UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura

I decided to keep the copy of Ballet, the photo book by Brodovitch, for myself instead of selling it to Ken who placed an order with me.

I was following the unspoken rule between people who work in the book business which was, “No matter how scarcely valuable that book is, if you received it as a gift, you do NOT sell it off.”

This is why book hunters and those running the book business have many books on their shelves which they cannot sell. This is because they are given a book from the authors, their family, or those related in the bookmaking through their work.

There’s an episode about someone who was pestered by his clients for the copy and ended up saying, “I can’t sell what I can’t. If you are that desperate, you have to take it from me,” and left the room and let the client steal it. That’s how important loyalty is for the book hunters and those in the trade.

One day, Peggy called. I asked whether there was a development with the situation with Mr. Denby, but she said she wanted to talk to me about a different matter.

I made my way over to Peggy’s flat.

As soon as she saw me, she jokingly said, “Oh, no flowers today?”

“I’ll be sure to bring one next time!”
“Oh, don’t worry. Flowers are wonderful because you rarely get them,” she replied with a smile.

“There’s a celebrity who is moving house and I was asked to do the interior for their new place. I’ve been asked to place a bookshelf across the entire wall in the living room and to fill it with a nice classy collection. I was wondering if you can do the book selection… what do you think?” said Peggy.

I knew that celebrities in New York tended to ask professional coordinators to do their entire interior design but was surprised that they would ask to fill the bookshelves. They want to show how tasteful their collection is to people who come to their apartment. So, they need at least a thousand books, from art books to a good read.

“What’s the budget size?”
“No budget set, sky’s the limit,”
said Peggy.

“If the client likes your selection, no doubt you’ll be getting a lot more business. For the client, showcasing his bookshelf is a way to show how intelligent and tasteful he is. Getting a book collection together is hard work and time consuming. So it’s not so much an interior design work but a book coordination assignment.”

It sounded interesting, the fact that you can coordinate books, like you would your clothes and interior. This sounded exciting.

I immediately responded. “I can’t manage this on my own, so I’d like to ask Jack and get a quality selection of books.”

However you want to move, it stretches 360°. The light, soft texture is the beauty of this ultra-stretch lounge set. It’s all about keeping a relaxing feel and a clean silhouette, with the cut under the sleeves leveraging the elasticity in the ultra-stretch material.

We switched to a rib fabric around the neck to make it easy to take off. We also adopted a different stitching, including thread on the inside to remove the discomfort where it touches the skin. Our aim was to create a stress-free feel because you wear it every day.

“Can I ask you something?” I asked Peggy.

“What do you find to be important in working out the interior design? Take this room for example. You have the Nordic furniture with Chinese antiques and modern art on display, but it’s so well-balanced. How is it that you can create such a comfortable and fantastic interior?”

“Hmm… I guess the important thing is balance. Easily said than done. For example, you have your china, furniture, furnishing goods, artwork… It’s best to get them together in the same level. Even if the taste is different, if their levels are the same, surprisingly, they will strike that right balance. If it’s upper middle level, then everything should be in the upper middle level. If you place even one item at the premium rank or have something lower, the balance goes off. So the same level, that’s the secret to coordination.”

Peggy shared her thoughts as she made me a cup of coffee.

“This coffee pot, the sofa you’re sitting on, this mug cup, all the same rank. That’s why they sit well together,” she continued.

“If that’s the case, we can’t do this book coordination job unless we know what kind of level of interior items the client is working with in the new place.”

“Exactly, well done for noticing. The client loved this place of mine and asked me to work on their interior. This is why I want you to work to this level and the sense of the world for their new place. I’ve put this place together with well-made modern Nordic furniture, but I want you to base your standard with this 50s Finn Juhl chair that you guys were talking about the other day,” said Peggy.

Peggy said she started with the No.45 Finn Juhl, which she claims is the most beautiful armchair in the world. She put the single chair in the middle of the flat and started to find a matching table, matching rug, matching china, etc., little by little. And even to this day, when she’s about to buy a new piece of furniture or furnishing goods, she always goes back to the No.45.

To design the entire interior from a single chair. What an amazing approach, I thought.

“Even this loungewear that I have on now was chosen with the same standard. Don’t you think it’s nice?” she said with a smile.

So, our job is to find books that go well with the Finn Juhl No.45. I guess this will be our starting point.

The importance of balance. It comes from that single standard.

Peggy not only taught me about coordination but something very important and useful in life.

This season, we’ve added designs, some with a hint of faded contrasting color, a faded print, a casual pattern. They now come in sweat as well as waffle materials. The different top and bottom combination is another thing to look out for.

A classy string around the waist and stitches around the neck give a vintage feel, while a tapered hem makes your look modern. This LifeWear will work for you for your local shopping, walks around the park, or as that extra piece for your holiday.

This is the ultimate lounge wear
that makes you want to go home.

MENULTRA STRETCH
LONG-SLEEVE
SWEAT SET
(ONLINE EXCLUSIVE)$29.90

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.”