UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura

One day, Asha brought a vinyl record to my place that a regular at the café gave her because there was a record player in my apartment.

“This is the hottest music today. Let’s put it on,” said Asha.

The jacket showed that the artist was Funky4+1 and the title, “That’s The Joint.”

“Apparently, this is real rap. The way Deborah Harry sings ‘Rapture’ is from this song, so the person who gave me the vinyl said.”

Asha loved Debbie Harry.
I placed the vinyl on the player and dropped the stylus.

It didn’t take long before we were completely dumbfounded with the music that jumped into our ears.
“This is so cool…”

It was an entirely new sound that came through the speakers. “That’s The Joint” wasn’t commercial, but instead the real words of the real people on the street. It was like their conversation was joined in by a melody and a beat.

“I can’t get over this! It’s mind-blowingly cool!”

Asha could not contain herself and started dancing in the middle of the room. With the chorus, she jumped up and sang to the music.

“Do you know what ‘that’s the joint’ means? It means abso-freakin’ cool!”

The track was nine minutes long, and we played it over and over again, trying to recite the words, probing into what they meant as we danced to it. When the lyric, “he’s the joint” came up, Asha pointed her finger at me and kept screaming, “the joint!”

“This is true street music, born in Harlem and the Bronx, with no musicians playing the usual instruments but using vinyl as instruments. I am simply in awe of it. I have never heard of this kind of music before!”

We had absolutely no idea what this genre of street music was called, but all our friends at the café were talking about “That’s The Joint.”

Some time passed when Rowena, who was also into this new music, handed a cassette tape to Asha and said, “I only listen to hip hop now.”

The label on the case read, “Rapper’s Delight,” written with a thick marker.

That night, Asha and I decided to give this recommendation by Rowena a go.

Asha pulled onto my arm and said, “Can you hear? It said, ‘I said a hip hop’ at the very beginning.”

She didn’t miss the lyric. Intensely focused, she listened to each word as though to be reading a book then said,
“This, is, hip hop.”

The tune to “Rapper’s Delight” was Chic’s hit “Good Times.”

Easy wear, easy to move, a clean leg line is what leggings pants are all about. This season, all the details have been improved.

The side lines have been shifted slightly to the back, the front pockets wider, and the back pockets to hide behind and lift your hip line, achieving a fine balance. The sharper yoke lines and stitches make this more of an authentic pair of pants like skinny jeans.

One of our favorite things to do was to discover this enigmatic city called New York.

“Hey, let’s check out Harlem or the Bronx on our next day off. I want to see hip-hop in action with my own eyes.”

I did have a response to the going to the Bronx, as it was a place I went to visit recently as Jack’s assistant.

When the car entered the area, Jack immediately said, “Lock the door and whatever you do, do NOT open the window.”

The scene that jumped into my eyes was nothing like the glitz and glamour that was New York. With many vacant lots and dilapidated buildings, it looked like a ghost town.

What scared the living daylights out of me was when the car stopped at a red light, immediately, a bunch of homeless people appeared out of nowhere, banging on our windows, yelling, and trying to open the door.

“Just ignore them,” said Jack, and we sped on. The group kept yelling and threw something at us, too.

“This is one of the worst neighborhoods around. City planning led many to move to the suburbs and the poor were the only ones left behind. As the area began to break down, the building owners would burn down their own buildings to get the insurance payout and the whole thing escalated. It’s awful,” said Jack, shaking his head.

As I knew the kind of place it was, I was reluctant to go to the Bronx with Asha.

“The Bronx is not safe, it’s not a place to go.”
“Then Harlem it is. I’ve been there before. You are absolutely fine if it’s daytime,” said Asha.

“I bought these leggings to copy a lovely outfit this African American girl who I saw in Harlem was wearing. See? They’re slim and fit snugly. I love wearing those basketball shoes with them. The balance with the thin legs and sneakers is so cute.”

She said and showed me her lovely ensemble.

“Hey, let’s ask Rowena to join us. She knows her hip-hop well!”

“Leave it to me. I’ll show you around,” said Rowena on the phone.

“That’s settled then. I’m going to wear these leggings a bright white pair of sneakers, and a black tank top. Done!”

With much anticipation towards the upcoming Harlem trip, we were happy when the day finally came.

The material stretches all ways, with a twill-like surface. By using spandex with a higher elasticity, we achieved an extremely stretchy pair of leggings.

With a slimmer waist elastic, the layers have been leveled out with the rest of the leggings. No compromise on comfort with a firm kickback to the slim elastics. Wear it under a one-piece dress or go bold and stylish with a short top. The awesome range of colors will no doubt give you the wide variety to choose from.

Still recall the first day
I put them on.
The pair that gives
me that boost of energy.

WOMENLEGGINGS
PANTS$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.”