WORKMAN / WORK WEAR IN JAPAN / CHEAP FASHION STYLE IN JAPAN

There is a nationwide chain of Workman stores in Japan that sells everything for manual laborers,
especially those employed in Japan’s massive construction industry.
The name Workman may not evoke images of ladies’ fashion,
but in 10 years the Japanese vendor of job site gear has grown
its profit sixfold in part by appealing to women.
The chain store operator’s bread and butter has long been the kind
of protective suits at construction sites and factories in Japan.
Even the prime minister dons such work wear when visiting disaster areas, for example.
Workman is a major presence in supplying the industry with its everyday workers’ needs.
But in recent years, Workman has forayed beyond its blue-collar customer
base by offering more private-label items designed to appeal to athleisure-wearing women and young people.