クールビズ

coolbiz is the newest japanese word to hit the streets. it's the new fashion and it comes straight from the top. koizumi has 'challenged' his cabinet to leave ties and jackets at home during the summer months in an attempt to increase air conditioner temperatures in offices and thus decrease global-warming emissions.

from someone who used to work in a laid back design studio in the UK where jeans and T's were the uniform, Japan has been a massive departure. the salary man image is very much a real one but although I'm not terribly fond of ties, only recently has this become a 'problem'. it's the heat. it makes a tie the perfect insulation device to raise the temperature in your body (well - it hardly encourages air flow now, does it?).

women often complain of arctic temperatures due to men being layered up in tradtional western kit, so the government is suggesting that offices raise the temperature setting to 28c on all air conditioners and have therefor approved of the new casual look. a real departure for japan. it'll be interesting to see how it takes off.

some have said that they wouldn't know what to wear if they had to dress down and if bosses don't set the trend, in japan, none will follow. clients expect it. there are, sadly, enough excuses going to put me to sleep but it's a trend none-the-less and if there's one thing that japan loves - it's a trend. coolbiz.