first sack, then sweater

On my way back from picking up our alien registration cards at the Shibuya ward office the other day, I popped into a fancy-ish boutique, Anateliér, that had cashmere hoodies for 50% off. I knew no size could possibly fit me as my shoulders are way too broad for what most stores here stock. I know a very slender, narrow-shouldered Brit who has to buy XXL here because she happens to be 5'10''. But I had time to kill before picking up the kids, so I grabbed the largest one on the shelf.

As I turned to go into the fitting room, the sales lady handed me a sheer fabric bag and motioned for me to cover my face. Um...you want me to wear this on my head? I conveyed while gesturing and employing an awkward kind of sign language that I've developed since moving here (like a tic). She smiled yes. I realize now that they probably do this to keep makeup off the merchandise, but I don't wear any so I just thought about George Costanza's over-sized noggin stretching out the neck of James Spader's nice sweater on Seinfeld and figured the sack would help prevent me from doing the same. I put it on, but it fell off as I struggled to shimmy into the thing...ah well, I tried.

Needless to say I didn't buy the hoodie, but I did get some gloves, and the bag they were placed in is made of the same material, so here is a picture of me wearing the bag to give you some idea of what I went through.