UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura｜Women Ultra Light Down Compact Vest

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Someone once said, “I can like somebody but never hate.”

That someone said no matter what kind of a person, he would never hate them. It’s not even a conscious effort he makes, but apparently the very concept of “hate” had disappeared from him at one point.

I asked him, “You said the concept disappeared at this moment. What kind of a moment was it?”

“Whatever it is, you can never understand or grasp anything in its entirety. Let’s say one incident led you to dislike somebody. You have your reason to hate, but most such things are superficial. Or it might simply have come out of human weakness. So, while the incident may be enough for you to dislike that person, it’s so small to hate a whole human being because I think nothing comes from hate.”

This was an eye-opener.

No happiness, joy, or even gain can come from hatred. Expressing your hate may seem significant for a moment but in fact, is not.

“In fact, ‘hate’ is merely your desire to express yourself to others, and once you get this, you feel how futile it is to hold on to this ‘hate.’ It’s much better to discover the ‘like’ and express that because from ‘like’ comes many things.”

He continued with a smile.

“So treasure your ‘like’ more than ever before, because the more ‘like’ you find, the ‘hate’ just disappears. ‘Like’ and ‘hate’ tend to sit side by side, but I think they are essentially and significantly different values.”

“But what do we do with things we just cannot come to like?”

“Just consider them as not your cup of tea. We all have things that don’t work with us. It may sound like wordplay, but I think the word ‘hate’ is void of hope. What I try to do is remove all words that have no hope as much as possible.”

Just listening to the thoughts of the man that I considered my life mentor relieved a weight from me both physically and emotionally.

“Words and thoughts that have no hope will definitely bring sadness to someone,” he said and put his hand on my shoulder.

The Ultra Light Down Compact Vest can be worn as a crewneck and a v-neck simply by buttoning the inside. This two-way idea is a proud creation from our customers’ comments.

The line from the neck to the front has piping tape that’s not just an accent but functions to cleanly tuck in the collars. The v-neck let you hide it under a jacket or a, giving you a myriad of options to mix and match.

I was thinking back to this time in my life. The day when something inside me changed inside me dramatically.

It was these words from Asha.

“One of the things I like about you is how you never say you ‘hate’ something. New Yorkers are constantly saying, ‘I hate this’ and ‘I hate that.’ It’s all a yes or no. Do you remember, one day I asked you ‘Is there anything you hate?’ and you said, ‘No, nothing.’ This was a shocker!”

“To me, the word, ‘no’ just means different and not ‘hate.’”

I decided to tell the story of this man I encountered to explain why I don’t use the word ‘hate.’ She listened intently, nodding there and again.

“I like that thinking that you increase and treasure the like and the hate disappears. I wish we all realized that. It’s how you want to be with other people. Like you say, ‘not my cup of tea’ has more hope than hate. It feels easier.”

“There was a time when I hated winter. Because winter in New York is brutally cold. But when I thought about how I hate winter, I felt just miserable. So I decided to put on different clothes to not be cold and thought maybe I would end up liking winter. From then on, I just started to enjoy winter fashion and soon found myself liking winter, like, ‘oh how I wish it would be winter soon.’ So sometimes a hate can turn to a like,” Asha said with a laugh.

“So let me ask, what is NOT your cup of tea? You have to tell me,” she asked.

“There’s too many. Like the sound of nails scratching a glass, a balloon ready to but just won’t pop, people who speak so loudly at a small table, a swagger, footsteps at night, airtight jar tops, small bugs… and showers with low water pressure.”

Asha held her hand over her mouth, trying to hold her laugh.

“But I have to say, I have hundreds more of like than these ‘not cup of tea’ things,” I said.

“I know. You have to tell me all about those likes someday. Now, I’ll tell you about my like for today. On a cold day like this, I like to stay in bed all day to read, wearing the down vest my boyfriend gave me. What do you think?”
On that note, Asha put on the down vest I gave her as a present and jumped back in bed.

We have changed the sizing so that it can be worn as both an inner and as outerwear. The cutover stitching around the waist reduces the volume for a natural silhouette in the back.

The inside loop keeps the included pouch from going missing. This is LifeWear for winter, recommended not only for your travels but also for relaxing.

Light, soft,
and so easy to move.
The piece that will convince you to
love winter.

WOMENULTRA
LIGHT DOWN
COMPACT VEST

Not available

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.”