On Jun 20, 8:41 pm, "John W." <worthj1...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jun 20, 2:43 am, Declan Murphy <declan_mur...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
> > Is the wonderful subject line of a tsunami of emails from the
> > senseionline mailing list that I've watched pouring into my inbox
> > today.
>
> > "My hips have just gotten too big. Anyone heard of any creative
> > solutions to the larger American woman trying to wear something
> > designed for the slim Japanese woman? My daughter is no better off.
> > She is 22 and a friend in the Air Force who did temporary duty in
> > Okinawa sent her a yukata and she couldn't get it around herself,
> > either. We had to take out the side seams and add some panels. And
> > it's a beautiful yukata, pearl gray and pink."
>
> > After a long series of supportive emails, it turns out that the
> > problem seems to be with the yukata.
>
> That was my first conclusion.

My fave line was

"It's not your fault -- the material shrinks over time folded away in
the cupboard"

> I knew a guy once that, when he got married in Japan, had to go to a
> tailor that sold clothes for sumo wrestlers because he was so big.
> Maybe this young lady should do the same.

A couple of diplomatic people have suggested the same.