25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2009 -- Yuka Okajima

Age: 33

Occupation: Former broadcast journalist; wife of Red Sox pitcher Hideki Okajima

How different is Boston compared to Tokyo when it comes to style? If I go shopping in the middle of Tokyo it’s so busy and everything is so new and changes so quickly. But it’s not really personalized at all. The first impression I always have when I go back to Japan is that everyone is dressed the same. Here, you can wear whatever you like. If you’re 30, you can wear shorts, which is something that women over 30 don’t do in Japan, unless they wear them with leggings or tights. Here, in the summertime, anyone can. There is a lot more individuality in the way that people are dressing.

How do you describe your style? The easiest way to say it is that I can adjust to anything. I don’t really have any particular style that I prefer.

You’re all over the place then? I think so. For day-to-day, I just wear jeans and T-shirts. Sometimes I like to dress up. It comes from the job I had back in Japan. I was a TV reporter. I always wore the clothes that the TV show prepared for me. I always had a stylist who I liked who brought several different styles for me, and I got to pick my favorite. I was always wearing something different almost every day, and I found out that I really liked trying different things.

When you no longer had a stylist, was it difficult, or does shopping come naturally for you? I really enjoy looking around and looking at clothes. My mother was much more interested in a very basic and conservative style. I think I grew up that way. I didn’t really try anything new or follow any of the trends or buy any fashion magazines when I was younger. In Japan, we have school uniforms for junior high and high school, so I didn’t have to worry about what to wear. I started working as reporter freshman year in college, and that really changed me. That was when I started caring more about clothes and make-up.

How is it among the Red Sox wives? Is there competition over who’s wearing the flashiest dress or the biggest jewels? I don’t think so. But especially not this year. Because of all the young players who are coming up there are a lot of young faces in the wives’ room. They’re in their 20s. They’re all cute and beautiful and young. For the most part, the wives are casual. I’ve heard from a friend that some teams tell the wives to wear more luxury accessories and jewelry to show off a little, but I’ve never heard anything like that here.