Buying a Suit in Tokyo - Page 3

Hello,

 

I'm moving to Tokyo next month and was asking myself, whether it is possible to get decent MTM suits there for a reasonable price (for my standards: Suit Supply).

I've already lived in Tokyo for a year as a student and I believe that if you have the money and youre willing to spend 2-3x as much as in Europe/US, Tokyo offers one of the greatest selections.

 

But when it comes value for money, I haven't found anything satisfying yet. 

Also found this thread in a different forum, with some MTM's listed.

http://forum.gaijinpot.com/showthread.php?69430-Best-place-to-buy-suits

 

Does anyone have any other suggestions? Or maybe can recommend a tailor from this list?

Beams, United Arrows, or Azabu Tailor offers MTM at a reasonable price and have multiple retail outlets in Tokyo. Azabu Tailor MTM suits starts at 36K yen or so. www.azabutailor.com

From my tourist shopping in Tokyo, I think it's a pricey city for men's clothing. Isetan Mens' is an amazing shop but it's not cheap. If it's a 'standard' men's suit you want, I'd nip over to HK to get something made on the way. I'd only get stuff that you can really only buy in Tokyo, in Tokyo eg last time I bought a grey flannel Muji Labo suit.

Thank you for your replies.

 

I read a bad review about Azabu Tailor and therefore had some doubts, but it's probably better to check it out by myself. Maybe order the basic line or custom made pants/shirt to see how they work and test their fabrics.

 

Any suggestions regarding suits for the summer in Japan. Wearing a suit to commute to work in that intolerable heat/humidity is already making me worried. I remember the ads by different Japanese suit retailers like Aoyama and Aoki, having all these suits with UV blocker, cooling effect, washable in the shower etc. . Can anyone recommend those suits, or will a light fabric wool suit (like S130+) also do the trick?

I believe that in general those "trick" suits you mention from Aoki etc are crap.

Your best options I think will depend on what you want, and where you live now. If you want a fully canvassed suit made of quality fabric then you'll pay through the nose in Tokyo and are probably better off buying before you come here. However Japan is a Mecca for cheap suits.

Pre-Style Forum I've had any number of cheapish suits from Aoyama, Aoki, P.S.FA, The Suit Company etc and they were all poorly made, fused, and lasted around a year or less before becoming unwearable. Those shops do sell more expensive suits but I have no experience with them. I've also had some made to measure at a few different shops in Tokyo that were not much better, there are M.T.M. shops all over Tokyo.

From my prior experience of buying cheap 20,000 ~ 30,000 yen suits there are two places I would recommend where you'll pay anything up to 50% less than at the big retail shops. First check the small hole in the wall shops near Shinjuku Station, pretty sure they sell ex-stock from the big retailers at a significant discount. The other place is Sun Mall in Nakano. (one stop on the Chuo Rapid line from Shinjuku). Same deal but it is a bigger shop. Sun Mall is right at the station so very easy to find. The Shinjuku shops are a little more difficult as the station is pretty big, I know my way around there quite well though so if you want to check it out send me a pm and I'll give you directions.

In Summer I often wear linen, but I don't work in an office, that option may not be appropriate for you. Half lined S130 is also fine I think, I wouldn't recommend anything finer in a cheap fabric as it will probably be too fragile.

OK having said all that, I think the best option for those on a budget is to browse the Classic Men's Wear Classifieds on Style Forum. I've bought a few suits that way couple of NWT and one lightly worn. Took them to my local seamstress for a bit of tailoring and hey presto fully canvassed quality fabric well fitting suit for around the same price as an off the rack piece of poo. Every department store in Tokyo has a seamstress, I prefer the ones at Daiei supermarkets, reasonable price and very experienced.

This sums up Japanese shopping pretty well. I have bought one sports coat in Japan, and while it was the most expensive jacket I've ever bought, it's clearly the best made.


It's standard for most men to not wear a suit in the summer. So, while you should perhaps be prepared, this probably won't apply to you.

Aoyama and Aoki make the cheapest suits possible. If that's what you're looking for, then go for it. It couldn't hurt to try on suits at The Suit Company. If something fits you (and with a 28 waist, you'll probably find something if you're not too tall), then that's great. I've never ordered anything from Azabu, but they sure seem like they have great customer service.

Suit Company / Universal Language has a diffusion line called Blu E Grigio. They are produced by Ring Jacket, and offers a more `tailored` fit and Italian styling. They have a big flagship store in Osaka, IMO they`re SC maybe worth a look.

Thanks nutcracker, I'm gonna remember to look for that next time I'm around.

Ring Jacket looks so nice in the pictures coming out of the Armoury blog, but when I first visited their store (at Yodoyabashi) I was shocked by how expensive they were (Like 8 man for a jacket, IIRC)... unfortunately out of my price range. I'd be interested to have a look at the Blu E Grigio stuff

Ring Jacket is extremely nice in cut and construction.

Thank you for your replies.

 

I'll be working in Investment Banking, so I have to wear wool suits, even on the weekends (no tie during the summer...).

On the one hand, I  want to spend the money on quality suits. On the other hand, I am worried that the hot summers in Japan, the long hours in the office (80-100/week) will probably take their toll on my suits, especially  the pants. Therefore, my idea was "mid-priced" (around 40,000-50,000Yen) buy suits with 2 trousers. Or is my assumption wrong, and will better quality suits survive this, and offer me better value for my money in the long run?

 

All my current suits are from Suit Supply, but I experienced that even with their spring/summer collection (110/120S), I was suffering badly in the fall, when I had my interviews (around 30° C in Tokyo ).  

 

 

 

So out of the big Japanese suit retail chains, Suit Company is probably the best (at least for their high-end line), when it comes to quality?

 

The Suit Company (website at http://www.uktsc.com/) definitely has better quality in terms of fabrics, as you regularly see sturdy wools from well-know British brands, unlike the occasional poly blends you encounter at Aoki and Aoyama.

In terms styling I would also say they come out ahead, some of their designs by Ring Jacket are very nice. Aoki and Aoyama simply sells work wear for salarymen who care little for style, TSC is a lot more style conscious. Perfect Suit Factory are somewhere in-between. 

 

In terms of construction, I really have no idea, as I've never owned any suit or jacket from Japanese mass-market RTW.

 

Universal Language is the High-End line of The Suit Company, located in the basement of their Shinjuku Store. A little more expensive, a little nicer. Most stuff is made of brand-name European fabrics.

 

In general though, I never anything buy RTW in Tokyo  except very casual shirts, as I don't really fit in any RTW (Japanese or otherwise) and MTO suits, jackets and shirts are so cheap -  if you are not fussy about seeking out back-alley MTO shops run by grumpy old Japanese men, you can find MTO deals that cost the same or cheaper then RTW (then again, RTW outlet shops are cheaper still). 

 

Some price examples of stuff that I've made this winter:

 

Donegal tweed 2-piece: 20.000 yen (Big Vision)

2 piece suit in brown glencheck with purple overcheck, 100% wool fabric made in Japan: 15.000 yen (Marubishi)

3 MTO shirts in 100% cotton Brittish import fabrics: 15.000 (Tailor Fukuoka)

 

Impressions:

 

Fit:Acceptable with room for improvement.

Fabric: Good value, price can fluctuate a lot during sales (ex. Loro Piana cashmere blends from 40.000 in rare cases)

Construction: Flimsy, jackets quite stiff, buttons need to re-attached in one case.

 

If you have any issues getting into RTW clothing from the high-street retailers, MTO is really the way to roll in Tokyo IMO.

No mention of Tomorrowland? Anyone tried them?

Yes you`re right, but then you are talking about suits in a price range between 50K to 100K JPY.

I recall Tomorrowland does indeed offer MTM suits, I think they go for 100K JPY or so.

Other Menswear Stores such as Beams, UA, SHIPS, Strassburgo, Dressterior and Edifice; Local suiting brands such as Sartoria Promessa, BLESS, New Yorker, Studio Ondata (Takeo Kikuchi), Ring Jacket, and virtually all Department stores (if not mentioned earlier) offers MTM suits at a this mid price range (50 to 100K) in Tokyo.

A whole bunch of import brands also offer Japan made MTM suits at this price point too (sometimes under licence)

IMO, among the more interesting, MTM suiting priced under 100K (that are made in Japan under licence) are Liverano and Liverano, Richard Anderson, Spencer Hart, and Henry Poole. Rubinacci used to offer cheaper Made in Japan suits but they closed their Tokyo boutique a while ago.
Edited by nutcracker - 2/13/13 at 4:42am

I just had a jacket made at Azabu. It was my first time using MTM, so take it for what it's worth, but I was extremely pleased with the service, the selection, and the result. Wide range of fabrics. Many options in styling (including the amount of padding in the shoulders, width of lapels, etc.). The clerk gauged my size perfectly. I paid about 50,000 yen (I chose a mid-range fabric and spec'ed more expensive buttons). They're running a sale on summer fabrics until mid-March (possibly only for those who have already bought something from them?). I plan to go back.

Also, it seems Ring Jacket is doing a line for Ships (perhaps for similar chains as well?). I got a a jacket there on sale for about 30,000. It does pay to hit the end-of-summer and year-end sales (if you're a common size).

Congrats on your su misura suit @ Azabu tailor. Never ordered there, but I do have a couple of their decent RTW dress shirts (priced around 5000 yen)

Yes, Tokyo is a great place to be during the Sale season! I was @ Isetan Men`s during the first day of their Winter Clearance, the line (up to the entrance) was about a quarter mile long.