TOKYO — No time to take your suit to a dry cleaner? Just turn on the shower to wash it at home.
Washable suits are already available, but Japanese clothing company Konaka says its "Shower Clean" line of business suits, which can be washed in a warm shower and require no ironing, is one-of-a-kind.
Konaka says the suits — made of a lightweight fabric easy to clean — will be available in February in Japan.
The firm’s Web site shows how to clean them: Reverse the jacket and pants, put them on clothes hangers and douse with warm water for a few minutes to clean the inside. Repeat the process to clean the outside and drip-dry.
Konaka is targeting job-hunting college students who go through a period of job interviews as well as young businessmen living alone, company official Shigeyuki Tsuchiya said.
"They often don’t have time to take their suit to a dry cleaner and it’s difficult for them to iron a wool suit," he said. "Our suit can return to the original shape easily after a shower."
The suits, available for both men and women, will be priced between $260 and $492, according to the company, which has some 320 stores nationwide.