Uniqlo has opened a special counter for traditional "suteteko" underwear at its flagship in Ginza, Tokyo, with a lineup of more than 80 designs and colors intended to keep people cool this summer when electricity shortages may keep air conditioning in short supply.
Calling it the "Steteco Bar," the apparel giant will run the counter until mid-July on the store's 10th floor with special advisers called "steteco bartenders." They give customers advice on how to wear and how to coordinate the underwear — which can also be worn as outerwear — with other clothing to fend off summer humidity.
While traditional suteteko are made of cotton, some of Uniqlo's designs are made of mesh or polyester so perspiration can dry quickly. Wearing the underwear allows the wearer to stay cool without feeling sweaty trousers, spokeswoman Naoe Tsunashima said Monday.