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▼ Retailers Tailor Wardrobes for Business
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More women hold management and administrative positions these days, boosting demand for business clothes such as functional jackets for work and smart dresses for social events. Retailers are presenting a series of new items and setting up special areas to meet the needs of working women.
Tokyo-based Sanyo Shokai Ltd. renewed its women’s brand Epoca line this year at two shops in Tokyo and Fukuoka, to feature clothes for female leaders. Dressing-down in the workplace has become a trend since around 2000, and the number of women’s wear brands dealing with jackets and suits has been on the decline. These Epoca shops take requests from customers who are eager to find satisfactory suits and jackets.
The Epoca shop at Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku has suits made of knit fabrics that are comfortable to wear for a long time as well as stylish dresses for parties. A tailored stretchy jacket (¥69,000 plus tax) is a popular item, and some customers buy a couple in different colors.
The shop also takes orders for made-to-measure suits and dresses.
Customers can choose from 13 kinds of textiles and order them even with specifications as to the wrists. Prices start from ¥109,000 plus tax for a suit with a skirt.
All the jackets sold at Limited Edition@Office in Seibu department store’s Ikebukuro flagship outlet in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, have inner pockets to hold a smartphone, a pen and a business card holder. The design was inspired by answers to questionnaires sent to 5,000 working
women.
“We wanted to make clothes that are functional and sophisticated,” said Momoko Omata, a merchandiser who was in charge of Limited Edition’s project.
Tokyo-based Sanyo Shokai Ltd. renewed its women’s brand Epoca line this year at two shops in Tokyo and Fukuoka, to feature clothes for female leaders. Dressing-down in the workplace has become a trend since around 2000, and the number of women’s wear brands dealing with jackets and suits has been on the decline. These Epoca shops take requests from customers who are eager to find satisfactory suits and jackets.
The Epoca shop at Takashimaya department store in Shinjuku has suits made of knit fabrics that are comfortable to wear for a long time as well as stylish dresses for parties. A tailored stretchy jacket (¥69,000 plus tax) is a popular item, and some customers buy a couple in different colors.
The shop also takes orders for made-to-measure suits and dresses.
Customers can choose from 13 kinds of textiles and order them even with specifications as to the wrists. Prices start from ¥109,000 plus tax for a suit with a skirt.
All the jackets sold at Limited Edition@Office in Seibu department store’s Ikebukuro flagship outlet in Toshima Ward, Tokyo, have inner pockets to hold a smartphone, a pen and a business card holder. The design was inspired by answers to questionnaires sent to 5,000 working
women.
“We wanted to make clothes that are functional and sophisticated,” said Momoko Omata, a merchandiser who was in charge of Limited Edition’s project.
Kobe-based World Co.’s Untitled brand began selling items from its new line Untitled Essential Clue in the Matsuya Ginza department store and other places, targeting female managerial personnel. The brand offers dresses you can wear in an office and then can go out to dinner in.
“Various elements are desired for women’s outfits, such as an aura of intelligence, elegance and approachability for subordinates,” said Rinka Miyoshi, a suit stylist who gives lectures at business fashion training courses.
Miyoshi recommends adding lighter-colored jackets such as white and beige to your wardrobe, not only black and navy, and pairing them with soft, shiny blouses.
When a person takes on a management position, they will more often be seen as representing their company.
“It’s important to make [business partners] think, ‘This person is trustworthy.’ It’s necessary to review your outfit strategically,” she said.
Koike reveals style secrets
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike gathers a lot of attention not only due to her style of politics but also for her fashion. She has won the Best Dresser Awards twice, carefully choosing what she should wear.
“I often wear a tailored jacket with a tight skirt that goes below the knees. Most of my clothes are semi-custom made. I pick out my favorite textiles, shapes of the collar and the wrists, buttons among other things,” Koike said.
She usually orders three sets of her suits in different colors and textiles so she can wear them in nine ways by changing the combinations of jackets and skirts. She said she had a jacket made with four different collars so she can wear the same suit she wore during the day but change to a sequin-studded collar for a party.
“Custom-made” may sound expensive, but it is actually a bargain as you can wear clothes that fit you well for a long time, Koike said. She keeps using the same accessories, such as chokers and pins, that she has collected over decades.
“I coordinate my clothes to be appropriate to the situation, but also as suits me,” she said. “You may have a strong impression of me wearing a green suit. That was my ‘battle dress’ during the election campaign. It’s different from what I usually wear.”
When she was a member of the House of Representatives, Koike said she chose black and navy clothes, trying not to stand out just by her looks.
“I’ve worn clothes that I bought 20 years ago by having some alternations made. I think your outfits won’t be seen as old-fashioned as long as you establish your own style, even though fashion trends change,” she said.
“Various elements are desired for women’s outfits, such as an aura of intelligence, elegance and approachability for subordinates,” said Rinka Miyoshi, a suit stylist who gives lectures at business fashion training courses.
Miyoshi recommends adding lighter-colored jackets such as white and beige to your wardrobe, not only black and navy, and pairing them with soft, shiny blouses.
When a person takes on a management position, they will more often be seen as representing their company.
“It’s important to make [business partners] think, ‘This person is trustworthy.’ It’s necessary to review your outfit strategically,” she said.
Koike reveals style secrets
Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike gathers a lot of attention not only due to her style of politics but also for her fashion. She has won the Best Dresser Awards twice, carefully choosing what she should wear.
“I often wear a tailored jacket with a tight skirt that goes below the knees. Most of my clothes are semi-custom made. I pick out my favorite textiles, shapes of the collar and the wrists, buttons among other things,” Koike said.
She usually orders three sets of her suits in different colors and textiles so she can wear them in nine ways by changing the combinations of jackets and skirts. She said she had a jacket made with four different collars so she can wear the same suit she wore during the day but change to a sequin-studded collar for a party.
“Custom-made” may sound expensive, but it is actually a bargain as you can wear clothes that fit you well for a long time, Koike said. She keeps using the same accessories, such as chokers and pins, that she has collected over decades.
“I coordinate my clothes to be appropriate to the situation, but also as suits me,” she said. “You may have a strong impression of me wearing a green suit. That was my ‘battle dress’ during the election campaign. It’s different from what I usually wear.”
When she was a member of the House of Representatives, Koike said she chose black and navy clothes, trying not to stand out just by her looks.
“I’ve worn clothes that I bought 20 years ago by having some alternations made. I think your outfits won’t be seen as old-fashioned as long as you establish your own style, even though fashion trends change,” she said.
- December 23, 2016
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