WAYWT Autumn/Winter 23

[EllaPaella]

Hello
New thread for Autumn Winter
@OublietteBravo
@Purplecatshopaholic
@Sooverthemill
@toucaninjapan
Sorry - the app hasn't remembered any of my tags other than the above 👆 apologies

Jeans in the office today. So glad it’s warmed up a bit.

Jumper: M&S
Jeans: Jigsaw
Trainers: M&S

First time wearing jeans to the new workplace. Everyone's style is so casual

Plum trees have started blossoming. Isn't it a tad too early this year? Pretty sure they usually bloom a bit later 🤔

Woops forgot to post earlier! It's warmer today! There's definitely a running theme with my outfits recently I've gone a bit mental on stripes, the last few items of clothing i have purchased have been stripes, need to stop now! 😁
I will also be glad when I'm not in boring footwear anymore, am really missing heels, especially knowing I purchased 2 new pairs of gorgeous knee high boots before I broke my ankle.....very frustrating indeed grrrr!

Stripes here too. I have a lot of stripes. Top mint velvet, cardigan Fenn Wright and Manson, skirt white stuff.

@toucaninjapan I've done loads of reading about Japan prior to my trip in November. Yes, although plum comes before cherry, that's quite early. But I suppose there are always years which are outliers. Enjoy it though - it's proper grey and blowy here in the UK! I'm really really hoping I can catch some autumn colour leaves when we go to Japan.

The wind has been crazy here. How was the storm for everyone else else?

I think we largely escaped the wind. Although it’s forecast to pick up again today. So far just rain.

Jumper/trainers: M&S
Jumpsuit: Whistles

WFH at the moment due to the awful weather. Even taking the dogs out is a struggle, it’s soooo windy. Feeling a bit rubbish, and coldy, and this weather isn’t helping! Anyhoo, dress is a simple M&S one, with Schuh boots.

Weather very windy here. Water came in through either the window frame or the masonry on Sunday night due to the force if the rain which was horizontal. Yesterday dress urchin with M&S thermal underneath.

Still windy.
main job this week is emptying out a hamster house that sadly no longer contains a hamster. Hence all the bin bags
today i needed these colourful trainers! Wearing a preloved cashmere hoodie
yesterday’s outfit wasn’t right but no time to change

Storm Jocelyn didn’t seem so bad here. And today was mostly sunny and mild despite the breeze. Plus it wasn’t entirely dark at 5pm - I’m so looking forward to lighter evenings.

Blouse: Boden
Skirt: M&S
Boots: Celtic & Co

@faffadoodledo you're going to love it so much! November is amazing for visiting Japan. Which cities are you planning to go to?

Another office outfit today.

A Ukrainian-born model (lived in Japan since she was 5, naturalized last year) has just won Miss Japan 2024 title a couple of days ago which has sparked my interest. Internet is flooding with comments, 99% of Japanese public seems to be extremely upset & everyone is remembering how a "half-blood" (a mixed-race girl with one black parent) has won the title a couple of years ago and how outrageous that was (i.e. "half-blood" presenting Japan. Who cares that she was born in Japan, raised in Japan, has a Japanese citizenship, identifies as Japanese etc).
A lot can be said on the subject, but from the S&B point of view I find it fascinating how all the upset people still admit that the Ukrainian model is an "exceptional beauty" while she won't necessarily be seen as gorgeous in Eastern Europe because of different beauty standards. A tanned Caucasian girl with small nose and big bum/voluminous chest might not have won that title in Japan!
I'm also sort of thankful for the different beauty standards here. I have thin lips and small mouth which are not exactly a desirable trait in the West, but here it's traditionally seen as "feminine" while big mouth and plumpy lips are "masculine". Thank you Japan

Vintage suit dress and modern top today.

@toucaninjapan I'm a bit concerned that we're following a fairly well trodden route. My son had his honeymoon in Japan tho and thinks we'll be ok.
So Tokyo for 3 nights where we're staying at the Station Hotel, which
looks well located.
Then Shuenj for an onsen type experience.
Then Kyoto - from which we may take a day trip out by train. But haven't researched that yet.
Hiroshima
Miyajima, where we stay at an amazing in .
Back to Tokyo for our last night.

Our focus will be temples, gardens, crafts, food, and the obvious modernity in Tokyo. We live rurally and quite like to blast ourselves with city culture when we go away. If you have any top tips please feed

We're also spending three nights k. Seoul on the way out, so our jet lag shoudl be ok by the time we get to Tokyo.

It's Burn Night tonight .. . I'm of course wearing my Justine Tabak blackwatch tartan dress . . .AGAIN !! . . . anyone else going to be eating Haggis?

It is indeed Burns Night @LoveFairIsleJumpers - and I forgot, lol. We were at a Burns Supper last week, not going out tonight. We just had a pizza, not haggis - proud Scot I may be, but I am not a haggis fan (at the Burns Supper they couldn’t give me a gluten free, veggie option, so gave me risotto! It was great). I hope all those who enjoy haggis are celebrating the Bard in the traditional manner, lol.

Fascinating dive into Japanese beauty standards there by the way @toucaninjapan
I take it that filled lips with a weird 'shelf' isn't a good look there? I mean I don't think it's a good look here in the UK tbh. But it has become scarily ubiquitous

@faffadoodledo do you follow Alexandra Stedman on instagram? She went to Japan recently

@faffadoodledo Well trodden routes are popular for a reason! This is a very good itinerary.

In terms of S&B, I’d recommend looking at Obagi products, they’re cheaper in Japan (you can find them in Fukutaro pharmacies or just order on Amazon to your hotel address) and if you wear lipsticks, check out Esprique Prime tint rouge (like this: https://www.amazon.co.jp/エスプリーク-プライムティント-ルージュ-OR250-オレンジ系/dp/B07JF63997?pdrddw=wL6rz&content-id=amzn1.sym.9a10ba4c-7d2d-4d9d-8c79-8cd8edaa2eff&pfrddp=9a10ba4c-7d2d-4d9d-8c79-8cd8edaa2eff&pfrddr=9MKB92WJAN0TK53KK87H&pdrddwg=pulBT&pdrddr=f39285ba-d716-4dfe-9c16-93e5d8837f60&pdrddi=B07JF63997&psc=1&ref=pddbapmmgriddvvrp001eccppxyo22mobbbtsrpp4_t )
I haven’t tried any better lipsticks, even brands like Dior or YSL can’t compete with this in my opinion. They don’t dry your lips AT ALL and leave a lasting colour like a tint. Some colours stay up to 12 hours and there’s no dryness! They’re also quite cheap and I just wish they had more colours. I own 4 of these and some of the colours I have already purchased 5-6 times, judging by my Amazon history.

As for the culture part, when you go to Asakusa try going to Kyugetsu doll shop (https://www.kyugetsu.com/en/).
This is not a touristy place, they’re selling traditional Japanese dolls there that serve as lifetime amulets for children. Some of the dolls are literal pieces of art, some of the dolls cost millions. MIL has bought DD a hina doll set there for DD’s first Hina matsuri and I believe she paid around ¥230,000 or ¥250,000 (hina dolls are usually displayed on Hina matsuri - Girls’ Day celebration - on Mar-3 and at least a month before that). November is a good timing for seeing the hina dolls, I imagine there will be lots of them displayed in preparation for March 2025 (and some of the most expensive ones would be displayed with a “sold out” sign already). Which reminds me we need to display our hina dolls already because it’s almost February! We of course store them securely away as these dolls are not for playing - they are regarded as guarding spirits for the girl. One day, if DD has a daughter, she’d inherit DD’s set to protect her as they have protected her mother.

@faffadoodledo I can say with confidence that I have never seen any Asian person here with lips that have been "done". Well I guess it's partially down to the fact that most Japanese have plump lips naturally - thin lips are more of a Caucasian trait and everything that's rare is desirable - but in any case you'd never see any excess contouring here, applying your lipstick to the skin around the lips etc., huge lips are not popular here.
Speaking of lipsticks, when you go to Korea you'd probably notice how Korean women (at least younger generations, up to 50 maybe?) mostly wear very bright and bold lip colours, eyebrows are straight and faces are very very white. On the contrary once you're in Japan you'd struggle to find bright lipsticks anywhere (I once searched high and low for a red lipstick here and yes, I ended buying it once in Korea and another time in the airport's duty free), the eyebrows would be more naturally curved and faces not this hyper extra white. Everything would be very much toned down and the clothing style in general would also be very different from Korea - Japanese love pastels, very moderate style, anything that hides the body shape. And everyone would have makeup on - anyone who has a job, that is - because not wearing makeup is considered unprofessional, it's not a matter of personal choice here. Anyway... I could go on and on for ages but that's already too much text lol

@faffadoodledo oh and the final thing! I recommend to print out your hotel’s address in Korean beforehand if you are planning on using taxis/ there will be no guide waiting for you in Seoul. Taxi drivers in the international airports can't read addresses in English It's better in Japan though!

Gosh that last piece of advice sounds like a super Top Tip! Thank you for all of that, and the reassurance. Big holiday, and I don't want to blow it!

@faffadoodledo If you can't find your hotel address in Korean (happened to me), you can always go to the Information desk at the airport with the English address and make them write it in Korean on a sticky note (been there, done that...) Good luck! I'm positive you're going to massively enjoy your trip

No vintage pieces today, just rocking my modern bargains.