Loading...

Jul 13, 2020

Online clothes shopping in Japan?

So...after years of evading it, the time has come to brave the world of online clothes shopping. I have no idea where to start within Japan. International post is still tricky at the moment, so I am looking for recommendations of places I can shop online for clothes. Gosh, I can't believe I have to ask this, but do Japan's larger / popular shops have online stores!? I suppose I am thinking GU /Uniqlo places like that. How about Zara / Next in Japan? Anywhere else you'd recommend? Thanks in advance!

BigfamJapan

BigfamJapan

Former nickname was "Saitama". Changed it to save confusion on place review posts! Irish, 20+ years in Japan! I also write on my personal website: insaitama.com

21 Answers



Best Answer

  • helloalissa

    on Jul 17

    I just did some research on reasonable Japanese clothing brands and there are tons of online shops. It looks like most offer returns too. For fabric quality and layout, (fashion sites are so cluttered!) I liked Anyfam (Onward) the best of those I looked at. https://www.anyfam.jp/ (They also sell kids clothes, bonus.)

    1
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 14

    Zara does have online shopping, but a quick search showed not all items are in stock in all sizes. https://www.zara.com/jp/en/

    1
  • ReishiiTravels

    on Jul 14

    I have done some shopping on ZOZO Town. They have tons of different brands!

    1
  • Kobakko

    on Jul 14

    Amazon wardrobe is great if you don't wanna pay upfront. You order, try on, keep only what you choose and pay after you send the rest back.

    1
  • Eli

    on Jul 14

    GU & Uniqlo have online shopping. They charge shipping fees for smaller orders though. If you prefer online shops that accept free returns I would recommend Nissen and Amazon Wardrobe. You can order keep what you like and return what you didn't. A lot of other online shops for clothes only accept returns if the item is damaged so you might want to be careful with that. I personally like fashionwalker and locondo as they always have some kind of sale going on.

    1
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 14

    One more - have you tried Etsy? If you just browse, you see world-wide, but if you log in, you can select only Japan-based makers. I've never been disappointed with any seller I've bought from on Etsy.

    1
  • genkidesu

    on Jul 14

    I've only personally done Uniqlo online, I also order from Bonds occasionally, they're an Australian brand that have simple adult clothes and kids wear, they ship internationally for free for over $100 AUD. Haven't ordered from them though since COVID blew up since I don't know about mailing/time-frames right now.

    1
  • JapanRamen

    on Jul 14

    Amazon does have the option of sending something back, which is kinda nice although admitably not an eco-friendly method of online shopping. Another option, if you are open to used clothes, would be to buy them on Merukari and similar platforms. You might be able to find American sized clothes there.

    1
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @TonetoEdo thanks a million for sharing the link. Sorry I should have just looked it up myself, but the thoughts of doing that at close to midnight last night. I really appreciate it. There used to be a Zara in Kawagoe but it closed down last year. Its good to have an online option, particularly now with Covid-19.

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @ReishiiTravels I will definitely check it out, thank you so much.

    1
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @Kobakko I use Amazon almost daily between music, movies, photos etc and I never noticed they have an Amazon wardrobe. :-o Thank you so much for sharing. Will definitely take a peek.

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @Eli that is so awesome that you can return things. That was a concern to be honest - because you can't try them on. But now thanks to you I don't have to worry about that and there'll be no holding me back!! Thank you so much for sharing that information.

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @TonetoEdo oooh Etsy. I haven't been on it in years tbh, but will definitely take a look again. I used to like "window shopping" on it. :-)

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 14

    @Saitama To be fair, most of the Etsy vendors I bought from were based in my home country or nearby Asian countries. The quality of offerings from Japan-based vendors looks very high. It's worth checking out.

    1
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @genkidesu my sister sent me stuff from Bonds before, lovely stuff. I know you can't send from Ireland right now, so it might be the same with Australia. I'll take a look though. Great to know that Uniqlo do indeed deliver. Apart from myself I need to get DS a few things. He's the only one of the kids who doesn't get hand-me-downs anymore!

    0
  • BigfamJapan

    on Jul 14

    @JapanRamen more than the size, its just that I want to avoid the shops for the moment, but it is good to know the places you suggested have a wider range of sizes. I will take a look at Merukari for sure. Thank you

    0
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 14

    @Saitama You're welcome. And thank you, too. I hadn't considered other sources for clothes shopping, though my stuff is wearing out. You saw Brooks Brothers filed for bankruptcy? So much for classy dressing...Right BB Japan has a sale on, if that's what you need.

    1
  • helloalissa

    on Jul 16

    This is helpful as I have mostly avoided shopping for clothes online too. I've considered using Muji's online shop which has discounts available if you create an account. So far I've only used Amazon for shoes and clothes. I didn't know about Amazon Wardrobe until reading the answers here. Being able to try on and feel the fabric is important, but even if returns are allowed, it seems like a pain to me. Hmmm.

    0
  • genkidesu

    on Jul 16

    So I just had a look because I do need to update my summer wardrobe, and Next do have an online store in Japan! https://www.nextdirect.com/jp/ Lots of cute stuff on there too - some really nice looking maxi dresses that I have my eye on now!

    1
  • TonetoEdo

    on Jul 21

    Your Q&A spurred me to check out more online shopping. I bought three items from Amazon, all low risk at only 2000 yen apiece. The result - one excellent pair of indoor shoes, one cowl neck t-shirt, and a cotton polo shirt that I'm not enamoured with. It fits, but I wouldn't wear it to work (which is why I bought it).

    1
  • edthethe

    on Jul 31

    I have no advice for this because I can never find things that fit even in store. I have tried Ryuryu when I was a bit thinner and somethings fit but never the pants. even if the hip says it fits the legs and waist never to and still the hip doesn't fit. I have resorted to sewing my own clothes.

    0

Awaiting More Answers

7 Answers

Your donabe reccos, please!

Nuts, I broke my seasoned donabe! It fell off the fridge and snapped in half. I am bereft. If you follow me, you know that I eschew fancy electronic rice cookers and prepare my rice in a donabe. Have you got reccos for a donabe perfect for rice? A go-to for hot pot?

TonetoEdo

on Mar 15

5 Answers

What are our consumer rights in Japan?

Do you know your consumer rights in Japan? And if so, would you be willing to share anything about them? For example, what is the policy on returns? I am very familiar with my consumer rights in my home country, and they are very widely publicized back home, but information doesn't seem to be as transparent or readily available here. Or is that just me?

BigfamJapan

on Mar 15

15 Answers

What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture?

Today, February 20th, is Ehime Prefecture Day. What do you most associate with Ehime Prefecture, what is the very first thing that comes to mind when I say "Ehime Prefecture"!?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 20

4 Answers

What do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

It is "Hometown Day" in Fukui Prefecture today. Whether you have been there or not, what do you most associate with Fukui Prefecture?

BigfamJapan

on Feb 7

8 Answers

Do you have a favorite mascot?

The other day, on "Strawberry Day" I wrote about "Yoshimin", the strawberry mascot of Yoshimi. I thought it might be fun to introduce a few others, so I've just written about "Tokimo" the mascot of Kawagoe. And I plan to introduce a couple of my favorites. It begs the question, do you have a favorite mascot? And how about writing a post on City-cost about your favorite or a local mascot? Pictured "Umerin" who I plan to write about next!

BigfamJapan

on Jan 17

4 Answers

Growing Mushrooms

Here's for a weird hobby. I just saw a video by an American Youtuber that I plan to watch about growing shiitake mushrooms. From what I've seen, it probably needs a bit of space. There was a local market in Fukuoka Prefecture that had a "mushroom room" where they grew and sold mushrooms like maitake and eringi. I also saw a video of a couple in Paris that built a mushroom growing shower room! The local hardware store sells "seeded" logs and shiitake mushroom growing kits. I have seen the logs around people's homes on occasion. It seems like a very odd, but sustainable hobby. Has anyone tried it, or is anyone interested to try this? I wonder how involved or beginner friendly it is.

helloalissa

on Dec 29

6 Answers

Hair Color Treatments for Greying Hair

For those of you who have colored grey hair, I'm curious about the hair color treatments available in most drugstores. They seem simpler to use than box dyes. It's been many years since I've colored my hair. It's a chestnut brown and my grey is more silver. I don't hate it but the grey is dry and making me feel like I look older than I am. I'm especially interested in the natural brands that are non-permanent. For example Rishiri Kombu sounds like a decent option. Looking forward to your recommendations and experience.

helloalissa

on Aug 3

7 Answers

Entrance ceremony clothes

Soon my kid will have his entrance ceremony at school, and I'm looking for those typical Japanese style ceremony clothes for myself. I'm 1.80m, not so skinny woman, which has huge problems to even find normal clothes in Japan. Does anybody have the same problem and might have any advice, where to get those ceremony clothes in a taller size?

BlueButterfly

on Feb 17

13 Answers

What shampoo brand do you recommend for dandruff?

I have been dealing with this dandruff situation for quite a while now and I still can't seem to figure out how to get rid of this problem. I have tried several shampoo brands/products like head and shoulders, ANGFA organic shampoo and the Honey Deep Moist Shampoo. And none of them worked so far. Some say it's because of hot shower. Well I do shower every day, but I don't use hot shower all the time. I rinse my hair thoroughly after applying shampoo and conditioner. I also tried applying shampoo every other day just to make my hair less dry but I still none of those tricks are working. If there is a product that you recommend that suits every man's budget then I would appreciate it so much.

Ekimsaido

on Jun 15

9 Answers

What are the must-sees in your prefecture (beyond the big three)?

Sustainable tourism is a hot topic that some City Cost members have covered in their blogs. For those correspondents outside the Big Three - Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka - what do you recommend visitors must see in your prefecture? My home base is Chiba Prefecture. I highly recommend visitors check out Narita Omotesando to connect with Edo's past and visit Shinshoji to get a sense of the history of Japan. The adjacent city, Sakura, is another I recommend for the National History Museum and Edo to Taisho era streetscapes.

TonetoEdo

on May 5

8 Answers

What's in your toshikoshi soba?

What do you put in your toshikoshi soba? One year I sauteed some chicken and naganegi to start a broth augmented with tsuyu, cooked the soba separately, and served the broth with kamaboko slices.

TonetoEdo

on Dec 30

2 Answers

Transferring Pension

I'm currently sorting through EVERYTHING I bought back from Japan with me, so you'll get all your new blogs soon. I came across some documents that I actually completed when I came back from Japan, which was to do with pensions. This took me a while to figure out because it was complicated. Would you like to know how to transfer your pension to you from Japan? People say you can't. The things is... you can.

smallbigjapan

on Dec 8