Japanese Fashion

As a woman who was 5’8” tall and a D-cup by 8th grade, I don’t have much memory of smallness. By then, I'd learned to like the perks of being tall: being able to spike a volleyball, seeing above the crowd, picking apricots from a tree in our yard.

Watching Japanese women glide past me, with their small hands and feet, I had the feeling I'd had back in sixth grade of wanting to be a smaller person. I was the tallest in my class. The Japanese women I saw were lovely, graceful, and well dressed. They were Lord-Of-The-Rings-elfin, with serene facial expressions, erect posture and the appearance of gliding effortlessly from here to there. They were all beautifully put together. I never once saw a woman who looked dumpy, or wrinkled, or mismatched. They were so stylish, but I have to say, even a woman in basic black slacks, flats, and a tucked in shirt looked super put together. I'm not sure how they accomplished it. I've never been more aware of standing and sitting up straight. I'm a work in progress, but I think about sitting and standing with good posture more than I used to. I think it may be a requirement for elegant living.