Foofy foofiness

... is a phrase I stole from a fellow blogger's review of Martha Stewart Living, but it also describes the prevailing aesthestic in Indonesian women's clothing at the moment. Which seems to be: a few ruffles couldn't hurt! And while we're at it, let's throw on a bow! And how about some of that lace we got from Hong Kong? Girls like lace! And so on.

There's a funny disconnect between the clothes that get hyped at the mall and the ones you see on the streets. For instance, I've never seen spaghetti straps on an actual woman in Jakarta. I can't recall the last time I saw bare shoulders of any sort. I'd say about a quarter of the women cover up completely: headscarf, long sleeves, long pants. I don't know who's buying the skimpy tops you see in the stores. Then again, we haven't checked out the nightclub scene yet; it's entirely possible that trendy young women cover up till they're safely inside the club, and then cut loose ...