[What Most People Don't Know] How to Choose the Right Dress Shirt for Job-Hunting ID Photos in Japan

If you're wearing a suit for your ID photo, which dress shirt did you choose?
If you haven't decided yet or aren't sure, please use this article as a guide!
Even if you've already picked one, it may be a good idea to own several dress shirts, since you'll be wearing them a lot during job hunting.

First of all, the shirt must fit well

Pay special attention to the neck size.
A good fit is said to be one where you can slip one to two fingers between the shirt collar and your neck.

Sleeve length won't show in an ID photo, but choosing a length that suits you is handy because you can use the same shirt for interviews and other occasions. As a guide, when you wear a jacket and let your arms hang straight down, about 1–2 cm of shirt cuff should show beyond the jacket sleeve.

The best shirt fabrics for an ID photo

Dress shirts are generally made from cotton, polyester, or linen.

・Linen

A cool fabric suited to summer.
Linen is commonly worn with casual jackets and trousers or in casual settings rather than formal ones, so it's best to avoid it for your ID photo.

・Cotton

A fabric with excellent warmth, absorbency, and moisture retention.
Its downside is that it wrinkles easily, but choosing a wrinkle-resistant (non-iron) shirt solves that. Cotton is gentle on the skin, so it is especially recommended if you have sensitive skin.

・Polyester

Lightweight, resistant to wrinkles, and quick-drying. It's inexpensive and therefore popular, but it has drawbacks such as being prone to pilling.

If you want to keep the price down while still getting comfort and practicality, a cotton-polyester blend is a good choice.

Choose a collar suited to formal and business settings

There are many collar styles, but here are three we recommend.

・Regular collar

The most classic shape.
It pairs well with all kinds of jackets and ties, so it's worth having as a basic shirt, not only for job hunting.

・Wide-spread collar

The two collar points are set far apart, which suits people with a larger build. It goes nicely with a tie that has a bigger knot.

・Semi-wide-spread collar

The spread falls between the regular and wide-spread collars. It has become popular recently, and it's versatile enough for business, formal, and casual wear.

・Bonus: button-down collars

Be careful with button-down shirts, which have small buttons fastening the collar points.
They are often worn in business-casual offices, but are generally considered unsuitable for conservative business settings or formal occasions.
Job hunting in Japan often calls for a conservative business look, so it's best to avoid a button-down for your ID photo.

Where can you buy a dress shirt?

Here are a few stores where you can buy dress shirts.

・Aoyama (Yofuku no Aoyama)

https://www.y-aoyama.jp/

Its appeal is a wide price range, from the ¥2,000s to the ¥6,000s.
It also has many stores, so it's easy to visit.

・Suit Select

https://www.suit-select.jp/

Prices run from about ¥3,000 to ¥5,000. In the online shop, you can narrow down the items you want using the automated chat feature.

・KASHIYAMA

https://kashiyama1927.jp/

At a made-to-order shirt shop, you can get an ideal shirt made to your own measurements.
Prices start from ¥6,600.

That's our guide to choosing a dress shirt!
Many people buy one for their ID photo and then wear it again to internships, company information sessions, and interviews.
Use this article as a reference, and find the one that suits you best.