respect . I was required by my company to wear stocking tights with my suit even in summer because naked legs would be rude and improper .
An awesome trend I couldn ’ t pull off at home was tying your hair up in a bow - as in literally using your hair to create a bow on your head .
Traditional clothing such as a kimono will be worn for formal occasions , like a wedding . For a summer festival a more casual version called yukata might be worn .
STYLE EDIT
Accessories | Invest in cute socks , parasols or phone and bag embellishments – all standard fashion fare in Japan .
Fashion Icon | Harajuku starlet Kyary Pamyu Pamyu , closely resembling a 20-year-old Willy Wonka brings pigtails , candy stripes and shark headbands to the world .
Favourite Subculture | ‘ Mori girls ’ dress as fairytale forest wanderers in vintage dresses , ponchos , knits and furs .
Always in fashion | Big eyes , pale skin and anything “ kawaii ” ( cute or adorable ).
Best Shopping Destinations Omotesando , back streets of Harajuku , Shibuya , Roppongi , Shinjuku
Michelle , 26
Californian girl living in Seoul , South Korea
Fashion Detour Master mingler Fashion Culture Shock 9 / 10
My style at home was sexy , indecent . The only covered-up moments I had were during class and even then , it was usually short skirts and tube tops , or jeans and a halter-top .
Seoul fashion is conservative , cute , innocent .
To fit in I had to mainly cover up . In my first week I was wearing a romper that exposed my shoulders . I never got so many strange stares in my life . As a teacher especially , it is important to have the respect of your students so dressing appropriately is key for that . I definitely dress more conservatively now and I think it is a good thing . I couldn ’ t dress like a sorority girl forever .
Korean women really care about looking and feeling pretty and being petite . They want to be seen as an innocent flower . They leave everything to the imagination .
Trends that I wear in Korea but would never wear at home are a peter-pan collared top , colorful bows in my hair and headbands .