Need Advice on What to bring to Japan

[ratboycom]

Hey everyone, I am a new member and only since last year have become really concerned with looking good (long story short I broke up with a longtime girlfriend who was very unfashionable and therefore would not let me divulge in my urges i have had since a child to own expensive clothes). Anyways I am going to visit my Girl in Tokyo (she is very fashionable, but has been out of the country for 3 years and just got back) and I was wondering what I should bring to sell while I am over there. As well as What should I bring back?

One more question: I am looking for a good shirt to go with an Armani (white label, Collezioni) blazer I recently purchased, It is Navy 3 button. I am acustomed to wearing nice jeans (boot cut, dark wash) and a Tshirt or button up shirt with other blazers, but I am looking for something to go a bit better with styles in Japan (I have some mens magazines from there but they are about 9-12mos old). Specifically I want a kind of light shirt, something somewhat trendy but not too out there, to go with it. I will have to buy the shirt at an online retailer as I live in Spokane WA which isnt exactly an easy place to buy good clothes (see a lot of costco shirts around here, most kids my age wear American Eagle or AF clothes, not my style.). I am open to all suggestions and advice and really appreciate it. Thanks in advance
Collin

 

[parachutes]

im doing a small import myself in japan, and it could be little tough to aim for a good mark up right now as we are at our third week of the summer sale. dont know what sort of volume you have in mind, or how long you will be here but its most likely that people wouldnt have much to spend right now. how do you paln to sell you stuff btw??

as for shopping, threads on superfuture or the coldrice service thread gives really good insight on whats available here, so be sure to look up on those. i would personally recommend getting a pair of 45rpm, which tend to have their stores at most major shopping areas in japan.

 

[dimshum]

How long do you plan on staying in Japan? Because unless you're staying during winter as well, I really doubt you'd have a need for a blazer to wear casually along the streets--it's damned hot/humid here. Just today I browsed around Shibuya and Harajuku only, and I near knocked out when I came back to the hotel from all the heat and sweat.

 

[ratboycom]

I will be in Japan all of August. I heard it is Hot and Humid over there, (I am kind of used to that, it gets really humid and around 90*F average in Spokane, that and working as a Toyota Technician dealing with cars that are at about 200*F under the hood makes dealing with a thick shirt and slacks tolerable. Not to say I like being that hot but I can deal with it) but I was going to bring the Blazer as more of a night thing (although I immagine its still pretty hot at night, but for being there a month might as well be prepared). My method for selling was to bring a load of stuff with my clothes and alow my girlfriend and her sister to sell them on either a seller web site or on yahoo auction. I think I will start small this time and work my way up. Yumi and I feel that if we can get a semi sucsessful trade going we can at least pay for our plane tickets with that money when we visit each other.

I will be packing a lot of shorts and screen print/graphic tees but a little advice on more of the semiformal to casual wear for dining out with my girlfriend's family would help.

 

[dk7m]

I've been in Japan since the end of June and I can safely say that wearing a blazer or jacket outdoors, night or day, probably won't be necessary. The humidty and heat makes wearing anything more than a shirt almost unbearable.

 

[parachutes]

Originally Posted by ratboycom

a little advice on more of the semiformal to casual wear for dining out with my girlfriend's family would help.

having lived in the US(seattle actually), anything that is acceptable in america would be just as fine over here IMO. plain white/blue button downs, khaki pants, and a pair of decent loafers shouldnt be much of a problem. though i would assume your girlfriend will be able to fill you in better than any of us here.

 

[ratboycom]

I might just end up buying a shirt to wear out when I first arive in Tokyo. I am running low on time (I leave in 2 weeks) and am still kinda unsure as to what I want to wear beyond the shorts and shirts. Then again I impress people over here with how I dress so I should be Ok over there.
Little side note about Spokane (or Spokompton as some people call it) I impressed people at my school by owning jeans that were not plain old whatever brand and the fact that I usually paid $60+ for the jeans usually blew peoples minds. I bought a pair of $150 Italian Energie Jeans from Nordstrom and my friends and coworkers all thought i was crazy. Spokane is not exactly a rich city with the average income at a poor 30k a year. Luckily I dont pay for rent and get decent wages so I have cash to spare.
All in All I look a lot better now then I did about this time last year. I used to wear only loose TShirts and Phat pants (see UFO brand 40" Leg pants) but that was all old clothes from when I was a raver in my late Teens. I was ready to grow up and that I did.