I believe that ANYONE can wear sleeveless clothing. To my eye there is no need to have firm, toned and tanned arms to go sans sleeves, especially in sweltering hot temperatures.

However, I do realize that many women feel differently. Amongst my friends and clientele there are lasses who prefer not to show their arms. I have also come across quite a few women who, in particular, are shy about revealing their underarms. With your help, this is something I would like to explore today.

Now, certain cultures have norms that are restrictive when it comes to the parts of a woman’s body that should be covered. And in some cases this goes much further than the underarm. There is certainly a debate to be had about that, but it isn’t the one that I’m getting at here. I’m thinking more about typical western norms where sleeveless dressing is not frowned upon or discouraged in general.

In this environment, do some people feel that the underarm is a little taboo? Ok to reveal poolside or at the beach, but a tad too sensual to be flaunted in other settings? In this case the reluctance to show the underarm is really about modesty.

Is it more that women are concerned that their underarms are not attractive? Perhaps when they didn’t shave recently, or when shaving has caused some skin irritation or discoloration. In this case the reluctance is about confidence.

Or perhaps some women don’t believe in shaving, but still feel the pressure of the social norm that says we should have perfectly hairless underarms.

I have Dutch family in all shapes and sizes who are strongly against shaving their underarms and have no problem whatsoever wearing sleeveless tops. This probably helped me to grow up never feeling shy about the state of my underarms. I do shave, because I personally prefer that aesthetic, but I also don’t mind seeing a woman with underarm hair in a sleeveless top. 

Are you shy about revealing your underarms when you wear sleeveless clothing? If so, is it for one of the reasons I mentioned above, or is it something completely different? Or do you believe that the underarm is an area of our body that should not be revealed in public at all?

After our morning in Yokohama we took the Shinkansen (bullet train) from Yokohama to Kyoto, the old capital of Japan. We’re staying at a traditional Japanese style inn called a Ryokan, which means sleeping on futons and tatame mats on the floor amongst bamboo and rice paper walls. An adventure! 

We walked around the old district of Gion that afternoon and evening. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and people from all over had travelled in to admire them. It was amazing. Gion is full of quaint alleys and streets covered in old wooden Japanese style houses, small canals and lots of bird life. So, so pretty. The red statuesque Yasaka Shrine in Gion is magnificent and draws in the crowds. The light shone on it so perfectly as Greg took the photograph.

I LOVE grilled unagi (eel) with rice. Greg spotted an Unagi-ya (a small restaurant that serves grilled eel), and that was where we had supper. Again, there were no English speaking people in sight, so thanks to the plastic “mock-ups” of the food outside, we were able to order our meal. I had Unagi Donburi (with rice) and Greg had Unagi Tomago (eel omelet). I had it with tea and pickles while Greg washed his down with an ice cold Asahi beer. Fabulous.

After a rainy start to our time in Yokohama, we welcomed the sun with extra enthusiasm on day 2. It was still quite chilly, but at least it was dry. The land of the rising sun had lived up to it’s name. Oh, how things always look better in the sunshine. 

Yokohama has a large Chinatown that was in walking distance from our hotel. So Greg suggested that we have dim sum for breakfast, which sounded like a smashing idea to me. Jet lag had us up at the crack of dawn, so we strolled around a very quiet Chinatown before the crowds descended. 

We usually sit down at a restaurant table to have dim sum, but this time we had “bao” on the go. Bao is a steamed bun filled with a tasty and often sweet and spicy filling. Greg had his usual pork filled bao while I had one filled with shrimp and veggies. They were fresh, hot and delicious, and really hit the spot.

Although there wasn’t an English speaker in sight, we were able to identify the bao’s we wanted from the plastic versions of the food that they have outside almost every eatery here in Japan. As odd as the plastic food “mock-ups” seem at first, the displays are extremely helpful to foreigners like us. We have come to rely them more and more as we seek out eateries. Of course, the gracious manner of the people here makes the ordering even easier. 

With bao and a few more tasty treats in hand, we walked through Chinatown. It was beautiful. We find the colourful atmosphere, ornate decorations, noise and all round hustle and bustle very relaxing. Having grown up in Hong Kong I feel right at home in any city that has a Chinatown area.

After savory treats in Chinatown it was time for something sweet. Off to Motomachi street we went, where we had eyed a bakery full of yummy delights the day before. Greg and I shared a sweet, fluffy sponge and what I originally thought was a jam doughnut. The jam turned out to be sweet red bean paste, which was just as yummy. We sat on a sunny bench and refueled our tummies while watching the passersby. 

You’ll probably recognize most of my outfit. I paired a navy and cream striped silk blouse with blue zippered skinnies and a cropped ink blue tailored blazer. I popped my cream trench coat over the lot as an extra layer. Virtually flat, ever so slightly wedged dove grey ankle booties were in order for another day of walking and traveling. And you’ll see the same crushed black patent doctor’s bag throughout this trip.

It was time to say goodbye to Yokohama and we headed off to Shin-Yokohama station to catch the Shinkansen (bullet train) to Kyoto. In the old imperial capital of Japan we’ll be meeting Tomoko and Brian, the bride and groom to be.

Our first day in Japan was wet, but fun. From what we’ve seen of the city, Yokohama has got to be the one of the quaintest places I’ve visited. Everything about it is insanely cute — from the tiny trucks and cars on the narrow picturesque streets, to the pretty potted flowers, the adorable kids, the terraced parks and gardens, and the presentation of food. It’s all so clean and neat as a pin, and the locals are as hospitable as can be. 

We really wanted to visit the second largest city of Japan before heading out to Kyoto and Tokyo because my parents lived here in the late 1960’s with my brother before I was born. We walked through the area around the lovely Motomachi shopping street, and headed up to the clinic in Yamate where my brother was born. Greg took lots of photos for my Dad, and we’re curious to hear how much of Yokohama he recognizes 46 years later. 

Needing some caffeine to stave off the jet lag, we went into a nice coffee shop expecting to make a quick stop for tea and coffee. But even though we’d had a substantial breakfast barely two hours earlier, we couldn’t resist the pizza toast (for Greg) and the the almond toast (for me). A tasty surprise was peanut butter in the almond toast, and a highlight of the experience was the doll size milk decanter that came with Greg’s coffee. 

Lunch was a fun reinterpretation of western food, but for dinner we got down to business. First, a Yakitori-ya. A tiny restaurant that specializes in little chicken skewers of more varieties than you would imagine. Brian, who’s wedding we’ll be attending next week, had just sent us email with instructions on what to order (including phonetic spelling so we’d get the pronunciation right): 

If you like green onion or leeks, I highly recommend ordering “neggy-ma” (negi-ma). It is pieces of chicken and leek, alternating on a skewer — so damned good!  I also recommend “tsookoonay” (tsukune) and “tebasakey” (tebasaki).

After the delicious Yakitori we went a few doors down for sashimi — raw fish — which is one of my favourite things in the world. Another tiny little place with incredibly warm and friendly staff. They didn’t speak English, but Moichi from the table alongside ours stepped in and made sure that we got what we wanted. He had spent a couple of years in Austin, Texas, working on control systems for power plants, and he had picked up quite an impressive command of the English language while he was there.

You have seen all the items I’m wearing here before, just remixed in a different ways. White button down under a striped tee with jodhpur jeans, my favourite black jacket and a Burberry scarf. Flats are a must for a day of walking so on went the oxfords, along with black doctor’s bag and umbrella. It was a little cold and wet, but not enough to dampen our spirits.