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OK to wear wife beater/singlet? 2009/6/23 05:50
I'm traveling to Japan in mid July till mid August and I'm wondering if its alright to wear a wife beater/singlet and shorts. I know summer time is really hot and humid and I want to be as comfortable as possible. Just wondering how Japanese react to this.
by jer3 (guest)  

Not so usual in city centers 2009/6/23 15:22
Actually, I don't see too many men wearing them in trains in the center of the city. It's normal resort wear, though. If you wear them in the city, you will certainly look like a foreign tourist. Nothing wrong about that, unless you're sweaty and smelly.
by Uco (guest) rate this post as useful

Summer 2009/6/24 00:01
Wouldn't call it normal but you do see young Japanese male's wearing them around the city, but with pants/jeans not shorts.
Just not very often. Would stand out more on a westerner :)

There was another reply to this question a few hours back too. Bit heavy on the moderation as that person also provided the same information?
by Kevin (guest) rate this post as useful

dude 2009/6/24 02:10
your a foreigner anyways...your gonna stand out...so just do what u gotta do...when i was there in the spring...all i wore was t-shirts- while all the japs were wearing suits and shit, so they knew i was a foreigner even though i was asain and looked like japanese....hahaha...so do what cha gotta do to be comfy
by dfsdf (guest) rate this post as useful

. 2009/6/24 07:13
T-shirts are normal. I-shirts aren't. And as a courtesy to the other viewers, please don't use the term "japs".
by Uco (guest) rate this post as useful

? 2009/6/24 09:50
Uco san, what's an "I-shirt"?
by Sira (guest) rate this post as useful

Sira 2009/6/25 05:54
An I-shirt is a shirt that's shaped like an I as opposed to those shaped like a T. Please excuse me for having used a non-common term.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sleeveless_shirt#I-shirt
by Uco (guest) rate this post as useful

dsfdf 2009/6/25 06:32
Uco always gives good advice. And dsfdf, it is difficult for me to answer you in a nice way. Judging by your choice of grammar, you must be very young.
by Ken (guest) rate this post as useful

I shirts 2009/6/25 10:01
No worries Uco san, I'm always happy to learn new expressions! I like I-shirt much better than the term "wife-beater", which is just awful.
by Sira (guest) rate this post as useful

... 2009/6/26 16:57
There was another reply to this question a few hours back too. Bit heavy on the moderation as that person also provided the same information?

I saw the earlier message too, and it was hard to read the advice through the poster's anti-australian rant. We don't need that kind of talk here.
by ... (guest) rate this post as useful

Thanks all 2009/6/26 17:03
Thanks for the insight all. Looking like a foreigner isn't necessarily a bad thing for me since I'm Chinese but could pass for Korean or Japanese easily. Though after taking everything into account, I'll probably end up just wearing something less attention grabbing lol.
by jer3 rate this post as useful

fashion 2009/6/27 23:53
i don't think it's anything more than a matter of fashion. you know how conscious people are about fashion and their appearance here. it's difficult to pull off the look if you don't have the arms for it. i guess beachwear isn't big in japan and in any case, a singlet is very casual. basically it's a matter of preference.
by gandhi (guest) rate this post as useful

Tanks 2009/6/28 01:53
In some places they call it a tank top, though a real Tank Top has a scooped neck and show more shoulders. This type of outfit look good on young guys. It even flatters skinny guys. Bare arms, showing a bit of shoulder at the very top, makes a man look sexy and tough yet a bit vulnerable.
If one is over 30 it is imperative to have arms that are both muscular and with definition, not just a blob that look more like a ham than arm. A big belly is also a no-no. Unfortunately....too many men have huge delusions of beauty about themselves. But then again it is a free world..
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3607/3392875238_6da6420c...
by Red frog (guest) rate this post as useful

skinny guys in tanktops 2009/6/28 07:57
Red frog, I'm going to have to disagree that tanktops look good on skinny guys! The same often goes for girls- I'm a bit bony in the shoulders and have skinny arms and I don't think traditional tank tops suit me at all. Camisole tops maybe.
by Sira (guest) rate this post as useful

Tanks 2009/6/28 14:52
Sira, you are way too harsh on yourself..Here in Canada I see lots of guys and girls (well) over 250 lbs proudly wearing tank tops. Believe me, skinny boys and girls look way more attractive in tanks than big people.
Audrey Hepburn made a career out of being waif like and she did wear tanks ..
by Red frog (guest) rate this post as useful

tanks vs. camisole tops 2009/6/28 16:06
Ah, well I live in Japan so am much more likely to see a skinny guy in a tank than a very large guy in one! These days I am happy enough wearing camisole tops with thin straps (although I wasn't comfortable in them until I was about 20 and became less self-conscious), it's the traditional tank with wider shoulder straps and a scoop neck- doesn't suit me at all. Anyway, enough of my vanity! ;-)
by Sira (guest) rate this post as useful

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