Setup Guide
The top and bottom are made of the same material, in the same color, and feature the same design. While they look the part once you put them on, that very uniformity makes it hard to express your individuality. Of course, paying attention to the set itself is important, but perhaps it’s the coordinating pieces that truly bring out your personality. With that in mind, we asked three people to show us their signature set-up styles and shared their tips on what makes them work.
1_Ken Kagami
No frills—just a natural extension of my everyday self.
A vintage suit and tie, a Uniqlo shirt, and Converse shoes
PROFILE
A contemporary artist from Tokyo. At "Strange Store," a shop he runs in Daikanyama, he sells merchandise such as T-shirts of his own design. Since 2022, he has garnered attention for his unconventional projects, including the launch of the brand , for which he serves as creative director.
Instagram:@kenkagami
When you think of Mr. Kagami, you picture him in jeans and a T-shirt, topped off with a faded baseball cap. He’s unpretentious, yet he’s firmly established his own style. I wondered just how he chooses his outfits and how he pulls them off, so I visited his studio with great anticipation.
"I think I asked, 'Wouldn't denim be okay?' when I got the offer, but they said, 'Please wear the matching set,' so I wasn't sure what to do (laughs). "I only dress like this for things like weddings or my daughter’s entrance and graduation ceremonies. I do sometimes wear the jacket on its own, though. When I do, I usually pair it with jeans and a vintage shirt underneath."
He was wearing an all-black outfit, with his usual faded cap on his head and Converse sneakers on his feet. Even though he says he doesn’t wear this kind of outfit very often, the way he styled it—clearly an extension of his personal style—was truly impressive. Next, I asked him about his particular preferences regarding the outfit he was wearing.
And the outfit she was wearing was so typical of Ms. Kagami.
I found this perfectly fitting outfit at "Tanpopo House," a vintage and thrift store. It’s a black two-piece set that was almost certainly—or rather, definitely—worn by someone named Kuroda in the past. I bought it seven or eight years ago and wear it often. My body type hasn’t changed since then.
”I bought this at a certain vintage and thrift store about seven or eight years ago. It’s a hand-me-down from ”Mr. Kuroda,’ who must have miraculously had the same body type as me. Brand-name suits are ridiculously expensive these days, aren’t they? I’m not really drawn to that sort of thing, so my approach is more like, ‘If I find a jacket selling for around 1,000 yen and the size fits, I’ll pick it up.’”
Although Ms. Kagami always dressed in a natural, unpretentious style, she had her own particular standards when it came to choosing outfits appropriate for the occasion.
"I basically dress the same way. It’s mostly jeans, Vans, and a black T-shirt or sweatshirt. I prefer wearing faded colors, but for the occasional dinner party, I try to pick something a little darker (laughs). I have several caps of the same style, but I make sure to wear the ones that look the best on those occasions."
Mr. Kagami, who makes a point of avoiding an overly formal look, wears Converse on his feet. He also says he often chooses Vans. It’s not that he never wears dress shoes; he does wear them depending on the time and occasion.
