Japanese construction worker fashion
A remarkable old post from the sadly discontinued PingMag, on the fashion conciousness of Japanese construction workers. Of particular interest to us are the pants worn by Tobi workers, and the wrist protections.
"… Now let’s get to the special parts of Tobis’ clothes. On their wrists they wear a broad and firm wristband called Tekou. This is used not only to wipe off sweat, but also to protect your wrist’s vulnerable arteries when cutting things and to prevent the sleeves from getting into your way when moving around... Tobi trousers: this shape is just amazing! (In fact many Japanese people identify Tobi workers by these special trousers.) There are various theories why the lower part under the knee is pumped up like a balloon. The main reason, however, seems to be a simple one: the baggy pants make it easy to move, easy to bend, stretch and stride."
Sounds good to us.
Now, we're wondering if it would fly - incorporating similar wrist and shin guards into cuffs on sleeves and pant legs...