MATERIAL ME: FASHION AFTER 60: 07/29/20

BELLY WARMERS AND WAIST WARMER SHORTS

Belly warmers have been around in Japan since the beginning of time. In the summer you can see shirtless construction workers wearing them over loose cotton bottoms. It is hard to imagine that fashionable ladies would wear these things but the Japanese believe that stomachs are vulnerable to the cold so year-round, many women, men and children wear belly warmers under their clothes or over their pajamas. If you feel your stomach gets too cold at night, you can order one made of wool, cotton or bamboo fiber from Amazon.

A few years ago I noticed that Uniqlo started marketing their own version of the belly warmer. Called waist warmer shorts, they serve a dual purpose of protecting the stomach and preventing the chafing of thighs associated with wearing a skirt of dress in the summer. The waist warmer shorts are made of very light material and is comfortable because there is no control top element. I consider them to be essential elements in my wardrobe. I wear them under dresses and skirts in the summer and under jeans and trousers in the winter. Waist warmer shorts are seasonal and are only available online in late summer. Once sold out, you will have to wait until next year.

HANDKERCHIEFS AND FANS

Every time I go home to Japan I check out the assortment of handkerchiefs and fans in department stores and boutiques. Where these accessories have passed into oblivion in the States, they are essential in Japan and many designers create gorgeous patterns and motifs every year.

My preference in fans is fabric because of durability. I also like men's fans because of size and the amount of wind it delivers. However, paper fans are supposed to cool one off even better and so I also have a backup supply of $1.50 fans from Daiso. I bring them to sporting events and dispose of them when they get ratty.

Handkerchiefs used to be made of fine cotton lawn but the trend shifted to gauze, then to terry cloth. I prefer the gauze hankies due to design selections, although terry cloth ones are the most absorbent. Whatever the type, hankies are absolutely essential in hot weather. Wetted down with water, they deliver instant relief from the heat.

HEATTECH AND AIRISM

About a year ago I made the switch from cotton shirts to Uniqlo's HEATTECH and AIRism products. These undershirts are thinner than cotton shirts and are less bulky when layered with dresses, shirts, sweaters and jackets. I tried the long-sleeved AIRism shirt for the first time this summer. I admit it took a while to adjust to the cold feel of the fabric. However, it layered well with my clothes and I enjoyed pairing the neutral colors of black and gray with my brighter wardrobe assortment.

I have tried a variety of HEATTECH products and decided I only like their original, thinnest undershirts. The thicker ones are uncomfortably thick and not nearly stretch enough. In chilly San Francisco summers, I wear a HEATTECH undershirt nearly every day with sleeveless dresses.

Another thing I like about these garments is that they take up no space in a suitcase and are easily washed and dried by hand or machine. Unlike polyester of old, neither HEATTECH nor AIRism pill, even after much washing and drying, which is also a plus.

UV CUT SUN VISOR

I found these funky sun visors at Daiso a few summers ago. I thought it would be a fun gag accessory to startle people on the street. Actually the visor has the opposite effect of erasing my presence entirely. Not sure how that works except perhaps with my face erased, the rest of my body disappears as well?

The sun visor is extremely effective as driving sunglasses because they provide 180 degree protection for the eyes. One's peripheral vision is much improved over regular sunglasses. The down side is that the headband hurts my head when I wear the visor too long. On long driving trips I alternate between sunglasses and the visor, depending on the time of day (the visor is very effective during sunset or sunrise driving).

The $3.00 visor is no longer available through Daiso but you can purchase one at a steeper price through Amazon.

The UV Cut Sun Visor is one of many items Japanese women wear to shield themselves in the summer. Other protective devices include lacy pull-on sleeves, crocheted gloves and bucket hats. Suprisingly few women wear sunglasses - there must be a bar lady connotation associated with them.

NECK WARMER FLUFFY

I end this entry on the assortment of Japanese oddities by waxing poetic about Neck Warmer Fluffy. This $1.50 item from Daiso has miraculously cured me of scratchy throat syndrome that manifested itself every night just as I was about to fall into deep sleep. I needed to suck on hard candy just so my throat would not get that tickle and cough. I saw this neck warmer at Daiso and decided to give it a try. It was amazingly soft and not too tight on the throat. It also brought back memories of my blanket fragment that was my constant bedside companion when I was very young. The blanket fragment got smaller and smaller as my mother clipped away at to wean me from it. At last it disappeared and I was inconsolable - if she thought I had gotten over it, she was wrong. Miraculously here it was again, the $1.50 Neck Warmer Fluffy. I sleep with it wrapped around my throat every night and feel comforted, just as I did so many years ago.