Suit

We suggest that you have five business suits for each season. Please do not keep wearing the same one suit. A suit will last longer if you don’t wear it more than once a week. You wear it once then let it rest after brushing to remove dust and hanging in a shaded place to dry. Suits will not damage that easily if you wear a different suit every day for 5 days Monday to Friday. One each of dark blue and charcoal gray. One each of the standard stripes in dark blue and gray. Plus one classical check should make five in total. You can seasonally add suits in the colour and pattern of your taste. In this way, you will eventually have a large wardrobe.

Jacket&Trousers

One blazer in black or dark blue and one sports jacket in patterns like check or herringbone for dressing smartly on weekends. We recommend that you own one of each for autumn to spring and for summer. If you had 2 pairs of trousers coordinated with each jacket you will be able to enjoy mix-and-match and to dress with a difference every time. Cotton, chino or corduroy trousers are useful items that will make you look smart when you wear a jumper.

Shirt

Most business suits are dark blue or gray. If you had three each of the basic white and plain blue shirts you can change into a different outfit everyday for a week. But then combinations like these lack in variety so we advise you to add some solid yellow or pink shirts. When you choose patterned shirts it is better not to choose large patterns or bright stripes as strong patterns clash with suits or ties and you will have a hard time trying to mix-and-match. Patterns like thin stripes are recommended. Collar separated shirts are not bad but please keep in mind that they are just for dressing up in the daytime.
Have ready several casual shirts, preferably with buttoned-down collar for sports jackets or blazers, but again, not with too bright patterns or of unusual design as they clash with patterned jackets. Standard designs are recommended.
Shirts with buttoned-down collars are for casual purposes so please do not wear them with suits, especially ones like “due bottoni”. Collar separated shirts are formal. Buttoned-down collar separated shirts? I say that’s nonsense.

Necktie

It is never counted too many for neckties. If the suits are basically dark blue or gray, any tie will go together and you won’t need to fret every morning. Basics are solid colour and small patterns. Something like not-too- bold paisleys is nice. Ones of dark blue, wine red, blue and pink families can be worn with any suit. For sports jackets we recommend neckties made of materials that have distinctive texture such as wool or raw silk rather than the shiny dressy silk.

Coat

Box coat with set-in sleeve in black, charcoal gray or dark blue made of cashmere or fleece (originally meaning woolen material) for suits. Polo coat in camel colour or light brown covert coat for blazers and sports jackets. It is useful to have a trench coat with removable liner or a raglan coat with stand-fall collar for a rainy day which you can also wear on a snowy day.

Shoes

You should not wear same shoes everyday just as you don’t wear a same suit. It is ideal not to wear the same pair more than once a week. Plain toe oxfords, wing tips, straight tips and monk straps are also recommended. I believe you could wear brown shoes with business suits as long as they are grayish in shade. I have doubts about matching brown shoes with dark blue suits. You could wear brown buckskin or suede wing tips or chukka boots for weekends.
We have much rain in Japan so please have ready about two pairs that have synthetic soles or Vibram in order to avoid damaging smart shoes in rain.