Every Friday is "No Suit Day"! -- Itochu Corporation, which launched "Casual Friday" in the spring of 1995, encouraging employees to wear casual attire to work on Fridays, has been implementing "No Suit Day" since June. While the purpose of Cool Biz, which was started in 2005 under the leadership of the Ministry of the Environment, is environmental measures such as saving electricity in the summer, the purpose of No Suit Day is simply "to improve work efficiency." Why does taking off your suit lead to increased work efficiency? We introduce a project in which Isetan Shinjuku Store cooperated with Itochu Corporation's new challenge. ( Series 2: The Case of Yuya Tanaka / Series 3: The Case of Hiroshi Honji )

Learning about fashion will continuously evolve your life and business.

This spring, an interview with Masahiro Oka, President and CEO of Itochu Corporation, published in the Nikkei Digital Edition "NIKKEI STYLE," caused a sensation. The article was titled "Leaders Talk About Work Attire: 'Why Don't Japanese Businessmen Care About Clothes?'" (http://style.nikkei.com/). President Oka, sometimes called an "unconventional manager," comes from the textile division and has cultivated brand businesses in Japan by partnering with renowned overseas brands such as Armani and Trussardi. At the beginning of the article, he asserts, "It's no good. Japanese businessmen. They don't seem to care about what they wear."

Yoko Kawashima, director of the ifs Future Research Institute, which conducts research and dissemination activities on lifestyles for the near future and is operated by Itochu Fashion System Co., Ltd., which planned this "No Suit Day," said, "No Suit Day started with President Oka's idea that 'wearing clothes changes your mood, which in turn changes your way of thinking, and you might find new work.' It is a new challenge for Itochu Corporation that began with the mission of 'adapting to the customer while also expressing yourself.'"

He further added, "Fashion is inherently fun and creative, and how you dress is a form of self-expression. Times are constantly changing, but the attitude towards clothing hasn't changed at all. I want to use 'No Suit Day' as an opportunity to create a positive trend in society, and I want men to enjoy fashion more."

Here are some examples of styling by Itochu Corporation employees who participated in this project.

Express your work ethic through your attire! Good work starts with appearance.

Thirteen years ago, Cool Biz was launched, and as interest shifted from Casual Friday to Premium Friday, Itochu Corporation started "No Suit Day," encouraging employees to adopt a new Friday attire style that is uniquely their own.

The goal of " Dry Suit Day" is to improve work efficiency!

By shedding the conventional suit, you might be able to embrace fresh and flexible thinking. You might discover new possibilities within yourself. Express your work ethic through your attire! Good work starts with appearance.

This initiative is not simply about making dressing more casual; it also aims to create an environment conducive to generating innovative work ideas by moving away from suits, and is expected to improve communication within the company, departments, and with clients. It truly embodies the idea of "expressing your work ethic through your attire! Good work starts with appearances." The dress code for "No Suit Day" is "office casual," and Isetan Shinjuku is here to help.

Ten male and female employees appeared at the company's internal presentation for the next "No Suit Day" initiative.