Short answer: the safest Japanese gifts for men are the ones that need no size: patterned tabi socks ($9.90) and the one-size wrap and pleated trousers from our darkwear range ($39.90), which tie or belt to fit a wide range of waists. If you know his height, a pair of hakama pants or a noragi jacket is the bigger gift, and still under $50. To arrive before Christmas, order by November 30.
Under $10: tabi socks
Tabi socks split the big toe from the others, the way traditional Japanese footwear does. They make a good stocking filler because they are one size and impossible to get wrong.
- Japanese Pattern Tabi Socks, $9.90: combed cotton jacquard in six patterns, including seigaiha waves, maple leaves and dots.
- Split Toe Cotton Tabi Socks, $9.90: plain grey cotton, for every day.
If you are new to them, our guide to tabi socks explains how they are worn.
No-size-risk gifts: one-size trousers
Buying trousers for someone else usually means guessing a waist size. These do not: each is one size, with a drawstring, tie or belt that adjusts across a wide range of waists. Every product page lists the exact waist range and length in centimetres, so you can check it against a pair he already owns.
- Belted A-Line Hakama Pants, $39.90: a hakama silhouette with a belt instead of ties, in black.
- Balloon Pleated High-Waisted Pants, $39.90: deep pleats at a high waist, full through the leg.
- Tie-Front Jinbei Top, $39.90: a one-size lyocell top with a crossover tie front, cut long and easy over a tee.
The whole range is in our darkwear collection: black, wide and wrapped, in the Japanese avant-garde tradition.
The classic: hakama pants, under $50
Hakama are the pleated wide trousers once worn over kimono, and today they are a wide-leg everyday trouser. Our best seller, the Dark Cotton Hakama Pants, has a wrap panel that buttons at the hip over a wide leg, in black cotton with a little stretch, from XS to XL. Size it by height and weight: the hakama size guide has the chart in centimetres and inches, and how to tie a hakama shows what to do with the ties.
Jackets under $50: noragi, haori and kimono cardigans
A Japanese jacket is the easiest way into the look, because it goes over whatever he already wears. Choose by his usual jacket size.
- Tied Noragi Jacket, $34.90: the collarless Japanese work jacket with a wrap front, in black, navy, burgundy or army green.
- Long Haori Coat, $39.90: an open-front haori cut long, in a cotton blend.
- Tied Kimono Cardigan, $34.90: 98% cotton, tied at the front, for layering.
Not sure which is which? What is a noragi jacket explains the difference from a haori.
For staying in: a jinbei set
A jinbei is the Japanese summer loungewear set: a short-sleeve tie-front top with matching shorts. The Modal Jinbei Set ($34.90) is soft modal with a little stretch, which makes it good loungewear all year.
Ordering for Christmas
Orders ship within 1 to 2 business days and arrive 5 to 9 days after dispatch, with tracking by email. December carriers are slower, so to arrive before Christmas, order by November 30. Bigger orders ship free and come with a free pair of tabi socks; the cart shows how close you are. If something does not fit, it can be returned within 30 days of delivery, unworn with tags.