FEATURE

Translated By DeepL

ABOUT ESSENTIAL ITEMS Vol.01The personal staples of a hipster.
MONTHLY JOURNAL Feb. 2024

ABOUT ESSENTIAL ITEMS Vol.01
A very personal staple used by that hip person.

Trends in fashion change rapidly, but people who choose their own items based on their own criteria, rather than following the latest fads, are definitely hip. With this in mind, we asked four fashion experts who have their own style what they consider "my staples" in their personal lives. Let's take a closer look at their wardrobes, taking a hint from the criteria they use to choose what they wear.

No.3_REO YOSHIOKA A standard is something that you can make easy.

-You are in charge of buying for "UNITED ARROWS & SONS", what do you consider a "standard" in your own mind?

Yoshioka:. I wonder if it is something I choose unconsciously. This time I chose a navy blue blazer, denim pants, and a red cap, but looking at this lineup, it might also mean that it is something that I can make myself comfortable in.

-Does that mean it can be adapted to any style?

Yoshioka:Yes, I do. It may be misleading to say this even though I am a buyer, but I think I am a terrible buyer of my own stuff (laughs). Of course there are things I'm glad I bought, but there are also many things I failed to buy. . I'm okay with that, though, because I choose my purchases by paying attention to current trends. . So I guess you could say that the items that still survive as something that builds my style are my staples.

ITEM01_UNITED ARROWS & SONS navy blazer

-. The first item on Mr. Yoshioka's wardrobe is a standard navy blue blazer.

Yoshioka:This was purchased after I joined "United Arrows & Sons" . It's not that I didn't wear it before, but since I joined this company, I have become more conscious of the jacket.

-I have an image of Mr. Yoshioka taking a classy jacket and successfully incorporating it into a casual look.

Yoshioka:Thank you very much. I think it is possible to wear it in a way that is a little bit different from the way "UNITED ARROWS & SONS" is known, and of course, it is also good to wear it in a dressy way. Of course, you can also wear it dressy as it is, and it can be used in a wide range of ways, which is a good thing because it is a standard item.

-The navy blue blazer is also iconic for its gold buttons.

Yoshioka:The combination of gold buttons and navy makes me think it's traditional, no matter what era or silhouette you see it in. And you can look traditional just by wearing this.

-By the way, how do you dress?

Yoshioka:. As I said earlier, I am basically a person who wants to be comfortable. As I mentioned earlier, I am basically a person who wants to be comfortable, so if I don't want to be cramped in my daily life, I feel most comfortable in casual wear. Therefore, I chose a size XL in order to wear it a little more loosely.

ITEM02_STABILIZER GNZ denim pants

-The denim pants that follow have a nice faded look.

Yoshioka:This is another denim I got during my time at "United Arrows" , and I dropped it from a rigid to this color.

. - You can tell from the look of them that they have been worn quite a bit.

Yoshioka:I had been avoiding rigid jeans because they were stiff and hard to move around in, and also because they were inconvenient in many ways, but I felt like I had finally found these "Stabilizer Jeans. But actually, I got tired of them after wearing them about two times after I bought them (laugh), and I put them on hold for about a year, but when I bought the navy blue blazer I mentioned earlier, I decided that denim would be the best match, so I patiently wore them for a month.

Do you take baths together?

Yoshioka:Oh yeah (laughs). After about a month, the color faded slightly and they finally fit my legs. From that point on, I wore them for a full year, and they became my favorite.

The color fades differently for each of us, and that's why we love them so much.

Yoshioka:I have done some repairs myself, such as reinforcing them with red thread and changing the handles on the zips, and I feel that they have grown into my own unique denim. Of course, they go well with jackets, but since I like old clothes, I can wear them with a flannel shirt, denim-on-denim, or any other style.

ITEM03_Red cap

-The red cap is Mr. Yoshioka's trademark, isn't it?

Yoshioka:Yes, that's right. . when I think back on it, I realized that I often wear a red cap.... I even have a follower who comments on my instagram post, "I bought a red cap! I even have followers who comment on my Instagram posts, "I bought a red cap!

. - maybe that's how impressive it is.

Yoshioka:I tried to buy them at the store, but I thought, "Wait.... I thought, "It probably won't sell," and decided not to stock it in the store (laughs). . Somehow it has become my own personal boom, regardless of what the world's trends are. . I can't explain why I like it, but anyway, I have been wearing it for a long time.

-It can be well casualized by matching it with a jacket or something, and it can be used as an accent color.

Yoshioka:. Yes, that may be the reason why I naturally choose red. Also, when I think about it calmly, I think it is also because red goes well with denim. The color of the tabs on Levi's is also red.

-I see.

Yoshioka:So, when I think about it as a whole, I guess an item that I would pick up and that can be used in a wide range of ways is probably a staple for me.

PROFILE

Leo Yoshioka

. joined the company in 2015. Assigned to "UNITED ARROWS" Harajuku flagship store, then certified as a sales master in 2020 . 22 years in charge of buyer for "UNITED ARROWS & SONS". . Currently, he is also buying while standing in the store on weekends.
Instagram: @129oer