Anime voice actress is selling her used miniskirt…for US$690!

But she’s not interested in keeping the skirt or the money.

Japan is a pretty awesome place to shop for second-hand fashion items. A large percentage of Japanese people aim to look their best when they go out in public, and so they take good care of their clothes, meaning that articles of clothing remain in near-new condition even after extended use. For example, the owner of the denim skirt pictured above says she’s had it for many years, but it’s still totally wearable, with some charming fade that could easily pass for an intentional from-the-factory weathered look.

At the same time, there’s a bit of a stigma about used clothing in Japan, which helps to keep prices down. However, this particular skirt isn’t a bargain-hunting find, since it’s priced at 77,000 yen (US$690). You might expect that price to be the result of a prestigious brand name on the label, but the seller doesn’t even mention the manufacturer. It does, however, make a point of trumpeting who the previous owner was: anime voice actress Ryoko Shiraishi.

今日は新しい吹替の現場で新たな人物との出会い。気だるげな彼女が今後どうなっていくのか演じるのが楽しみ。どうやらキーとなる人物らしい？スタジオはキンキンに冷え気味で次回からは防寒の用意をして来なければ。今日は心優しき共演者に厚手のス… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…

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白石涼子 (@RyokoShiraishi_) August 14, 2018

Shiraishi, whose roles include Boruto’s Chocho and ReLIFE’s Sumire, says she’s selling this particular skirt, which was one of her favorites, because of its short length, which doesn’t mesh with her current taste for more conservative attire. Nevertheless, before being offered for sale, the skirt spent many days slung around the Nara native’s hips, and though she opened the bidding for it at just one yen on Yahoo! Auctions, her fanbase has pushed the price up to 77,000 yen, the highest bid as of this writing.

There are a pair of additional factors encouraging bidders to toss their hat in the ring for the skirt. First, as you can see beneath the left pocket, Shiraishi has signed the fabric, making it not just a skirt, but an autograph too. Also, the voice actress isn’t planning to pocket the proceeds, nor use them to go out and acquire other denim apparel. Instead, the money from the sale will be donated to charity (Shiraishi hasn’t specified whether it will be given as disaster relief to victims of this summer’s flooding and earthquakes in Japan, like with the special-edition momiji manju-flavor Kit Kats, or to some other cause).

If you’re a Shiraishi fan, generous philanthropist, or just a fashion fan in the market for a one-of-a-kind skirt, the auction page can be found here.

Source: Yahoo! Auctions via Otakomu
Images: Yahoo! Auctions

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