Author, Art Director and stylist David Hellqvist explores the cultural significance of clothing through the lens of workwear. His latest book, Blue Collar Modernism: The Visual Culture of Workwear, published by gestalten, traces the evolution of utilitarian garments into one of the defining visual languages of contemporary design and material culture.
Forged in workshops, shipyards, and factories, workwear has evolved from uniforms of labor into something larger: a blue-collar modernism. Born of necessity and refined through use, its principles of utility, durability, and material honesty have come to influence not only how we dress, but also the objects we value, the spaces we inhabit, and the lives we aspire to lead.
To accompany the release of The Visual Culture of Workwear, APR MAG and David Hellqvist present an exclusive essay on the history, evolution and cultural significance of Japanese workwear.
Japan is defined by traditional silhouettes such as Tobi and Tabi, as well as hi-tech and innovative workwear. Much like in France, with its bleu de travail jacket, one garment defines traditional Japanese workwear: Tobi pants. You might not know the name, but the silhouette is probably familiar; like many iconic work garments, its distinctive shape has found its way into pop culture and fashion over time. What makes Tobi pants instantly recognizable is their exaggerated volume around the thighs and knees, tapering sharply to a narrow, secured hem at the ankle. In Japan, this garment is worn by manual laborers of many kinds, but was designed specifically for scaffolders on construction sites.
Manufactured by brands such as Toraichi, Tobi pants are said to be based on the knickerbocker trousers worn in the Japanese military during the Second World War.
Their baggy shape was then adopted in work-wear, as construction workers found that straight- legged bottoms restricted their knee movement and pulled at the waist when bending. Instead of using a stretchier fabric, Tobi pants solved these problems by adjusting the shape. Balance also played a role: a stable waistband, combined with unrestricted knee movement, helped workers maintain their center of gravity. This was further aided by the footwear of choice: the Jika-Tabi. Much like Tobi pants, these boots are known for their shape: a split-toe construction popularly known as a Tabi shoe. The fashion brand Maison Margiela famously makes Tabi-style footwear. But the Jika-Tabi is not high fashion: it’s a rugged, boot-height version of the Tabi that connects with the tapered hem of the Tobi trouser, making it a complete workwear uniform.
"Thoughtful design features like hidden pockets and adjustable elements increase agility and comfort, and technical fabrics offer protection against the elements, whether you’re on a mountain trail or a job site downtown.”
Fast-forward to today and this uniform still exists, but Japanese workwear as a whole has progressed. If the Tobi and Tabi are based on tradition and history, there is a new wave of Japanese brands that look more to the future than the past. By utilizing technology and fabric innovation, they’ve created a new kind of uniform - protective, hi-tech, and fashion-forward. Brands like Goldwin, DESCENTE ALLTERRAIN, White Mountaineering, and Wander, Nonnative, and F/CE dominate this movement, not just in Japan but globally. And while most of these brands have an outdoorsy, performance-driven aesthetic, there’s a lot of overlap between workwear (in the traditional sense) and technical outerwear, with both committed to the principle of “working smarter not harder.” Thoughtful design features like hidden pockets and adjustable elements increase agility and comfort, and technical fabrics offer protection against the elements, whether you’re on a mountain trail or a job site downtown. More and more, technology allows us to work with, not against, our bodies. Whereas a previous “one size fits all” mentality meant a collective approach to workwear, today attention to individual needs - spearheaded by these Japanese brands - is what drives workwear forward.
Meanwhile, a new wave of Japanese brands is moving away from both traditional construction site silhouettes and high-performance technical gear. Brands like Auralee, A.PRESSE, and COMOLI have gained popularity - and a cult following - with their contemporary, highly stylized take on workwear. Here, high production values yield exceptionally well-made pieces. Auralee is a great example of this. The company develops or refines all of its fabrics in-house. Designer Ryota Iwai started his brand in 2015 and has since forged a contemporary look defined by superior fabrication and exquisite color combinations. In many ways, what makes Auralee workwear-inspired is its timeless qualities and purpose-led design: these are clothes that outlive fashion trends. Kazuma Shigematsu, the founder of A.PRESSE, takes a similar approach. And though his vintage-inspired collections focus more on individual garments than the overall picture of an Auralee look, Shigematsu’s eye for fabrics, details, and construction marks him as one to watch in the world of Japanese workwear.
Looking beyond clothing as the only form of workwear, it’s also interesting to include Japanese brand Yoshida & Co. here. As a designer and manufacturer of bags, the brand’s Porter line is an accessory staple that has dominated the bag landscape in Tokyo since its inception in 1935. Porter is famous for its Tanker series, which features classics like helmet bags and briefcases, crafted from durable, lightweight, three-layer nylon, originally offered in black and olive green with an orange lining. The colors are a reference to reversible U. S. Air Force MA-1 flight jackets, whose orange lining allowed downed pilots to attract attention to themselves.
Workwear takes many forms, but the common thread connecting it all - clothes as well as bags - is quality based on tradition, tweaked for modern life. And nowhere is that as clear as in Japan’s plethora of workwear.