Every year, as Coming of Age Day approaches, many young customers and their parents come to the shop to talk about suits. (In Japan, Coming of Age Day is a national ceremony held each January for everyone turning 20. For most young men, it’s the first time they wear a suit to a formal occasion.)
Watching them choose, I’ve noticed that suits for the ceremony clearly fall into two camps.
- People who go all out on a loud, flashy suit just for the day, because “you only come of age once”
- People who choose a suit with “the next occasions” in mind: job hunting, starting work, friends’ weddings and more
Neither choice is wrong. But after 20 years in the apparel industry and 13 years as a tailor in Sasa, Nagasaki, there is one thing I feel very strongly.
For many young people, the coming-of-age ceremony isn’t just a party. It’s their debut as an adult.
The more stylish your everyday clothes, the easier it is to get lost in the unknown world of suits
Almost every customer ordering a suit for the ceremony is either ordering a suit for the first time, or wearing a suit for the first time in their life.
Even someone who is incredibly particular about streetwear and casual clothes, and genuinely stylish, steps into an unknown world the moment they put on a suit. Suddenly they have no idea which way is up.
That’s why, in the first consultation, I carefully explain everything from the beginning: the basic shapes of a suit, the types of fabric, the rules for buttons and lapels, and how to wear it properly.
Of course, I could skip all that and say, “It’s your big day, let’s go flashy and make you stand out!” and make the suit on a whim. But that is one kind of job I will never do.
I don’t want anyone to pick a suit on the excitement of a single day and later think, “Why on earth did I make that suit?” Precisely because this is your debut as an adult, I want to create the best-looking version of you, one you can still be proud of years later, thinking, “I’m really glad I had that suit made.”
The trap hidden in “I want to look like this picture on social media”
When I ask, “What kind of look would you like?”, these days nearly everyone shows me a photo they found on Instagram or TikTok.
Bringing a concrete image is a great thing. But there is a big trap here.
The model on the screen and you are completely different in height, frame, body shape and the impression you give.
Copying someone else’s outfit onto your own body doesn’t mean it will suit you. Everyone’s standard for looking good is different. Not “because it’s trending” or “because it went viral”: real style only appears when the suit is matched to your own frame and presence.
A suit isn’t complete on its own. The truth that a single pair of shoes can ruin everything
And there is one huge blind spot that first-time suit wearers overlook more than anything.
A suit is not complete on its own.
To make a suit look truly sharp, you need
- The fit and collar shape of the shirt
- The knot of the tie
- The leather shoes on your feet
- The width and color of the belt
- The quality of the bag you carry
Only when all of these work together do you get one great-looking suited outfit.
However fine the fabric and however perfectly tailored the suit, if you wear flimsy, cheap synthetic shoes, the whole outfit, suit included, instantly looks cheap and the look is ruined.
People often say others judge you by your shoes, and it’s absolutely true. Someone whose shoes are polished to a shine gives off a sense of cleanliness and trust, as if to say “this person is good at their job.” On the other hand, when I see someone in a sharp suit with dirty, uncared-for shoes, or shoes with unnaturally long pointed toes, it honestly hurts me as a tailor. I think, “What a waste!”
The very basics of suits: just matching your leather colors pulls the whole look together
When they hear “total coordination,” many new adults tense up, thinking it sounds difficult or that it needs some special sense of style.
Don’t worry. There is one absolute rule, the very basics, that makes anyone look instantly more polished and sharpens the whole look.
Match the color of all your leather items.
- If your shoes are black leather ➔ your belt is black leather, and your bag and watch strap are black too
- If your shoes are brown leather ➔ your belt is brown leather, and your accessories are all brown
That’s all it takes. However expensive the suit, if you wear black leather shoes with a light brown belt at your waist, the eye jumps all over the place and the whole look suddenly feels mismatched and sloppy.
You don’t need to collect expensive accessories. Start by matching the colors. That alone will make you look remarkably put-together.
Why I recommend a ¥20,000–50,000 pair you’ll care for and wear for 10 years over a ¥10,000 pair for the day
When I talk with young people about to come of age, the overwhelming majority think, “I never wear leather shoes, so a cheap new ¥10,000 pair just for the ceremony is fine.”
But wait a moment. After 20 years in apparel, here is what I’ve come to believe: of all the parts of the human body, the one whose size changes least, whether you gain weight or lose it, is your feet.
Your waist and chest change with your weight, but once you’re an adult your foot size barely changes. That’s why shoes are the item you can keep the longest in your life, and the best value for money.
I’m not telling you to buy luxury shoes costing hundreds of thousands of yen, like John Lobb. What I recommend is a well-built pair of real leather shoes in the ¥20,000–30,000 range (for example, REGAL, a long-established Japanese brand). They’re solidly made, tend to suit Japanese feet, and the leather quality is reliable.
Rather than wearing out cheap synthetic shoes and replacing them every year, buy a solid pair of leather shoes for ¥20,000–30,000, or even ¥50,000, and wear them while looking after them properly. Even a ¥50,000 pair worn for five years works out at ¥10,000 a year. Keep caring for them, and they’ll easily stay in service for ten years.
Just like jeans: the grown-up pleasure of “raising” your shoes
I think a lot of men enjoy breaking in a pair of rigid (raw denim) jeans and bringing out their own fades and character.
Leather shoes are exactly the same. You wear them, brush them, apply cream and polish them. As you keep caring for them, the leather shapes itself to your feet, takes on a deeper shine and character than when it was new, and you grow attached to them like nothing else.
Owning shoes you “raise” as a partner for years with care, rather than cheap shoes you throw away when they wear out: I believe this is one of the real pleasures of taking a step up as a grown man.
Of course, which values you choose is entirely up to you. I just want young people facing their debut as adults to know this genuine way of enjoying things.
Why, in the age of online shopping, I still insist on face-to-face appointments only
Today you can buy a cheap suit online with a few taps on your smartphone.
Even so, there is a clear reason why I insist on serving customers in person, and why I keep the shop strictly by appointment only.
Choosing a suit comes with lots of worries and questions. “What colors suit me?” “What’s correct in terms of etiquette?” “Which shoes and ties go with this suit?”
Taking the time to draw out those feelings, to read each person’s frame and presence, and to take responsibility for explaining how to put the whole outfit together, all of that needs time and focus.
The reason the shop is appointment only is so that while I’m with one customer, no other customer will ever walk in.
In a relaxed, private space, free from anyone else’s eyes, you can take your time with your own body and the person you want to become. This time spent in conversation is what creates “the best suit for your debut,” something you will never get from off-the-rack clothes or online shopping.
In conclusion: the coming-of-age ceremony is your first step to becoming a real adult
Coming of age is an important milestone that happens once in a lifetime. Rather than aiming only to stand out, I hope you’ll use it as a chance to find the standard that makes you look your very best.
- You don’t know what kind of suit to wear to the ceremony
- You don’t want anything too flashy, but you want to look better than anyone
- You want advice not just on the suit, but on matching shoes, ties and belts
- You want to give your son a suit he can be proud of for life (for parents)
If that sounds like you, please feel free to get in touch.
I promise to send you off to your debut as an adult looking your proudest and sharpest, from the top of your head to the tips of your shoes.
A suit made to your measurements
Sleeves, trouser hem, jacket length, shoulders and arms are all cut to your own body, not a size chart. Fittings are by appointment only. Tell us the dates you are in Japan and we will propose a time.
