Japan - work trip help

[Temporaryanonymity]

I'm off to Japan in the summer for two weeks. I will be going to a few work things at several universities. I've added a week to do some sightseeing.

I really need help with some suitable things to wear. I'm aware that it will be pretty hot and humid but I'm struggling for inspiration.

I'm an apple shape and in my early 50s. Recently I've started wearing long M&S mesh dresses which have been great for skimming over my apple belly. I don't have any tattoos to cover but I think I've read Japan is pretty conservative work wise.

Any suggestions - I'm not even sure if I have enough clothes for a 2 week trip!

How fortunate that both

Uniqlo

and

Muji

are available to you! Between them you shouldn’t find it too difficult to kit yourself out in price conscious Japanese style. (Though if you’re over a size 14 it might be worth checking out the men’s clothes at Muji. They’re all pretty unisex.)

I don't think Japanese style and I go together. I'm a 18/20, with hips and boobs. I wish I could!

Uniqlo is supremely neutral.

What about some nice cotton blouses and tailored wide leg trousers with pointed flats.
I have some nice blouses from Cos or Damson Madder with slightly different collars or shapes and wide legs - I like this outfit from Cos and have these from Jigsaw.

I am a size 12 but found that Japanese sizes didn’t go very large so I couldn’t buy much. I was there 15 years ago though.

I think neutral colours.

high waisted wide leg trousers, blouse/top and blazer should cover all events. With that you could wear a sandal/wedge.

dress and blazer top

business people in Japan almost all exclusively wear navy suits in my experience. Woman are in Navy/black dresses and court shoes

(unless they are young and trendy in the creative industry)

It’s your choice of course, but I would be clean and well presented. Neutral make up.

have you been to Japan before? Are you aware of things like business card etiquette for example?

This is a Japanese brand, new to me. I so want the Ascot shirt and pleated skirt.
Beam Boys

Love this too
CFCL

CFCL dress size fits me- a 14

I’d be most bothered about shoes - you’ll have slip in and out of them quite frequently, so I’d advise a smart mule kind of style. No straps etc.

Try the Uniqlo Airism dress in black, I found it very flattering when I was an 18. Also very handy in the heat!

I'm a bit bigger than you and have worked in Japan and China. I go for linen suits with a pale blue or white shirt, flat shoes. I pick conservative colours, nothing show stopping. You'll love it! Look at m and s and seasalt, phase 8.

Lots of low-to-mid range hotels in Japan have
washing machines for you to use, so check where you are staying.

What is your actual style OP? I don’t really understand the comments to dress in a particular style if it isn’t in fact to your taste. I’m quite minimal but I like a slight masculine edge so I would lean towards wide leg trousers, resort shirts and probably a chunky sandal but that’s me. Whats your style? Print? Colour? Neutrals?

Generally, people dress more formally in the workplace than in the UK- the smart casual revolution hasn't happened to the same extent, albeit ties for men are less ubiquitous than they were. I would try to find out from colleagues what the dresscode is likely to be. My experience chimes with @Temporaryname158 but I work in finance and academia is possibly less formal. You definitely don't need anything "Japanese style" though.

It sounds like a great trip, OP! As said above, even budget hotels have laundry facilities within the building so definitely don't worry about bringing enough clothes for two weeks.

Have a good time - I'm jealous!

Thanks all! Yes, it’s a fabulous trip and I’m feeling very lucky.

I don’t do well in the heat so I’m a little worried about that. I have a navy linen blazer which must have a magic fabric added as it doesn’t crease badly. I can use that perhaps with a dress for the formal days - we are also going to the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Toyota factory and a Consulate. World Expo too! So many amazing things but I am feeling a little stressed about dressing formally.

uniqlo etc looks very lovely but it’s not my style at all. I’m more M&S 😂

Answering my style question is hard. Sometimes I like column type dresses, other times wide trousers. Rarely jeans.

I’m thinking I will need to take a more tailored linen suit for the smarter things, a smart dress or two and then stuff for the sightseeing. I’m hoping for a relaxing holiday when I get back!

I'm tall and size 12, long limbs. Nothing, not even shoes in Japanese brands fits me. The Uniqulo clothing for Europe is differently sized.

Their style is simple, classic and very easy to get this year. Just stick to simple classic pieces. It will be clammy in summer. It's a humid heat, their dry season is winter. Much more pleasant

So I’ve been thinking about your trip and what I would take. Last year I went to Italy and bought some chocolate silk trousers from Rise & Fall and wore a matching brown ( cotton) T shirt which felt quite pulled together. I also wore a black silk T shirt from M&S with them ( with a French tuck). I think you could go in a few directions either dressier or more casual from there. Rise & Fall don’t go bigger than a 16 but Poetry have some bigger sizes. Not cheap but a good investment maybe. ( I have a black silk jumpsuit that I’ve worn every summer for about 8 years)

Poetry is not quite my jam but they do lots of natural fabrics and simple lines.

I think cheap linen looks awful but they’re not all equal. I have some trousers from Ro&Zo that dont look dish raggy after 10 minutes. Anything with a column of colour looks harmonious I think.

For the formal aspect I had a look at cotton, linen and seersucker. A lot of it is so casual so it’s a balance I guess. These might be too casual or inappropriate for you. Etsy actually have a lot of places that will make linen dresses to order if you find a style you like.

Final one from me… I have a navy seersucker blazer / jacket that’s absolutely perfect for travel because it looks smart whatever you add it to but can take a beating. I also like a wrap shirt as a smarter option. This one is from Jigsaw.

I've been to Japan in summer. Indoors, everything is air-conditioned. It's the five seconds after you go outdoors, when your body reacts to the heat and humidity...Quite difficult! Don't wear things where sweat will be noticeable. I found I really needed a cotton vest layer to sort of catch the sweat (that's gross, sorry!) and I changed that twice a day. But it saved the backs of blouses. I changed my knickers a lot more, too. Lots of older women go about with a kind of decorative facecloth for dabbing their temples and the backs of their neck. I don't know if that would be appropriate in a formal setting, presumably not, but out and about while sightseeing it is useful to have something to hand.
I wasn't working so I wore some wide-legged Toast or Seasalt linen trousers and loose blouses.