Respected work wear brand Toraichi has teamed up with 7/11 to offer a line of clothing and accessories that will be available exclusively at the convenience store. Just when we thought that the convenience store had stocked everything we could possibly want (cosmetics, stationery, fresh green tea), they come up with something new that we didn’t even know we could need.
The very reasonably priced “Red Ear” series features t-shirts (¥750), hand towels (¥399), boxer briefs (¥780), work gloves (¥350), and a durable multi-use case (¥580) for clipping your mobile phone or cigarettes to your belt. All items are styled to match Toraichi’s “Fighting spirit for working” motto that sums up the general construction worker aesthetic of traditional tobi pants and tabi shoes in dark monotone.
Meanwhile manufacturer Marugen is working to change the throwaway image of work wear through its new website Tobikakumei (Work wear Revolution). The one-month-old site specializes in top quality 100% Japanese-made apparel of the kind traditionally worn by construction workers.
With images of stylish young men in ballooning tobi pants, the site also features advice from the resident “work up coordinator.” With prices starting at ¥4,500 and reaching upwards of ¥8,000, these items are significantly more expensive than the usual work gear, but the fashion and quality element means that their appeal has the potential to extent beyond those who actually need the clothes for work.
For a more in-depth look at construction worker fashion, check out PingMag’s excellent article on the subject.
