Attire. I think the word’s a perfect fit for Ginza, certainly better than fashion. Attire, a word that refers to clothing of finer and more formal character, goes quite well, I think, with a district that draws together people and products of the highest quality. Formal attire for Ginza, then, is the suit, although the ideal is to dress with a slight sense of play; we’re not talking about the everyday business suit. In MEN’S EX, our magazine, we suggest incorporating a bit of whimsy in one’s more proper and formal weekend attire: in your suit, shoes, and accessories. So, then, with the goal of finding attire characterized by a relaxed and grownup sense of grace, I head to GINZA SIX and wander.

I head first to RINGJACKET MEISTER GINZA, whose suits are often featured in our magazine. Established in 1954 in an Osaka factory, the brand has a reputation for getting the job done right. It also handles contracted work for many other brands and well-known boutiques. The conscientious workmanship it’s known for is highly regarded overseas as well, and it operates stores in other parts of Asia and in New York. If you believe suits aren’t comfortable, I urge you to try putting on one of these suits. Experiencing the soft and comfortable fit from neck to shoulders will change your perceived ideas of a suit. It’s that kind of brand.

I had the store show me a suit with a distinctive Ginza air. Wearing a beige suit like this for business might be pushing it, but I want you to imagine being in Ginza on the weekend, wearing this suit amid the hustle and bustle. Quite stylish, don’t you think? The pattern is No. 201H from the RINGJACKET MEISTER 206 series, the brand’s most premier line. This collar, sewn by giving a three-dimensional finish to flat fabric through an ironing process, and hand-stitched armholes accentuate the comfortable fit and high quality.

I try it on, and the rise of the collar is certainly wonderful. It stays right on the neck. A suit that doesn’t fit is beside the point, but with ready-made suits that feel stiff, when you move, the collar sometimes lifts—a gap forms between the collar and the inner shirt. No such worries with this suit.

The GINZA SIX store offers six patterns, including models that fit me perfectly, even with my large shoulders and chest. Incidentally, the striped suit I’m wearing today is made by RINGJACKET.

With my excitement building over these quality finds, I’m now off to Drake’s, inside the British Made store, to look for neckties, an essential accessory for any suit. Drake’s is famous as one of the few remaining shirt and necktie factory brands based in the UK. This is the first Drake’s store in Asia.

Three fabrics are especially famous: The thickly ribbed fabric of Super Repp lends a sense of depth to the striped pattern; the robust 50 oz Royal Twill is made from a heavy, sturdy fabric; and the lighter Grenadine features a mesh-like weave similar to a knit tie. Personally, I also have a soft spot for the wonderful color patterns that deftly combine florid and low-key tones.

Here at the GINZA SIX store, and only here in Japan, you can select and order from the brand’s archive of fabrics of your preferred width, length, and lining. The ties sold in Japan, for brands both domestic and overseas, predominantly come in lengths matched to the average neck size of a Japanese person. If you have a somewhat slender or somewhat bulky neck, this explains why you’ve been frustrated at times by ties that are too long or too short. Buying ties by custom order resolves these concerns. As shown in the photo, you can check the stiffness of the lining and the width while looking at samples.

I don’t know why, but I love neckties. When there’s a pattern I like, I buy it immediately, even if I’m not sure I’ll ever wear it. When I was editor-in-chief at Begin magazine, my previous job, casual style was the norm. Still, in a little over four years, I collected over 40 ties. (I actually counted them later.) Some of these ties, of course, I’ve never worn, and it’s possible I’ve bought too many. But I absolutely love these vintage-like patterns, so I’m currently considering ordering one.

British Made, with Drake’s inside, carries a large number of British brands, ranging from clothing to accessories. As a basic accompaniment for any suit, I’ve been searching for British-made shoes. The footwear available here includes shoes from Joseph Cheaney, a master shoemaker established in Northampton in 1886. Enchanted as I am by the beauty of the Imperial Collection, the brand’s premium line, I nevertheless find my eyes alighting on 1 of 1, the brand’s personalized order service.

Among the store’s features is the brand’s only personalized order service offered in Japan. You can select the color of the upper; for the full brogue or semi-brogue, you can coordinate from part to part. The special box provided with the order comes with a care kit (including a shoetree)—plus, they’ll put your name in a little window on the inside of the shoe.

Six models available for order include types that aren’t ready-made by the brand: the two-eyelet plain toe and straight-tip blucher. The shoe comes bearing your name and accompanied by a care kit. The service also includes limited-edition patterns—the feeling of distinction that comes with personalized orders is a true delight. This is perhaps the perfect service for adults who like to mingle orthodoxy with a little sense of play.

Incidentally, today’s forecast calls for snow, so I’m wearing the William double monk from Paraboot, a brand with roots in mountaineering. I have four or five other pairs from the brand as well—it’s one of my favorite shoe brands. Naturally enough, I visit Paraboot GINZA next, as the end of this wander.

I discover a model available only at the GINZA SIX store, the highly popular Chambord. I find that the green brand tab has been removed, and the Norwegian method was replaced by the Goodyear welt—it’s a model aware of the requirements of dressing up. The texture is soft, like buffed leather, and the light-brown grain leather upper creates a depth of refinement that’s the hallmark of a French brand.

All the stores I visited today have GINZA SIX–only items that lend refinement to one’s attire. I’m encouraged to visit the other stores, too—I’m certain more exciting treasures await there that go perfectly with Ginza attire.

Text：Yo Kanamori　Photos：Takeshi Wakabayashi　Edit：Yuka Okada