Job Discussion Forums

lanems · Joined: 30 Apr 2006 Posts: 16 Location: USA - Minnesota

I'm in Tokyo for the summer and looking to take a few interviews in hopes of setting up some connections for future jobs after graduating (1 more year...). I was wondering if anyone had any tips on where to get some reasonably priced suits/clothes suitable for an interview.

I packed really lightly for my trip to Japan and consequent trip to Hong Kong (6 months in total). Size really isn't a problem as I'm about the average height/weight of a Japanese person (5'8" or ~170cm). My first trip to Tokyo and I'm really unfamiliar with the place. I'm looking to spend under US$300 on a suit I can use (thanks to cigarettes and coffee I haven't grown an inch in the last 5 years). I am doing a teaching position in Hong Kong and will most likely need some business attire clothes soon anyway.

On a side note, does anyone else feel horribly underdressed when in Tokyo? I know I'm still in slob undergraduate student mode and all, but lately if I'm not wearing a button-up shirt and khakis for work during my commute I feel incredibly conscious of my lack of "oshare" sense...

Any advice/tips greatly appreciated. I'm hoping to work on a new wardrobe in Japan because pants actually fit me here (I run on average a 30 waist in American size). Also, any tips for improving my horrible frumpy American fashion sense would also be appreciated. Still in "can't dress myself or cook for myself" college mode... By the way I'm living in Tokyo near Ikebukuro.

PAULH · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 4672 Location: Western Japan

HollyC · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 74

A good store to go to is Men's Zara. I dont know if the Gap would have suits there. If you walk around Shibuya in Tokyo, I'm sure you will be able to find something. But Japan is an expensive city so looking for a suit will be expensive. Good Luck.

tokyo story · Joined: 07 Sep 2005 Posts: 40

I dunno about an entire suit, but I got a suit jacket for 7000 yen in Ueno.

azarashi sushi · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 562 Location: Shinjuku

Gap don't sell suits and Zara's suits might be a little too funky for work.

If you are looking for a regular salary man type suit, the cheapest place in Tokyo is either Aoki or Aoyama. They have lots of different sizes and you can usually pick up two suits for about 40 000 yen. I don't know where they are in Ikeburo but you can easily find them in Shinjuku.

sj23 · Joined: 11 Feb 2006 Posts: 20 Location: Toyko

If you're going to Hong Kong wait till you get there and have suits made for you Smile

You can get them cheaply in Shenzhen (day trip, take the train) or you can get them made in HK too.

I'm a girl so I can't recommend a guy's tailor, but www.geoexpat.com has good advice, try searching or posting on there Smile

pastis · Joined: 21 Jul 2006 Posts: 82

Filinadian · Joined: 09 Aug 2004 Posts: 27

I live near Omiya station, and last New Years, I dropped by the Daei store and found a great deal. They were selling 2 suits for only 15,000yen (About $150 - American).

However, the suits might not fit you well, because they don't really tailor to your exact size, rather they have templates of suits.

For example Suit A (From 150cm - 155cm) and Suit B (From 155 - 160) and so on. So you would have to choose a category that will fit your size.

I am about 171cm, and so when I tried a suit that was between 165cm - 170cm, the suit felt tight around the shoulder area and the armpit area as well. I had to settle for the next category (170cm - 175cm) because that was the closest one I could get. It ended being too big for me, but it looked okay since I like baggier or bigger suits.

So if you don't mind the size, you can give Daei a try. Now it is the summer time, so I am not sure they will still have that sale. Although a friend mentioned that they have that type of sale a few times a year. Good luck with your purchase!

bornslippy1981 · Joined: 02 Aug 2004 Posts: 271

There are many shops called, "Suit Warehouse," that advertise suits as either being 15,000 Yen or 22,000 Yen. A friend bought a suit from there and was happy with it.

Somebody said to check around Ueno. There's a street called "Ameyokocho" which has a lot of shoes and clothing shops. I lived along this street for 2 months (yes, there are apartments there, despite what people think - but rats run around in the ceilings) and could've bought a new wardrobe for all occasions with the plethora of shops they have.

guest of Japan · Joined: 28 Feb 2003 Posts: 1601 Location: Japan

If you want suits that are nice but not exhorbitant I recomment comme ca ism/mode. Depending on sales you'll spend about 20,000 to 30,000. Or head to Tokyo Bay Lallaport in Funabashi. It's a huge shopping mall and has countless stores selling suits at great prices. I had the advantage of living in walking distance of it and my wife found countless ways to spend money there.

JimDunlop2 · Joined: 31 Jan 2003 Posts: 2286 Location: Japan

Indeed! My wife and I just discovered the Funabashi Lalaport a couple of weeks ago! It's an amazing place.... The food court was amazing and they even have a Payless Shoes.... Not to mention that directly across the street is the brand new Ikea!

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Howdy Lanem,

Don't know about splashing out all that lettuce for some threads before you have got a job. Why not make the rounds of the second-hand shops in your area, bound to be heaps near you. Person could easily latch on to a decent suit for next to nothing, and like you said it's not like you are 6'4" and stuff. You could surly outfit yourself for a few thousand.
Good luck with the job hunt and be sure to keep us posted!

Enjoy,
s