Interac: True suits or just dress clothes fine?

9 comments

1. You’re gonna need a single formal suit set for training and your first week at work then you’re going to ditch it very quickly for an adidas track suit or simple button up shirt like every other ALT. It’s a good idea to have a couple suits for any occasion but don’t be like me and think you need a suitcase full of jackets and dress pants when it will be sitting in the closet all year.

2. One black suit. One white tie for graduations. One black tie for deaths (just in case this scenario comes up in Japan where you wanna attend a ceremony). Two normal ties like blue or patterns or whatever. Dress shoes aren’t needed and I’d advise against them unless you want to apply for a different job once you’re here. Teachers uniform, funny enough, is a suit with colorful sneakers or running shoes.

   Everything else; smart casual. E.g. short sleeve button down shirts and polyester or otherwise breathable slacks for cool biz. Polos. Cardigan sweaters. Track suits. Shorts and athletic wear for sports day if you want. Sweaters. Basically anything with a collar is fine, and even that may not be necessary as some schools are more lax than others.

   You will not wear a suit everyday despite what interacs says, and your managers know this.

3. I haven’t worn a tie in over two years.

4. I have a clip on tie in my bag, just in case the school has important visitors and no one bothered to tell me.

   Otherwise it’s smart casual, button up shirt (long or short sleeves) and slacks.

   One proper suit for formal occasions.

   If it’s really hot and the other teachers swap to shorts, then I sometimes do to. 39-40 degrees is no joke.

5. Depends on the schools. But bring 2 or 3 suits with you just to be safe and to have variety. Usually, I’m not wearing the jacket in the teacher’s office.

6. monkey suit for training. all else is whatever you can get away with. perhaps a little more dressy for observations but even then…if it’s during “cool biz” then it’s still pretty flexible

7. I literally went to my JHSs in t-shirts and shorts in the summer when I was with them. When I was told that someone was coming from the office to view my lesson (twice a year), I would suit up. My schools had my back and always told me when the visits would happen a week in advance.

   No one ever said anything cause it was the schools that encouraged me to wear anything.

8. Just out of curiosity when did you apply and get hired? I live IN COUNTRY and have been “hired” but am consistently told there’s no open positions. This has been for a few months now.

9. I’m teaching at a couple highschools and one special needs school.
   I wore a suit and tie during training multiple times ( they told us to ). Then I wore it for my first day at each school. I brought 2 suits and like 5 button up shirts.
   One highschool is very casual, tracksuits would be fine or even tshirts. I wear a polo or casual button up now. The special needs school is very casual.
   My other highschool is business casual. I wear button up and dress pants. No tie and now it’s so hot and humid I just unbutton the top and roll my sleeves up lol.
   I don’t wear any dress shoes now, just cross trainers, Crocs(they told me to bring them and most teachers use them), and some Nike slides.

   On a general day I have a nice backpack with a laptop and charger. Notebook, journal, pens, wifi hotspot, and a couple of drinks. Oh and several backup handkerchiefs to help me survive the humidity!!
   I even have a beard now and nobody cares.

   I would bring one suit, and a backup button up shirt. Maybe two pairs of pants for work. A tracksuit, shoes, (no dress shoes), Crocs, and slides.
   Plenty of undershirts or tank tops,

   You won’t need anything else most likely clothing wise!