Tokyo is no doubt one of the fashion capitals in the world.
One can travel to Tokyo, get on a train and just be amazed of the various fashion styles around metropolitan cities around the country.
Granted, certain areas have a certain trendy style that is no doubt Japan-based and have inspired people in other countries, there is one style that has captivated Japan since the 1950s and that is the Ivy League Style.
For many young Japanese getting into the work force or those who work for a company, many shift to a more professional style that they see their colleagues or other older professionals are wearing.
May it be suit jackets, tweeds, trenchcoats, oxfords, brogues, derbys or loafers, dress pants, v-neck sweaters, oxfords, ties, etc., many are derived from western wear that became a mainstay of professional and successful Japanese style.
To understand why Japanese men are dressed up, we have to go back to the ’60s.
This is during a time when Japan would send photographers to American Ivy League schools and take photos of college students and it would be featured in various magazines and books.
One such famous book is “Take Ivy”, which was published in 1965 featuring the work of Ishizu Shosuke, Kurosu Toshiyuki, Hasegawa Paul and photos by Hayashida Teruyoshi. The book would showcase students with their academic fashion, lounging, studying, riding bikes or at the boat house dressed up in the finest American-made clothing at the time.
So popular that Japanese men would showcase their Ivy League style in the more affluent, trendy areas of Ginza.
The book remained popular for many decades, and it was re-released in 2006 with a small reprint which sold out immediately.
You can pick up a men’s fashion magazine, may it be “Men’s Club”, “LEON”, “Uomo”, “Joker” and see this style so evident. You’ll see “Ivy” or “アイビー” (Japanese katakana for “Ivy”) and also Ametora (American Traditional) with also a coming together of American Ivy League and European fashion with Japanese reinterpretation, what is becoming used more in recent years are the words “Tokyo Trad” on the cover of a magazine or mook (magazine/book).
But one must understand that when Japan sent journalists and photographers to the US, it was an image of American affluence. There was no need to tell the story of wealthy American WASP families who sent their kids to prestigious prep schools, Ivy League colleges, trips to the Hamptons, etc.
What Japanese sold Japanese was the image of America’s stylish affluence of John F. Kennedy, American “cool style” and more.
But one has to credit Ishizu Kensuke, the godfather of Ivy Style in Japan. He created Japan’s first ready-to-wear clothing company, VAN Jacket. And popularized Ivy League fashion and Ishizu, may it be he or his son, that are often brought up in magazines showcasing the style.
And speaking of magazines, you have to give Japanese men’s fashion magazines major credit for popularizing the fashion today.
Designers such as Ralph Lauren (who has a strong foothold in Japan) has created an image of American lifestyle through his clothing and many enjoy that fashion sense as of today.
One such magazine was “Free & Easy” (which is no longer around) but was a magazine for those who loved that classic Ivy League style, but these men who are now older who still want to look stylish today.
Brooks Brothers who also has several stores in Japan, which has had a strong loyalty among generations in the U.S. for quality clothing, have had Japanese clothing fans who were just as vocal as American Brooks Brothers fans when the company tried to remove their Golden Fleece logo.
But Brooks Brothers did quite a bit of advertising in Japan and have awesome stores located in pricier shopping areas in Tokyo, especially in the Marunouchi and Tamagawa areas. As a man who wears many Brooks Brothers clothing, I just wished the American division was just as suave as the brand imaging they have created in Japan.
So, as you can see, how Ivy League permeated into Japanese fashion was an image created in Japan and made popular.
But this is not the only example of Japan taking something western and turning it to something even bigger. One such example is food. Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) which has also become part of Japanese culture on Christmas (or the entire month of December), when Okawara Takeshi, who owned the country’s first KFC (and became the CEO of KFC Japan) marketed fried chicken as traditional American Christmas food to drum up sales. Of course, it wasn’t true but with solid marketing and advertising, KFC has become Japan’s Christmas tradition for decades (KFC Japan brings in over $60 million in US dollars each Christmas).
It’s also important to note that the branding of KFC is much different from its American counterpart, as KFC in Japan is quite expensive. We are starting to see it happen again in Japan in recent years, but this time with the American hamburger, which Japanese restaurants have taken the gourmet burger to new heights.
But the Ivy League style, remained popular since the late 50s, and while the Japanese have managed to make it a style onto their own, it’s always amazing but yet surreal to see many Japanese men dressing up.
Japanese fashion magazines, are unlike American fashion magazines. When you open a magazine and see the men’s fashion trends in America or Europe, there is always a feeling of “If you want to be successful, look successful or show that you are doing quite well for yourself, you have to dress the part”.
Magazines that show men how to have better hairstyles, how to wear the coolest watch, learn from other men on the street who have the “look” and interviewing them to see what they wear (and now going as far as where they shop and what they have in their home).
You can also go by a fashionable store, may it be Ralph Lauren, Brooks Brothers or Japanese Trad stores such as BEAMS, United Arrows, Ships and see Ivy League style integrated into stores.
But one doesn’t have to see it on a magazine or at stores, you can see fashionable of all ages, wearing a suit jacket, loafers, oxfords, v-necks, ties, etc.
It’s just that the difference is that we now have Japanese style adding an edge to the classic style Ivy League Japanese style.
And before I conclude this blog post, there is one thing that makes a big difference when it comes to Japan and its counterpart and that’s the belief in quality in craftmanship. Investing in something that will last you a very long time.
Part of what made Ivy League clothing popular was the idea where you invest in quality and quality you get great craftmanship.
When I’m with Japanese friends, that is something they are very keen on and I don’t know how many people in life from Japan who want to invest, for example, towards vintage denim jeans for the best quality and will travel to Okayama prefecture to get their hands on denim made with natural dye and producing selvedge (or selvage) fabric. Japanese love raw or selvedge denim. Japanese I know would rather spend their hard money on one or two selvedge denim, where in America, many tend to go for non-selvage denim that is the best bang for their buck.
And now, I get a few American friends asking if I’m going to Japan and can hook them up with Momotaro, Blue Blue Japan, Iron Heart, Big John, etc. denim jeans because they want quality selvedge denim.
Many Japanese feel you get great craftmanship with Brooks Brothers, Ralph Lauren, The North Face, Columbia Sportswear but its a belief in all things Epicurean.
And yes, an explanation why you see so many people visiting and holding Dean & Deluca bags on a Japanese train or subway and many Japanese women promoting Zara on their TikTok, but for those who do have a disdain towards all the consumerism, you are not alone.
While you have one side of the coin, you have the other side who believe “less is more” and that is the popularity of the Muji minimalist lifestyle, which is the antithesis of consumerism and for those who have a strong passion of disliking big branding. I’ll save that for another blog post.
