Who needs dry clean when you can shower clean? Executives around the world could soon be able to imitate their Japan counterparts and buy business suits designed to be cleaned under the shower head.
The so-called shower suit, an invention of the research and marketing body of Australia's wool industry, has proven very popular in Japan, where it was launched last year.
This week, Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) said the Japanese clothing company that sells the suit had placed an order for an additional 170,000, bringing the total number of suits to date in Japan to about a quarter of a million.
"In the wake of the business suit success, ladieswear and corporate businesswear designs are also under development," AWI chief executive Craig Welsh said in a statement.
"I'm also very excited there is talk of an airline adopting the technology for its cabin crew uniforms."
AWI hopes the suit will spread from Japan to other markets.
Welsh said the suit, which can be washed clean in the shower, was the ideal solution for busy career men and women who want the convenience of easy-care clothes without the cost and hassle of regular dry cleaning.
The suit can be sprayed in a warm shower for three to four minutes and drip dries within a few hours at room temperature. If hung properly, no ironing is needed.
Konaka, the Japanese company that sells the suit, has more than 300 stores and is targeting job-hunting students and young business people who live alone.