Spending money, time, and effort just for yourself makes me feel like I'm taking care of myself. Career, life stage, skills, money, beauty... what is it that makes me "admirable"? This is a special feature that introduces self-investment methods that we can do from now on and that will make us “uplift” in some way.
Interview/Text: Erina Terui/My Navi Woman Editorial Department
Photography: Sachiko Horasawa
On weekdays, I only go to work, and on weekends, I only go to certain places. As I continued to live like that, it became less and less fashionable to feel good. Clothes are easy to wash and comfortable. On weekdays, my bag is a rucksack that can hold my PC, and on weekends, it's a sacoche that holds the bare essentials. Sneakers all year round. Accessories are a no-brainer.
I'm not dissatisfied with my "usual style", but is it okay to stay like this forever? One day when I was feeling uneasy like that, I was looking blankly at the morning information program while preparing to go to work, and a certain person caught my eye.
Casual coordination with the trademark short cut. Miho Tanaka is a model. She continues to be active in famous magazines such as "Seventeen", "non-no" and "mina", and she has always been cute. There must have been some changes between when she was a teenager and when she is now raising two children, but for some reason she always has the image of being “casual but fashionable.”
Can ordinary working women be fashionable? Even if you get older (even if your body shape changes), what should you do to enjoy your own style? I tried to ask Miho Tanaka about such a question in connection with this special feature "My Self-Aggravation Investment".
You can create your own style by trying a lot
――I have the impression that Miho Tanaka has established her own style since she was in her teens.
I don't really like tight-fitting clothes because they make it difficult to move (laughs). I think there is I may have worn my favorite clothes in magazines and privately.
In that process, I think I've come to understand things like, "I would never choose one myself, but it might look good on me," or, conversely, "I've always liked the color, but it might not suit me."
――You've tried a lot, so you've come to understand your own style.
When I want to change my impression a little, I try to buy clothes that I don't usually wear. That's when the affordable prices come into play. So if you think you might like something, you can try raising the price range next time.
Basically, I don't care about trendy things, but if it's lined up in stores now, it shouldn't be outdated. So you don't have to think about it too hard, just buy what you like at the store and you'll be able to create a modern style.
Motivate yourself with the feeling of “I will work hard to buy this!”
――Many people worry about things that they wore in their teens or early twenties when they become around 30. Did Miho Tanaka ever have such worries?
I have been doing this job for more than 20 years because of my job, and I have many opportunities to see a lot of clothes. Your body shape and how you look changes as you age.
When in doubt, I think it's a good idea to look at a lot of coordinated outfits in magazines and on the web. I used to buy a lot of magazines, and I would read things like, "This is cute," and "Will it fit my wardrobe?" In this day and age, it is recommended to check not only magazines but also SNS of the same generation.
I belong to a generation where many people thought, “I want to save money to buy high-end brands.”
Of course, I think that's a good thing, but I'd like people who are worried about fashion to save money and buy one or two items from brands that have collections. If you think "I work to buy this!", my motivation for work and fashion will increase.
"Good things" made by designers have beautiful shapes. I think that there are many things that think that the fabric is expensive. If it's a standard item, it can be used for a long time, so I think it would be good to start with a black dress or a jacket, for example.
――So it's important to check out magazines and the web, and start with standard items and try out brands you admire.
I think there are many over-aged stylish people who worked hard to enjoy fashion. If you say that it was such an era, it would be so .... But that feeling is also important.
If it is a standard product, even if you let it sleep for a while, the day will come when you can use it again.
――From your 20s to your 30s, your fashion tastes and styles change drastically, and the contents of your closet are completely replaced. Is there anything that makes you think, "This is good to spend money on"?
I think people in their 20s were the ones who bought the most branded items, but even now, there aren't many at hand... At the time, CHANEL chain bags, CELINE bags, and PRADA shoes were popular, so I had them. If you spend money on small items, even if you're wearing cheap clothes, the whole thing will look high. Even if you have a casual style, spending money on accessories will make you look more mature.
――Because it's casual fashion, accessories are the point. Earlier, you mentioned that you don't have many things that you bought in your 20s and 30s.
I'm still wearing my Prada ankle boots. The shape is beautiful and the legs look beautiful. I wonder if there are any Louboutin heels left. After all, standard products are good.
However, I'm currently raising a child, so I'm sleeping on high-heeled shoes (laughs). Let me sleep a little more, I think I'll wear it again someday. Items that are no longer used due to changes in lifestyle can be used again if they are eternal staples.
Investing in a bag that can be used every day is recommended for working women
――Is the “investment item” that you want to recommend to ordinary working women small items?
I agree. I think that bags are especially good for working women. Shoes wear out, and if you wear them every day, you may get blisters, but with a bag, you can use it every day without worry.
――There is also a bag in the collaboration collection with UNITED ARROWS GREEN LABEL RELAXING, which will be released in December.
That's right! It's a mother's bag, but it's large, has many pockets, and has a large pouch, so it's recommended for working women. I thought of a design that can be worn by both men and women, so please check it out!
In addition to the accessories, the items are casual and easy to wear, but also have a fashionable feel, so I hope Mynavi Woman readers will wear them as well.
――If the items you use at work are designed to your liking, you'll feel better every day. First of all, I would like to try something that I think I really like, starting with small items. Thank you for today!
