Sea of Black Suits
The Japanese word for slob — darashinai is a serious insult. Nobody wants to be darashinai. It's the reason that Tokyo is a sea of black suits.Salary men don't want to be underdressed compared to the next guy. Since black is the most formal color — that's what everyone goes with.
A black soft briefcase is the bag of choice for salary men.
Casual Friday
Japan doesn't have that cool CEO who wears jeans to work everyday. This simply isn't a concept that most Japanese people could accept. In the West, dressing down is a sign of individuality. In Japan, dressing down is a signal that you don't respect your team. It's two different ways of looking at the same thing.As you might expect, casual Fridays aren't a big thing in Japan. Companies that do have casual Fridays have a strict casual dress code. Even when a casual Friday is offered, most workers may choose to dress formally.
Weekends
In urban areas, most Japanese dress smart on weekends. Despite Tokyo's hot summers few men wear shorts — even on Saturday or Sunday.Darashinai Nightlife
When salary men drink they suddenly feel free to untuck their shirt, take their jacket off and tie their tie around their head. They often regret the darashinai photos that appear on Facebook the next morning.Women of Easy Virtue
When applied to men darashinai means slob. However, it's also slang for a woman of easy virtue. You should never say this word to a woman.Youth Subcultures
Young people in Japan know that once they graduate from University — they're doomed to become black suits. Many take advantage of their youth — wearing outlandish fashions.In Japan, few women over 25 years old are willing to wear a short skirt. Young women know that they've only got so long to dress as they want.
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