Inexpensive Treasures (1) @ Westy’s

November 9th, 2007 at 05:31pm Mr. Oh

Here’s a piece I love, a stereotypical Japanese work cover-all, apparently called a Tunagi. Your typical westerner making work-clothes wouldn’t be able to resist grunging it up with grease and sweat and so on. This one is shiny and spotless. You have to love it — it’s so ordinary and yet so illustrative of the difference between our cultures. And so unfashionable, it’s cult fashionable. You can see Yoshimi Zabelin’s talent in the shading and shadows; this is no amateur production. It comes in three different colours, but the orange is probably the most … industrial. Each color is — get this — 5L$. No, there’s no discount available for the fatpack. The broom is free at any number of campsites, I’m wearing a generic t-shirt underneath and the customizable name tag is by elka Lehane of [BF] Boing Fromage for 1L$.

Westy’s has just opened in UGTokyo, and as yet there are no clothes specifically for men, just a few unisex pieces. When I met Ms Zabelin, she was putting finishing touches on a wonderful Chinese dress. “Mens Ok, but my avatar is woman,” she explained after apologizing for her English, “So model is lady. I am am manager, staff, model, I have to make all alone. USA items are expensive and I cannot buy. So I made. lol.”

She delighted in showing me around her ambitious 3-storey shop and unfinished skybox. There’s lots of room for more clothes. Will some of them be for men? “I think so about men’s avatar. Someday I made for men.”

Meanwhile, there are the unisex pieces. Another is this trenchcoat. The skirt needed some modification which was easy enough to do. It’s available in 4 colours, but the best for men are this muted olive green and a shiny black version. Included free with the coats (or available for free separately just outside the shop) is a wonderful ribbed sweater designed to widen the sleeves. But it looks great on its own as well. Westy’s long coat comes on jacket- and skirt-layer and include prim cuffs with buttons and a dark knit shirt-layer; each coat colour is only 30L$. (I’m wearing it with a pair of solid 50L$ no-label black jeans from Indie Apparel at the True Mall.)

“My dream,” Yoshimi said, “is many people come and enjoy at my shop and many people wear my clothes. Not money.”

Take your coin purse and a lady friend to visit Westy’s at UG Tokyo (200, 116, 40).

Photos taken at HappyDispatch (141, 31, 36).

Disclosure: Seen in World: Yes | Review Copy: No | Friends List: Yes

Notes: On Mr. Oh: Nora Entice - Hunter Almond by Sezmra Svarog (Nora BodySkins & Fashion). Freebie "Linden Labs Male Korean Avatar" hair by unknown (NCI). Scripted colour-change "Aviator 1" sunglasses by Damanios Thetan (Collection Damani). Black Harley Engineering Boots by Lightwave Valkyrie (AFantasy).

Entry Filed under: Casual, Jackets, Novelty, Outfits, Sweaters, Urban, Westy's