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The dance music throbs as the men jaunt
down the runway, showing off the latest in summer corporate
fashion: pinstripe jackets and shirts unbuttoned rakishly
to mid-chest.
But you won't find many chiseled features
on the faces of these models — instead of young turks
in their prime, the men strutting before the crowd are
wispy-haired company executives in their 50s or older.
After decades of lavishing clothes, cosmetics
and accessories on free-spending young women, Japan's
billion-dollar vanity industry has discovered the consumer
of the future: the middle-age man.
"Mr. Company President is sexy!"
gushed an announcer as Toyota Motor's chairman of the
board, Hiroshi Okuda, showed off a sharp black suit and
pants at a fashion show this week at the 2005 World Fair.
Okuda, 72, is not alone in keeping a
close eye on his appearance.
Glossy fashion magazines aimed at middle-age
men are selling well, and department stores have revamped
their men's sections to cash in on the trend. New products
aimed at male vanity abound.
"Before, men in their 50s and 60s
used to pay less attention to fashion, but now they're
the generation that enjoys life," said Eiji Utsunomiya,
salesman in charge of the men's section at Mitsukoshi
department store in Tokyo.
It's quite a turnaround for middle-age
Japanese men, or "oyaji," who have long been
considered anything but fashionable.
Instead of Armani suits, the typical
oyaji trudges to work in a blue jacket and slacks, a cigarette
tucked in his mouth. After work, they pack bars and cheap
restaurants for obligatory drinking sessions with colleagues
and clients.
The oyaji has also been the target of
cultural derision. Teenage daughters are known to refuse
to have their clothes washed in the same load with their
fathers'; some wives refer to their retired husbands as
"sodai gomi" — big garbage.
The oyaji of the past grew out of the
hardscrabble generations that rebuilt Japan after World
War II and powered it into the highest ranks of the world
economy. But the 40-somethings of today were in their
prime during the heady, free-spending 1980s — and they've
held onto some habits.
"Many of our readers experienced
the bubble economy when they were young," said Ichiro
Kishida, editor-in-chief of LEON, a fashion magazine for
older men. "I think they still can't give up on sexy
stuff like this, even though they are middle-age men now."
LEON is one of the most visible purveyors
of the trend. Founded in 2003, its circulation has exploded
in the past year, from 38,000 a month to 70,000.
The magazine typifies the image the new
oyaji are striving for: a dashing Italian in pink slacks
and black shirt graces the cover. "This is what's
new with Italian 'Oyaji!' " the headline reads. Inside
are advertisements for Armani, Bulgari and Boss.
LEON's success is breeding competitors.
UOMO, another Italian-heavy style magazine for mature
men (the name means "man" in Italian), went
on sale in March.
Retail also is changing its focus to
plumb the growing market. Japan's youth-centered clothing
chain United Arrow started a new line of stores this spring
— Darjeeling Days — offering young-looking but upscale
leisure wear for 50-year-olds.
Shinnosuke Fuse, a salesman at the first
outlet in Tokyo, said the company came up with Darjeeling
Days after discovering older men feel out of place shopping
alongside 20-somethings in ripped jeans and tinted hair.
Darjeeling Days is clearly for a mature
audience, with dark wood furnishings and a soft leather
sofa for customers to relax in while the cashier tallies
the bill. A casual sports jacket and simple white shirt
can go for $500.
Fuse said their target is men aged 45-60.
"Those people have money, but they
don't have a place to spend it," he said. "A
lot of them think, 'Why don't I dabble a little in fashion?'
"
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