Samue and Nagasamue

Samue 作務衣 (“work clothing”), also samugi 作務着, are practical clothes designed to be worn during samu, or work practice. They consist of a matching top and pants, and come in a variety of fabric options ranging from thick and durable to lighter and more flowy. The modern samue emerged after WWII, and has become widely popularized in Japan as everyday home, leisure, work, and street wear. In North America, the versatility of samue as being comfortable and practical for both zazen and physical activity, as well as their suitability for a range of different levels of formality, has made them an attractive option in Zen communities for lay practitioners and priests alike.

In an effort to meet the many different functions that samue perform, I offer several different styles of jacket/pants sets, plus two nagasamue (long samue) options for priests. All share a reinforced neck yoke for durability around the collar seam, and the pants all have a wide elastic waistband and two side pockets.