"Hey, what's with all the clothing during the hottest months of the year?" That's my friend Alan's observation of the working women populace in Japan. Nagasode (long sleeves), uwagi (outer jacket) and suttokingu (nylons) are the norm for so many of them, despite the unbearable heat and humidity of a Japanese summer.
Alan's observation is perfectly understandable. He's from Florida, is the proud owner of a "Bay Watch" collection and he's not skinny. If Alan had his way in Tokyo, he'd go around in a pair of cut-offs and rubber sandals without bothering about the T-shirt, and expect to see women do pretty much the same.
I gave Alan a little speech about Japanese women and the mysteries of their synapses.