Shopping in Japan- Kawaii!

The other day, Red and I went out to a department store called You me Town in Iwakuni.  While we've lived here, I have really admired the Japanese style of clothing.  The women just wear the cutest stuff, all the time.  I very rarely see jeans and t-shirts with tennis shoes.  Most of the time, they are wearing layers of leggings, sweaters, scarves, hats then the most adorable high heeled booties.  I just love it!  I think that their style is so different and I want to adopt it.  I realize that as an almost six foot tall blonde American girl this isn't totally possible- But I want to do my best.  While checking out at the first little area of You Me Town that we wandered into, I found these:

Tweezers!  They will help your beauty.  For your relaxing time.  

I had to buy them.  Tweezers with hearts for my relaxing time??  I just couldn't pass it up.  Besides, they will help my beauty.  And every one could use a little beauty help.

This is everything I got.  It was like a small boutique.  The cutest kitchen mitt ever.  Some stationery kits for letters, a hair tie with a flower ( it has metal though, ouch!) And of course, my beauty helpin' tweezers.  They also sold therapeutic oils and scents, bath soaps, jewelry, coats, hats ( I thought I had bought one... but I guess I put it down? What country is this?  Why is it tomorrow?) It was sooo "Kawaii!"  The Japanese word for cute.  In my lack of knowledge for Japanese, I knew I would find a need for the word cute.  Just kidding.  It's what people say when Pumpkin walks by, and some one translated for me.  The people are so kind here.

This brings me to the clothing store I found.  As I mentioned above, I really adore the style here.  Such a step up from Camp Lejeune where jeans, sweats and t-shirts are the norm.  Don't get me wrong, please.  I love jeans, sweats, and t-shirts.  I love to wear them.  I love people that wear them.  I just love dressing up in adorable sweaters more.

Any way, this brings me to the leggings.  I find the store, and go to try on the above gray sweater.  Red had gone to pay for some curtains we had picked out while I browsed, and came back just in time to see me ask for a dressing room.  The sales lady was very kind and opened the curtains that closed off a small section in the middle of the room.  As I started to step in, she stopped me and pointed for me to take off my shoes!  So I did, revealing my yellow and green polka- dotted socks and made my way into the dressing room.  I put on the gray sweater, and come out to show Red.  She said something that I wasn't able to understand, but I could tell by the way she was talking that it was good.  I just asked her, "Kawaii?"

"Kawaii!"  With an enthusiastic nod.  

Then she signed "Just a minute" and headed off, returning with the bright red sweater and gave it to me. I said," Arigato!" ( Thank you) and then pointed to my pants.  I had seen all of the different leggings in the store, but wasn't quite sure what they would put together, and what would be considered fashionable according their style.  She understood me, and came back with these:

At this point, let's just get something straight.  I don't wear leggings.  I am "pear shaped", and like I said, nearly six feet tall.  In order to wear leggings, a tunic and look lean, one must wear flats or high heeled boots.  In flats, I tend to look like a clown, and in heels, I tend to be feared as Amazon woman.  So I usually just write off the leggings and a tunic idea.  On this day however, I was wearing my black, flat suede boots. So, she had me put those on after I put on the gray sweater and the red sweater with these leggings.  Then, something amazing happened.  Red managed to not even laugh and say " uh. no."... and I kinda fell in love.  Yes, they have snow flakes.  No, I wouldn't typically wear them.  So, I looked at the sales lady with my whole outfit on, and said " kawaii?"

"Kawaiiii."  - Enter enthusiastic and seemingly sincere nod.

She could have just been lying to me.  

As I left the store, she could have texted a friend about the gullible American she just put in those horrendous  Snowflake print leggings they haven't been able to sell yet.

But I think not.

Let's just take a look at these up close.

So, we are checking out after making my decisions, and I ask Red if he remembers what the Japanese word for American is.  I wanted to tell her that this outfit was very different from my previous American style.  I'm sure there's similar stuff, but come on.. this is kawaii!  Bottom line, I try to ask her what they call Americans in Japanese.  It came out like I was asking her to confirm that she was Japanese and we were Americans.  She looked at me like I was a complete nut case and said something in Japanese to her co-worker.  Then, they both looked at me like I was a nut case.

Then, we left.  Sort of awkwardly.

This is good right?  They probably think Americans are reeaaal smart.