12. Which is fine, since sometimes 11s can be a little snug on me, especially if I'm wearing thick winter socks.
     Other than that, I've been dying for some autumn candles. One of my favorite seasonal things, besides the weather and the clothes and the Starbucks drinks, are the candles that Bath and Body Works put out every year. I love the old favorites, like Cinnamon & Clove Buds and Creamy Pumpkin, and I just saw they have some interesting new ones with names like Winter Night and Sleigh Ride. Their candles are huge, cheap, and actually do a good job of scenting the whole room, BUT of course they don't ship internationally. And I'm not going to ask my dear Mum to ship some heavy candles all the way to Japan.

Why oh why haven't the Japanese embraced the candle trend? 

   They do have stores in Toronto, though, so I've actually sealed away some cash so when we get there in mid-December I can pop out to the store the day after we arrive to stock up. Sounds a little crazy? Maybe haha. But I love candles, even more than eggnog and turkey and fireplaces (okay maybe not more than fireplaces), so I will brave the Toronto snow and late Xmas shoppers to get me some. And then I will have an eggnog latte. Or two.
     Speaking of seasonal coffee drinks, my German friend and I were traumatized at Blenz coffee earlier this week. Now, a bit of backstory. My friend is from a small village in Germany, and we met at our pre-job training a few years ago. We bonded instantly over our shared German heritage (including our unpronounceable last names), our love of shopping, and the fact that unlike many other coworkers, we were actually sane and somewhat competent. Her finacee is American, half French and half Vietnamese, who looks 100% Japanese, a fact which causes much hilarity and confusion on a daily basis. When my friend went to the States with him for the first time, she was introduced to the Starbucks Pumpkin Spice latte, and fell in love. Hard. But Starbucks here doesn't offer most of the American seasonal drinks, and neither her pumpkin nor my eggnog variants have ever graced the menu. We met up for lunch recently and then decided to have coffee at Blenz, which is a Canadian chain on par with, if not better than, Starbucks. We were ecstatic to find that they were offering a seasonal drink called a "pumpkin latte", and ordered two without a second thought.

Perhaps the ultra-bright orange topping should have been our first warning.     

     So we eagerly took a sip, then another, more cautious one. And my goodness, it was utterly DISGUSTING. It was neither pumpkin, nor a latte. In fact, I don't think the hot version even had any coffee in it. The flavoring was Japanese pumpkin, not Western. For Westerners, pumpkin always means something spicy, autumnal, and nutmegy. For Japanese, it just means a type of Asian squash, which is nothing like a North American pumpkin. Usually this squash is called "kabocha" and "pumpkin" (or "pampukin" in Japanese) is reserved for the spicy/nutmeg flavor. So the advertisement was definitely misleading, not to mention the picture they showed was of a pumpkin, not the green-rinded kabocha. And with Blenz being a Canadian chain, what they heck were the doing offering a kabocha flavor? Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. As my friend put it, it was like warm squash milk, a taste which I definitely could have gone my whole life without experiencing. It was so bad we just left, ran upstairs to Starbucks, splashed out another $10 on a pair of cappuccinos, splashed in some cinnamon and vanilla powder, and downed it as fast as we could to counter that horrible lingering taste. I think she's still having nightmares about it now. As for me, I'm just dreaming of one of these...

Get in my belly!

Hunter Green

     Well, as I'm sure you guessed, I've taken to wearing all my new Zara purchases shown in my (first) vlog in the previous post. I haven't had the chance to take photos of all of them, and some I haven't worn yet (and probably won't for awhile as the weather has gotten a bit warmer lately), but I think the winner from that lot is the sheer green sweater. Combined with chocolate brown jeans and boots and off-set with a white under shirt, it looked and felt great. So much so that I immediately went out and bought the navy version!

All clothes by Zara, silver bead necklace by Rope Picnic Japan

Typhoons and Slytherin Skirts

     Well, here we are on the other side of the autumn equinox, and the weather has suddenly shifted from super hot and humid (just a handful of days ago) to dry and cool, even when it's clear and sunny outside. So long Tokyo summer! Nobody's going to miss you!

And it's supposed to go down to 20 degrees during the day next weekend! AMAZING. 

     This midweek Tokyo was blasted by a rather strong typhoon, not the stuff of disaster movies but crazy enough to make walking outside an unwise move and downing nearly every train line in Tokyo. Overland trains were stopped for obvious reasons, and subways were flooded (I think, I really have no idea why the subway wouldn't be somewhat protected against such a thing). Work was cancelled that night, but fortunately/unfortunately it was our day off, so we couldn't cash in on the cancelled work-but full pay trophy. But I guess it was fortunate, since our slow to decide company only officially cancelled rather late in the afternoon, so I would've been made up and dressed or even at the office already, and I would have been PISSED if I had to turn around and figure out how to get home from freakin Shinjuku. As it was, we were only about 20 minutes from our place, so we squeezed onto a packed bus (the driver let us on without paying, given the emergency situation, and that there was no way we could squeeze through other passengers to get to the pay spot) then had to walk/run five minutes in heavy rain/wind to our place. So we got soaked, but we were happy to be home. Right after we got in, the typhoon really went nuts. We dried off, then spent the rest of the evening killing zombies on the PS3. Not a bad evening, actually.

     Recently I wore my new H&M skirt, which I LOVE. I will love it even more in the next few weeks once it gets cool enough to wear with a form-fitting black turtleneck and black tights. Can't wait! Also, I am alone in thinking that the black/green combo will forever remind me of Slytherin House out of Harry Potter? Probably not.

Ugh, need to get a haircut soon. I don't know about you, but I hate going to the hair salon.  At least they have plenty of US/UK fashion mags to read, since I could never afford to buy one myself (they cost almost $20 here!)

Wow, hair actually looks good in this one.
Skirt (H&M F/W 2011), black tie-neck blouse by some random Japanese label, pearl bracelet (anemone Japan)

     Just realized that all the shows are starting their fall seasons now. It's weird to go from having next to no TV to download/watch to having almost too many shows to keep track off!

Blushing Fall

     For most Japanese, the start of September equals the advent of fall, no question about it. Despite the fact that most days are still hovering around the 90F mark, stores are filled with fall motifs, seasonal fall goods (Autumn everything, from bakery pastries to coffee concoctions to beer), people once again don wool suits, and on any cloudy or not so super humid day, some people even sport jackets and scarves. When it's like over 70F. Crazy.
     But there are some truth to these delusions, I suppose. At night, the breeze has a slightly cool hint to it, unlike in the summer months, when there was no breeze at all. The days are already getting shorter, the sunlight weakening well before 5pm, and, mercifully, the sun no longer rises at the unholy time of 4:30am. The office is not so crazed anymore, as clients enter the busy year-end season at their own companies and their freer summer days seem like a distant memory (haha, good for me, sucks for them).
     So I may be a bit deluded as well, which is probably why I decided to wear a long-sleeved outfit on a still relatively hot and sunny day. Granted, I only started work at 6pm and therefore didn't even get dressed until 4. And until I reached the office I was wearing just a t-shirt and my new favorite tan Zara jeans (that are just non-denim enough that I can get away with wearing them at work), but once I had arrived and cooled down enough, on went this awesome F21 lace top:

Zoolander?

Scalloped hems and cuffs? I'm sold.

     Pretty please, can we just skip this tropical typhoon season nonsense and have a real autumn now?

Poet Pose

Attempted artsy shot

Wow, just realized that this outfit is 100% Zara. Poet-sleeved blouse, orange and white undershirts (yup I was wearing three layers that day), tan jeans (new, love them), even the unseen belt are all from said store. 

Wax-seal medallion necklace by anemone Japan

     You know when you find a piece of clothing that you love so much you wish you could buy it in every available color? That feeling doesn't steal over me too often, but recently I came across this blouse at Zara, and I'd be lying to if I said that I didn't run back to the shop the next day to see if they had any other color options. They did, but only black (I like black, but not in loose-cut clothes), a horrible neon yellow and an intriguing deep bright blue. I considered the blue for a few moments, but realized I wasn't loving it 100%, so back on the rack it went. If only it came in green!
     I actually forgot to take a photo of the long back zipper (which is awesome, since it allows you to simply step in and out the blouse), which is gold-tone and framed by tracts of magenta grosgrain ribbon. The only complaint I have is that I wish the wrist cuffs were elasticized; I'm too lazy to deal with the fussy buttons so instead I gingerly work my hand through the pre-fastened cuff. Probably not the smartest idea, I know, but I'm not going to spend five minutes in frustration cussing out the buttons as I'm racing to get dressed in the mornings.
     This weekend we have the first of the official autumn typhoons descending on Tokyo, though luckily it seems that we'll just be getting some slightly heavy rain and wind instead of an all-out tropical cyclone. But September is a super-rainy season, so I'm looking forward to wearing my Hunter wellies more often!

Cinnabar Lace, plus 5 more things

     Here in Tokyo we're now in the yo-yo weather season now, as we start to slide into fall (yes!). Still warm to hot during the day, but no longer super humid 24/7, often with a somewhat cool breeze in the air. Some days can be cool enough for long sleeves, while the next day can be pretty damn hot. So last week I could wear my heav(ier) Zara knit, but this week I had to go back to bare legs, sandals, and delicate layers. Not that I really minded, since I wanted to wear my older lace skirt, which went nicely with a sheer vermillion cardigan. 

Damn, that's bright... probably the brightest piece of clothing I own!

Love this skirt... it was super cheap, it doesn't wrinkle, and the elastic waist is a definite plus.

Cardigan and skirt by pour la frime Japan, cream undershirt by Zara

And now, another installment of 5 things that have rocked my word recently:

1. A new candle for autumn:

2. Melon cream soda (served in a pretty glass, of course): 

3. New time-sucker:

4. New tumbler (been looking for on with a lid to prevent accidental spillage, so this one from Starbucks fit the bill):

5. New H&M skirt (just a preview, I'm wearing it later this week):

Golden Girl

     The year isn't close to being over yet, but I have to say I think I've already scored my favorite buy of 2011. It's part of the amazing fall/winter Zara collection, so I thought I wouldn't be able to wear it anytime soon. But for a few brief miraculous days this week, the weather turned unseasonably cool, dark, and rainy. It was incredible, especially because it made this outfit possible (and not bat-shit crazy, as it would usually be deemed in August).

Gold/white metallic sweater dress and slim-fit khakis (Zara)

Close-up of the metallic print, plus my favorite gold necklace that's meant to look like a wax seal (from anemone Japan) and a recent favorite nail polish of mine (Chanel's Pearl Drop)

Oh fall weather, can't you please stay?

     I seriously cannot recommend this dress enough... it's lightweight, the metallic print is gorgeous but not over the top, it doesn't wrinkle at all... and the kicker, it was less than $80. Full price. Don't know why this was so cheap but a wispy scrap of a miniskirt was over $100, but I'm sure glad it was!

A Belated OOTD, and Five More Awesome Things

     Yet another hot, humid week, and yet another without any interesting outfits to report, though I do have one from a few weeks ago, when it was actually kinda cool for summer. Like most of you, I'm sure, I'm dreaming of fall weather and, more importantly, the fall fashions that have stormed the store shelves and displays (despite the fact that this week the temperature has soared as high as 41C/105F). Though I suppose I shouldn't complain too much, since until August summer has been remarkably bearable, and even now the sun is pretty weak or shrouded by clouds most days. Still, I'm longing for the days when I can dress like this once again...

Skirt (Zara), cowl-neck top (Mango)

I seriously cannot believe that it was cool enough to wear this in July!

     I was thrilled that I was able to wear one of my favorite tops ever on a non-fall/winter day. The top has a more chain-mail appearance in real life than in the photo, though sadly the somewhat delicate weave is staring to snag and pill in places. If I hadn't been overseas on vacation (and therefore on limited funds) I would've snatched up two of these beauties. Ah, well, can't change that now!

     I decided that I liked last week's "Five Things" post (see below) enough to do another installment, and I'm thinking that you all find it interesting enough, since some of the items relate to expat life in crazy ol' Japan. So without further ado, here are five random things that rocked my world this past week:

     1. Summer nails! I always do my nails myself, though I'm looking forward to getting them occasionally done by somebody more skilled than I in Canada. I usually play it pretty safe when it comes to colors, but recently I felt like wearing some super-bright summery pink (which I like to call Barbie pink), at least on my toenails. I came across Mavala's Toulouse, a creme formula that is amazingly easy to put on. One my fingernails I played it a bit more safe with Rosee, my favorite Mavala shade.

I apologize for the frightening close-up of my toes (yes, I have five, the little one is just hiding!)

     2. Summer jam! Oh, my fiancee both loves and loathes me for finding this catchy Nicki Minaj song and playing it every five seconds on YouTube. I've never been a big fan of her music, though I appreciated her somewhat unique style (kinda Gaga/Katy Perry-esque, but still), and she does originally hail from my mater land of Trinidad and Tobago. But then I stumbled across this song, which is fast becoming my guilty pleasure pop anthem of the summer.

     3. Summer vegetables! Thanks to my super health-conscious fiancee (seriously sometimes I cannot believe that I'm marrying this uncanny mix of my father AND my mother) I have eaten foods that I previously shunned before coming to Japan. Especially vegetables... now thanks to him I crave things like eggplants, cauliflower, asparagus, and most recently, zucchini. A summer vegetable here in Japan, good quality ones can be a bit pricey, but today I managed to find some gorgeous specimens for 198 yen ($2.58), on sale from the their usual price of 298 yen. My fiancee just grills them in a mostly dry pan with a bit of olive oil, and then they're ready to eat. Yum!

Still can't believe it was that cheap. According to the label,  this one was grown up in Akita prefecture by the dude in the picture.

     4. Summer "only-in-Japan" moments! So, a bit of backstory: Japan has been gearing up for a few years to change all household TV signals/antennas to digital rather than analog, which requires all people still using old CRT TVs to buck up and actually get a decent TV (they're not expensive over here, and many reailers offered some crazy discounts when the deadline loomed). But in Japan, such a momentous occasion could never go without some official PR character mascot. Thus was born "Chidejika" ("chideji" aka digital terrestrial televison + "shika/jika" aka deer), a little deer sporting digital antennas instead of antlers. Now I love me some deer, and I love me some Japanese craziness, so I wondered if there was some way to get my hands on some Chidejika merch. And this being Japan, of course there was! The changeover came and went in July, but Chidejika is here to stay, at least on my phone.

In Japan everyone, young and old, male and female, decorates their phones with charm straps. All three of mine were gifts from Mr. So So Good. The Starbucks strap commemorates the fact that we both love coffee and all of our early dates were at the Starbucks near our office. In the middle is the Chidejika, with headphones on, for some reason. And lastly is a pink rabbit meant to resemble a famous traditional Japanese sweet (I hate the sweet, but I love rabbits). 

     5. Summer TV! Usually sucks, but a few weeks ago the fourth season of AMC's Breaking Bad premiered, and damn, is that show perfection. Teeth-grindingly tense perfection, so this is definitely not a show I watch before falling asleep. AMC is home to two of my favorite shows, Breaking Bad and Mad Men, and while both shows' staff seem to take FOREVER to write and film between seasons, if they can maintain the superb quality, then I suppose the long wait is worth it.

Metal on Metal

     Well, haven't I been a bad blogger lately! Don't know what it was about July, but I seemed to have entered a summer slump of laziness. I basically wore the same boring set of clothes in an attempt to beat the oppressive heat, and on many occasions I simply forgot to toss my camera in my bag... whoops. But it's a new month now, the last one of summer (THANK F*CK), so I'm going to do my best to rally myself.
     Let's see, what have I been up to... been watching a lot of movies this summer, not such a great selection here in the Tokyo cinemas, but I'm one of those people who enjoys going to the movies even if the actual film is just meh. Within the last month or so I saw X-Men First Class, which I really liked (I was always a fan of the X-men film series), though I was more intrigued by the Romeo and Juliet subtext of Magneto and Professor X than I was by the actual plot. The casting was excellent, with the exception of January Jones as Emma Frost; don't get me wrong, JJ kills it as Betty Draper, but as an evilly brilliant telepath, not so much. We also saw Thor (kinda cool, but not as awesome as most reviews led me to believe), and the last Harry Potter installment. Saw the trailer for Brad Pitt's Tree of Life, which looks awesome, so I'm looking forward to fall when the superhero/CG fest popcorn flicks of summer give way to more mature and introspective movies.
     It was recently summer sale season here in Tokyo, and the fiancee was able to score some great stuff at Banana Republic and Commes des Garcons for like 50% off. As for me, I didn't really find anything; as per usual I was more drawn to the newer fall collections. I got a beautiful metallic sweater dress at Zara and a stripped angora jumper from Topshop, that's about it. Zara's new collection features a lot of metallics, which is one of my favorite trends ever. In addition to the sweater dress, I got a silver puff-sleeve T-shirt that is quickly becoming a favorite of mine:

Metallic top and beige skirt (Zara), white undershirt (H&M), silver accessories (mayglobe Japan)

     I can't wait until autumn... cool weather, sweaters, boots...drool. But we still have a bit of the current season left to go, so hope you all have a great late summer!

A Belated 4th

    Sorry all! I took an unplanned week-long hiatus from the blogging world, mainly because I've been busier than usual (and partly because Fallout 3 has consumed my gaming soul). Haven't worn anything new or interesting lately, either, though today I took full advantage of the random cool weather (around 20-25 C...that's like October weather for Tokyo) with an outfit in my favorite color scheme of red, white, and blue. A little late for the 4th of July, but better late than never!

Embroidered sweater (F21), white chemise and jeans (Zara)

Somehow, this sweater really brings out my trace amounts of South American Latina/Native blood. 

Really nice quality for F21, IMHO

     I REALLY hope that this amazing cool, dry, and breezy weather lasts at least for the next few days, because I plan on wearing my Zara khakis to work this weekend, after they've been at the alteration place for two weeks getting the zipper replaced. Fingers crossed...

Teal and Pleats

     Despite the oppressive heat here in Tokyo, I decided to chance wearing a high-neckline cardigan (only donned when I reached my air-conditioned office, from my flat to downtown Shinjuku I wore just my pencil skirt and my white undershirt LOL). This sweater was the first expensive cardigan I ever bought (well it was 60% off, but still), from my favorite girly Japanese label, anatelier. It's the most amazing soft teal, with some subtle darts/ribbing on the placket, and topped with a white satin pleated ruff around the collar (fastened with an invisible snap). I hadn't worn it in awhile, so I was happy to rediscover it!

Ruffle-collar cardigan (anatelier Japan), grey pencil skirt (H&M), accessories (mayglobe Japan)

Close-up of the collar/placket detailing

Variations on a Theme

      This past weekend I decided to wear the same color scheme for three days straight: beige, white, and grey. The decision was mostly made on a whim, though I was kinda inspired by my steel grey nail polish:

Kinda tough to see, but I added clear rhinestone stickers on some nails (sealed with a topcoat) 

 Day 1:

Grey pencil skirt (H&M), oatmeal cardigan (anatelier Japan), white frilled undershirt (H&M)

Day 2:

Beige skirt (Zara), grey cardigan and white scalloped-bib top (H&M), accessories (mayglobe Japan)

Day 3:

Beige skirt (Zara), white lace top (F21), beaded necklace (Rope Picnic Japan), bauble rings (mayglobe Japan)

     I loved the second outfit the most, also it was probably my best hair/make-up day (which means it was probably the least humid day) so that definitely helped things out. The first outfit I felt was kinda meh, and looking at the pics I can see that the grey skirt is definitely in need of a wash and press. The last outfit I also liked, and it was the most comfortable and cooling, but it was my Friday and I was pretty much a listless exhausted zombie the whole day so I didn't appreciate the outfit as much as I should have.
      Today it's over 35 degrees C (95 F), so gross. No matter what anyone says, I will never like summer. No way, no how. The fleeting joy felt at summer BBQs or evening al fresco dinners pales against the drudgery and misery of the way more numerous work days, mosquito bites, and sweat-stained clothes!

Blush and Sand

     Happy Friday, all! Well, for those of you for whom Friday really is the end of the work week. For me, Friday is Tuesday, as well as the eve of my three most tiring days of work. But whatever, I can't really complain, since the rest of the week I only work 3 hours a day, with Tuesdays and Wednesdays off. And on the 18th we have our first national holiday in over the month, so I'm definitely looking forward to that!

     Yesterday was mercifully cloudy and not TOO sweltering, so I could wear an actual outfit rather than something basic that consists of as few layers as possible. Of course, I donned the sweater/outermost layer only upon reaching the air-conditioned subway station, which is what every woman in Tokyo does at this time of year. Of course due to energy-saving measures of this post-disaster summer, the air-con is not as strong as most of us would like, but it's definitely better than nothing!

Blush-colored sheer blouse and cardigan (Japan), sand-colored pencil skirt (Zara)

Love this skirt... and as you can see, it barely wrinkles!

     I picked up this amazing sand (beige? tan? camel?) colored skirt at the recent Zara summer sale... 50% off, marked down from about $90. I had been searching for a beige skirt for work since forever, so I was super psyched to stumble across the last medium on the rack. The skirt is super-flattering, accented with visible stitching and two large functional (but thankfully flat) front/side pockets. The material is on the thicker side and is lined in a dark golden silk, so no need to worry about printed underwear showing through. The shape is also unique; it fits mostly like a pencil skirt but then flares out in a slight A-line... maybe it's just me, but it reminds me of something from the 1940s, which I love. Paired with a sheer blouse, a matching blush cardigan, and pearl-lacquered nails, it was a simple yet chic outfit for my "Monday."

Summer Whites

     I love to wear white; it's effortlessly chic, simple yet elegant. And in summer it has the bonus effect of being cooling, or at least more cooling than other, darker colors. I don't know if it's really due to the fact that white reflects sunlight or simply because white just looks less sweltering than darker colors, but whatever the reason, I find myself reaching for white more and more in the summer months.
     Recently I bought an amazing smocked eyelet top from F21, I highly recommend it... though I can't seem to find them on the US site. It's super flattering, with the smocked waistline actually being in line with the natural waist, not high up under the breast or too low on the torso, and the quality is very good (which is probably why it was close to $25, not quite the usual F21 price point). Paired with an old sheer H&M open cardigan, my usual Zara jeans, metallic Old Navy sandals and my new silver double-chain necklace (and yes, I previously wore the gold version), it made for the perfect early-summer-in-the-city outfit.

Bauble rings and necklace by mayglobe japan

Dot and Spark

     Oh it is sooooo summer now. Like in a major way. Everyone in Tokyo is miserable (even more miserable than usual, that is), sweating themselves silly not only outside, but also on the trains, in the office, at the shops, etc. thanks to the reduced amount of air-conditioning that is necessary since Tepco bunged things up big time at the nuke plant. But to be honest, if corporate or public space eco-measures keep us free and clear of blackouts and let us use the air-con to our heart's content in our homes, then so be it. Of course dressing in summertime becomes a chore rather than a joy, since most of my favorite clothes are not summer-friendly. This is the time when the outfits get simple, but the accessories get flashier to compensate for the drabness. Case in point:

Dot cardigan and necklace (Rope Picnic Japan), pencil skirt (H&M), patent and metallic bag (petite classe Japan)

     I bought this sweater last summer and I practically lived in it from July to September, and I'll probably repeat that habit again this year. I do love the sweater, though, it's very good quality despite the $20 price tag, and it's kinda unique. For one thing, it buttons left over right, which is the way that men's clothes button (I think 100% of my other tops button in the traditional feminine way, aka right over left). Secondly, the design was the result of a collaboration between the clothing shop (Rope Picnic, kind of like a Japanese Pull and Bear) and Calpis, the beverage maker famed for that white milky soft drink that most foreigners  find pretty gross. Off-putting as the taste may be, Calpis is a beloved, traditional company here in Japan and its dot packaging is instantly recognizable... the dots on the sweater and the blue/white color scheme are meant to be a nod to the packaging. Though I don't care for the drink, the sweater is one of my favorite summer pieces, and I smile each time I see the "Calpis" label inside the sweater. The necklace is also from Rope Picnic, and while it looks like metal, it's actually made of very light clear and grey beads.
     My bag is hands down my favorite aspect of the outfit, however. I saw this bag a few months ago and  fell in love with it, and this month I finally decided to buy it. I have to bear with it shedding glitter for at least a few days, but it's well worth it.

Love love love.