UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura

There were two reasons why I decided to sell the Andy Warhol’s A GOLD BOOK, which I got for $20.

First of all, I thought it would be the best for the book to be owned by someone who truly wanted it.

Secondly, I figured that the reason why I was able to get the book for an unbelievable price was the very opportunity to start my journey to learn about this book hunting business.

“So who are you going to sell it to, and for how much?” asked Jack.

I realized that although I had something I wanted to sell, I had no clue as to who to go to.
That’s when I remembered the phrase Jack told me about, the deep knowledge.

So I said, “First, I’ll do a thorough research of the art book collectors in New York and try to find the one who would want A GOLD BOOK the most.”

“Exactly. It’s all about knowing your clients well. That is the first step, indeed,” said Jack.

So except for the three days of book search with Jack, I used the rest of the week to do my research on art book collectors.　

Having said that, there were a lot of things I learned on my days with Jack, as art books were his field.

Jack told me that I should never sell to brokers who pretend to be a collector because they are just after profit without effort, just passing the book from left to right.

Some book hunters are fine with that as long as it serves their business, but Jack taught me the importance of doing business with the true collectors.

“You see, there’s no one behind brokers, but there are at least 10 other collectors behind a true collector, or even more. By doing good business with a true collector, your name and reputation will naturally spread across the community of collectors.”

“I prefer to talk about books while brokers only talk about money. So I keep a distance with them no matter how much it may pay,” Jack continued.

To this, I agreed.

One day, I decided to stop by the top floor of Strand book store, where they have the rare collections stocked. They weren’t old books necessarily but beautiful 19th century books with illustrations and other valuable pieces of work. Seeing how they were neatly lined up, you would think this was an art gallery.

That’s when I heard a familiar voice to which I turned around and realized it was that client of Jack’s, the old gentleman who was party to the earlier exchange with Jack over A GOLD BOOK.

In our new spring collection, we’ve changed the material to Supima cotton. The cotton cashmere which we used to use had fine texture but the problem of cotton shedding.

With much trial and error, we’ve developed a new material using rare Supima cotton as an outer layer and a nylon yarn for the inner layer. The shedding was significantly reduced, so what we have is a sweater that keeps its soft texture, is pill-resistant, and can even be washed in a washing machine.

“Hello, how are you?” I called on to the elderly gentleman.

He seemed to not have recalled who I was and asked, “Have we met before?”

When I explained about the incident back then, he immediately reached out his hand to shake mine saying, “Oh yes yes, that Japanese man, I apologize.”

I asked, “Can you tell me something? I’m trying to learn about the book hunting trade from Jack at the moment and I wondered which antique book stores do art book collectors usually spend time in? I want to learn about this world of book collections.”

“Do you know how many antique book shops there are in New York? Over 200 and probably half of that are facing the street. The rest are hidden away in a room in a building, reservation only. Many collectors tend to frequent such places, I would say.”

Seeing how generous he was, I had to fight the urge to tell him about A GOLD BOOK which I have in my possession but refrained as I well knew that he was Jack’s client.

So I learned that there are many antique book stores in the city and that many discreetly operate from a room in a building to collectors only.

He took out a memo from his bag, wrote down the name and number of a store, and handed it to me saying, “For art books, this is where you should go.”

“If you say I introduced you, the owner will probably teach you many things.”

That day, the old gentleman had on a crisp white button-down shirt with a red V-neck sweater.

I said, “You look nice in a red sweater” to which he responded with a bit of embarrassment, “My daughter gave this to me as a present. I thought “Red? At my age?” at first, because I would hardly choose this color, but since I get complimented often when I wear this, I now think red sweaters are good, even for men.”

He gave me his business card and said, “If you ever need anything, just let me know. You can ask about me from Jack.”

I thought, you know, it’s not a bad idea to give my father a red sweater for his birthday next month.

Before parting our ways, I asked, “So did you buy any books today?” to which he took out one from his bag and showed it to me. It was titled, “Please Plant This Book.”

“Adorable book, right? Do you know Richard Brautigan? This is his poetry collection.”

There was a picture of a little girl printed on front.

“She looks so much like my daughter when she was little,” said the old gentleman.

The long fibers unique to Supima cotton create a silky drape and soft texture. An inner nylon stitching means it retains its shape better, so you can enjoy it longer. The depth of the V-neck goes well even with t-shirts, making it your daily companion.

The sleeve hole and the shoulder area have been structured to give easy movement for the arms, and the torso is designed to fit neatly to the body line. The ribbed section at the sleeves and the hems have cascading tension for a stress-free, natural fit.

Choose a color you would never choose.
Then enjoy the shower of compliments.

MENWASHABLE V-NECKLONG-SLEEVE
SWEATER$19.90

Choose this clothes

What is “LifeWear story 100?”

At UNIQLO,
there exist these lines of clothes
which has remained for many years,
trend-neutral
yet never dated.
Out of the line-ups,
they are the unsung presence,
sitting quietly behind in TV ads.

Yet, they are the culmination
of the years of passion and devotion,
where UNIQLO sought to pursue
more comfort,
more durability, and
more quality.

They give shape and gravitas
to what and who UNIQLO is,
and what UNIQLO continues
to nurture with great care.

To go beyond yesterday,
to reach higher tomorrow.

When you take it in your hands,
when you try it on,
it softly speaks to you,
almost like a friend.

What is a rich quality
lifestyle?
How is such a quality day spent?
What does happiness mean to you…

And you will find yourself
surprised to discover that such
piece of clothing has existed.

What is the UNIQLO principle?
Why do we call clothing LifeWear?
What kind of clothes constitute
LifeWear?

Here, we go deep into
the root of LifeWear,
to know
and to tell.
And I hope to write
stories that revolve
around LifeWear and myself.

LifeWear story 100 will be
a story about a journey with me and LifeWear.

Yataro Matsuura

Essayist, editor. Born 1965 in Tokyo.
For nine years from 2005, under the leadership of the founder, Shizuko Ohashi, he was the chief editor for the magazine, “Kurashi no Techo.” Since, he launched an online media site, “Kurashi no Kihon.” Currently, sits as a director for Oishii Kenko Ltd. Recognized for his eye for style and experience in presenting ideas for quality lifestyle. Regularly writes in his columns in newspapers and magazines. Has penned numerous best-sellers including “Kyo mo Teinei ni” and “Shigoto no Kihon Kurashi no Kihon 100.” Hosts a radio program on NHK Radio 1, “Karen Style.”