In the 1990s, the term "vintage" was used to describe vintage clothing that did not meet the definition of "antique," but still had value, as opposed to "antique" clothing that was 100 years old. Nowadays, there is a movement to find new value in "new vintage," even in old clothes from the 1980s onward, which used to be called "regular" vintage clothes. In this project, four vintage clothing stores with different styles propose new ways to enjoy vintage clothing. Each of them will talk about the charm of vintage clothing with their own sense of style.
This is the 16th season of this series! The 121st edition of this series, the top of the line with all new stores, is "FRAT STORE," located in Mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo. What kind of new vintage items will Katayama-san and Kuroda-san introduce to us?
Text_Tommy
Edit_Yosuke Ishii
Mukuta Katayama / Director of FRAT STORE & Jukiya Kuroda / Owner
Vol.121_Dockers' Denim Slacks, Levi's Denim Slacks, Pamir's Denim Slacks
-The theme of this series is "to find good regular items that will remain in our records and memories like true vintage. Then, what is the definition of "New Vintage" for FRAT STORE?
I see. We are both 31 years old, born in 1994, and when we moved to Tokyo in our late teens, we didn't have a lot of money, so we were enjoying our fashion as much as we could by wearing regular old clothes such as 90's flannel shirts and "501" black Levi's shirts with our treasured "true vintage" clothes that we worked hard to buy. I was enjoying fashion as much as I could in my own way by wearing regular old clothes such as 90's flannel shirts and Levi's "501" black with my treasured true vintage clothes that I bought with my best effort.
It's like that when you are young, isn't it? You don't have a lot of money, but you want to fill up, so you order fried rice and rice, mix them together, and enjoy the fried rice with more rice.
I think it's a little bit different, but yes, it is (laughs). (Laughs) And now, after some time has passed, we have come to ask ourselves again, "What is the new vintage? I thought, "What is new vintage?" I thought that the things that I still wear often and consider attractive are new vintage for us. This is also connected to the concept of "Flat Store", "Back to the Basics". In terms of the definition of an item, we don't really care about its rarity in the market. Rather, we are interested in whether or not the item is easy to wear as a fashion item and for daily use. This is the first priority.
What is the new vintage that you two from "Flat Store" will be introducing this time?
These are denim slacks that we love to wear on a regular basis and even make our own originals. Basically, we pick made-in-USA brands, but we also find good-looking ones from Italian brands such as VERSACE, Missoni, and Trussardi. In particular, I have the impression that many of the items produced under license in Japan in the 1990s and early 2000s have beautiful silhouettes.
So it would be easy to incorporate it into fashion.
Yes, I am! While the fashion trend is toward thicker, straighter, more tapered silhouettes are easier to match and will remain in the closet as a standard five or ten years from now. The point is not that the value of the item itself increases, but that "the value the owner perceives in the item" increases. I think this is also a form of new vintage.
Indeed. Is that because of the area of Mukojima, Sumida-ku where your store is located?
That's probably because many of our customers are in their late 20s or early 30s, raising children, and are looking for basic items that they can wear on their days off without feeling self-conscious and that will fit in with their new clothes. So, our first item is this "Dockers". In layman's terms, it is Levi's chinos line, which was sold to another company this year and became a hot topic. Since it is a major company and an active brand, it is surprisingly easy to gather items when stocking them, so many of you may know about them.
Dockers denim slacks ¥12,800(FLAT STORE)
Please tell us about your "unique" strong points.
I have a feeling that many "Dockers" jeans can be worn beautifully even if they have been worn, faded, and the center crease has been removed. Perhaps it's the thickness of the crotch and the way the tucks are placed. This one has a 38-40cm waist and a 22cm hem width, which numerically seems quite tapered, but when you wear it, it is almost straight. I recommend these to be worn with both leather shoes and sneakers.
How would you dress in a "flat store" style?
You can add a casual atmosphere to a traditional, relaxed outfit, or you can add a clean image to an American casual outfit by wearing a crew-neck sweatshirt and denim slacks. When you want to look a little sophisticated, you can create a somewhat cool atmosphere even if you don't wear anything fancy.
Two other bottles were also prepared.
Levi's denim slacks ¥14,800(FLAT STORE)
One is a slightly odd one from Levi's, with "LEVI'S Sportswear" written on the tag. I guessed it was made in the 80's or 90's, based on the paper tag and the information I found. The size is 18, and the belt loops are very thin! (LOL). Most belts won't fit through the belt loops, so we recommend our customers to "use a shoelace as a belt" skater technique. It's a little interesting when you wear these, too. The fabric is soft and drapes nicely, and the hems hang up perfectly when wearing low-tech sneakers such as Vans. The deep crotch allows you to wear them at the waist, and the high waist gives a leg-lengthening effect. Incidentally, the ability to aim for a leg-lengthening effect when worn high-waisted is the greatest strength of denim slacks. Let's make the most of it!
The waist size indicates that it was made for a very plump person.
Eighteen is quite a big number for women's wear. And finally, "PAMIR. The last one is "PAMIR," not the out-tucked style that is common in the U.S., but the in-tucked style that is common in Italy, which I think is the context of the Italian brand I mentioned at the beginning. Another key point is the faded look of the color, which has a very nice atmosphere, such as whiskers and bites. To be honest, I am not looking for that, but when worn, it is quite slim and a little short in length. I think it would look cool with a pair of beautiful loafers and socks.
Pamir denim slacks ¥9,800(FLAT STORE)
These slacks incorporate the appeal of denim from an American casual perspective. It's interesting to think of it that way.
Yes, we think of it as an interesting regular = new vintage, so we think it's a perfect item. By the way, we like denim slacks so much that we made our original ones, so if you can't find a good pair, please check them out (lol).
Mukuta Katayama / Director of FRAT STORE & Jukiya Kuroda / Owner
The e-commerce site will be launched in August 2021, and the actual store will open in Mukojima, Sumida-ku, Tokyo in February 2023. As noted at the top of the official website, the main items are good regulars from the 80s to the 00s. All items are in good condition and atmosphere. You can enjoy the shop with an open mind and without any elbow grease. They also produce original items on an irregular basis, the latest being denim slacks in three colors.
Instagram:@frat__store
