I’m studying abroad in Kyoto this coming April. Aside from worrying about my language level– I’m worried about how I’ll present. I’m a butch lesbian, and I’m a fat person. Should I try to dress really feminine in Japan? I’ve been thinking about taking steps like growing out my hair, getting contacts, maybe even getting extensions. How far would I need to go? In a college setting, are nice/feminine clothes and makeup required day-to-day to be taken seriously?
3 comments
Bluntly: as a foreigner, it doesn’t matter if you dress like a Japanese local would. The only thing I would advise to women, is to not wear low cut tops, but more for your own comfort as people wil overtly stare if you are any kind of busty.
More detailed: If you look at a lot of popular fashion brands, many young women dress in a “genderless” style. Meaning very oversized and boxy shapes.
Short hair is incredibly common, especially among more trendy people.
Many people wear glasses as fashionable frames are very affordable in Japan.
Also, very heavy makeup has never really been the thing in Japan, natural or light is common.
There are a few threads scattered around the various Japan subreddits about how to track down clothing in larger sizes. It can be quite location-specific though, so you may need to do some homework about Kyoto specifically. There’s a r/kyoto subreddit that might be worth searching/posting in!
There is no need to dress in anything you don’t want to or usually dress in.
You can be as feminine or butch as you like, and there won’t be any issues at all. Especially college students are very free in what they wear.