Workman Girl (ワークマン女子) aims to make everyday life a little easier for women. It’s the kind of shop that’s fun to wander into if you’re after something practical or the weather suddenly turns on you mid‑trip. They take the smart, functional ideas from their workwear roots and turn them into everyday pieces that are both cute and genuinely useful — for example, trendy-looking water‑repellent skirts.
Introduction
Workman has been my partner’s favourite clothing store in Japan since he pooped into one in 2012. His stylish Toraichi work pants and jacket he bought then is still going. (I’m secretly envious of all the pockets and Japan-made material.)
Back then, Workman mainly sold work clothes for male labourers (like chippies). Around 2015, I remember they started marketing on TV media for hikers and women to broaden their consumer base.
Then in 2020, they opened up their first Workman Girl (ワークマン女子) store in Yokohama, next to Tokyo. Their concept is to “turn the harshness of everyday into wonderful.” (ie. Reduce everyday stress – like rainy commutes and running out of hands holding kids – by wearing their utility clothing.)
What do they sell?
Workman Girl sells functional clothing with utility, stemming from the work clothes they specialised in.
Think water-repellent, lots of pockets, affordable, and now – fashionable.
For example, I was excited to purchase a power blue water resistant skirt (A$20) ― and later, a black one too 😄
(Even though both colours showed as unavailable online, they were fully stocked at Solamachi, so it’s worth popping into a store if you’re nearby. List of shops are later on this post.)
After wearing the skirt on a horizontal rain day with no umbrella, the skirt was dry when I got home.
I also bought these water repellent and UV protection jacket that transforms into a messenger bag (A$25); one of the very few jackets that has a wide enough hem to wear with a skirt.
The jacket-to-bag transformation is actually pretty handy!
You can transform it when it stops raining or when you go inside a shopping mall.
Chuck an eco-bag inside when it’s in bag mode so you can carry your things when you turn it into a jacket.
Other items I was interested in were:
Check out their full catalogue.
Where are they located?
There are currently 44 Workman Girl stores in Japan. (View the full list)
Notable locations are:
- Solamachi (Tokyo Skytree)
- Ginza (Workman Colors)
- Ikebukuro Sunshine
- Kawasaki Rufuron & Mizonokuchi Marui Family
- Yokohama Bibure & Colette Mare
- Osaka Namba City & Tennoji Mio
- Kyoto Aeon Mall
The store I would go to in Tokyo is the one in Solamachi. (The store in Solamachi is pretty low key, but there are heaps of other fun shops in the complex so it’s worth visiting. My favourite unagi lunch is there too.) Their special Workman Girl shop (called Workman Colors) is in Ginza, but the store wasn’t very flagship-like. Outside of Tokyo, Kawasaki Mizonokuchi and Yokohama Colette Mare stores were more spacious, well-lit, and felt nicer.
I’m keen to go back to Workman and Workman Girl shops on my next trip to Japan. (So is my partner and my father. It’s ranked a solid 🥈(=make a detour) on #myrevisitlist.
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