Home to one of the fashion capitals of the world, Japan has its own signature style.
Fashion-conscious locals fall into two camps: some faithfully follow international trends, and some build their own subcultures featuring crazy colors, gothic doll styles, extreme minimalism, or other unique inventions. You’ll find lots of great Japanese and international brands at shopping centers across Japan. But you don’t want to buy something without knowing if it’ll fit. Read on to learn exactly how to try on clothes in Japan.
Asking the staff
In Japan, you must ask the staff to open the dressing room for you. Luckily, shop staff in Japan are very attentive (almost too attentive), and they will be happy to show you to the fitting room.
You can use the following phrase:
試着してもいいですか(Shichaku shitemo ii desuka)？which means "Can I try these on?"
The staff will lead you to the fitting room, open the door for you, and give you instructions for trying on the clothes.
They may also hand you a thin, white piece of cloth, which brings us to the next point.
Covering your head
Japan is serious about cleanliness. To keep the clothes looking nice, they want to protect it from any makeup or sweat stains.
If you'll be trying on a shirt, dress, or anything else that goes over your head, the staff will hand you a thin, white head cover to wear.
Don't worry--you can still partially see through the cover, and you can breathe easily. The cover is there to keep the shirt absolutely clean as you put it over your head. (No accidental lipstick stains!)
Once you have the clothes on, you can remove the head cover to take a better look at the clothes.
Just make sure to put the head cover back on when you take off the clothes or put on new ones.
Taking off your shoes
Just like in Japanese homes, most clothing stores require you to remove your shoes when you enter the fitting room.
There'll be a ledge or a carpet to show you the no-shoes area. Leave your shoes on the outside of the carpeted area or at the bottom of the ledge.
Note that foreign stores like H&M or Forever 21 won't require you to remove your shoes, but most Japanese stores and secondhand shops will.
Returning clothes to the rack
What if you don't like the clothes you tried on? You have two different options for returning the clothes.
The easiest way is to go back to the staff who showed you to the fitting room.
(Most shop staff will keep checking on you as you try on the clothes, so you'll have several chances to talk to the person again.)
Instead of saying, "I don't want these," which is too direct, most people say, "I'm still thinking."
(In Japan, people tend to speak vaguely, because telling someone what you want can sometimes sound rude.)
You can pass the clothes to the staff and say this phrase:
少し考えます (Sukoshi kanga-e-masu) which means "I’m still thinking"
The staff will understand that you're not interested in the clothes and will return them for you.
If you're too shy to speak to the staff directly, you can take the clothes back to the rack yourself or find the rack of unwanted clothing outside of the fitting room.
And voila! You're able to try on clothes in Japan!
While you’re in Japan, why not try out a new style?
Which Japanese brand or fashion trend do you like the most? Tell us your thoughts in the comments below!
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