Winter fashion in Japan

Winter is coming to an end, maybe. It warms up and then hits us with another cold snap. However, I'd like to comment a little about the some of the interesting aspects of winter fashion over here.

• Crocs. OK, it's bizarre that the Japanese consider this to be a shoe acceptable to wear in public. However, the fact that you can buy warm inserts for your Crocs is just beyond strange.
• Legs. I noticed in summer that in Japan you can pretty much get away with showing any amount of leg, but even a hint of cleavage is going too far. Guess what, nothing's changed. Most of the girls I taught spent all winter running around in tiny little short shorts (often trimmed with furry stuff, for all the good it must do). Combine this with long socks that come just past the knee, and a longish stretch of purpling thigh.
• Leg warmers. Leg warmers are cool here. They are frequently combined with the before-mentioned short-shorts, going over the long sock to cover from ankle to knee. They can also be worn over jeans. I have actually purchased a few pairs, but I wear them under my jeans just to provide an extra layer.
• Fur. There is way too much of it, down to furry leg warmers that look plain scary.
• Ear muffs. I'm not sure if these are cool or not, but they're definitely pretty common, at least for the girls.
• The changing of seasonal clothing. By midwinter the shops were already clearing out winter stock to bring in spring clothing. It's still way too cold for spring clothing, I'm still wearing my down jacket a fair bit, and we had a bit of snow on Monday, but all the clothing in the shops would have you thinking it was lovely balmy weather out there.