UNIQLO｜LifeWear Story 100 directed by Yataro Matsuura｜Men Ultra Stretch Skinny Fit Jeans

“How did mommy and daddy get married?”

My daughter who just turned six asked me at the park as we stood in front of a garden of pink and yellow tulips.

“Married?,” I asked.
“Yes, married.”

She loved the “Little Mermaid” picture book and she must have become interested in the concept as that was how the story ended.

“So we met in this city called New York in America. We became friends and decided to get married.”

“I see, did you like mommy?”

“Of course, I liked her very much so that’s why we got married.”

With this question out of the blue from my little girl, memories from the that time came flashing back, reminding me that us getting married was truly a result of many coincidences.

It’s interesting when you try to give an honest answer to a simple question from a child. It really does bring you back to yourself.

Me and Asha met in New York where we talked about our own dreams and gradually became a couple. But just after a year, she decides to live in Paris to learn fashion design. We promised to meet once again in five year’s time.

On the day we promised, I went to our spot. She never showed. Completely gutted, I decided to throw myself in to the book hunting work, busily flying back between New York and Japan.

And one day, our mutual friend, Rowena, called me at work in NY.

“I’m so glad I got through to you! Did you know that Asha is looking for you?”

I was surprised to hear her name from Rowena. What does it mean that she is looking for me?

“Asha was getting ready to fly back from Paris to keep her promise with you. But suddenly her mother’s illness took a turn and she had to fly back to Ethiopia to look after her. Sadly, her mother passed away after six months. She was distraught but regrets deeply that she wasn’t able to keep her promise with you. She is planning to come to NYC next week and asked whether I knew where you lived. You wouldn’t leave the number of antique book stores I went to find your contact detail…”

Rowena said, with a sigh of great relief.

This is the skinniest of all UNIQLO jeans and the most stretchable of all the Ultra Stretch Jeans. The top feature is the game-changing jeans material which was a result of our pursuit of the authentic texture as well as wear comfort. It is a joint project with Kaihara, the company known for their finest quality and technology in the world to create a new denim fabric from the raw material. By using a polyester thread, for the weft allowed an amazing level of stretch, 40% stretchability and 80% recovery rate.

This is truly an all-new denim that has the authentic look with a smooth texture, achieving the soft wear in a skinny design.

“You have to call Asha, ok?,”
said Rowena and gave me Asha’s number in Ethiopia.

I had absolutely no idea such tragedy was consuming Asha on the day of our promise.

I was crushed, not about the promise but for Asha losing her mother whom she loved so deeply.

A few year’s back, when her mother came for a visit in New York, I remember how she was so caring and tried to speak to me in the few Japanese words that she knew as well as our time together walking through Central Park or going to a yoga class, etc. All such happy memories.

Tears started to well up with such regret that I could not do anything to make Asha’s mother happy.

I had to call her.
I picked up the phone but immediately put it down as realized about the eight-hour time difference between New York and Africa.

I couldn’t sit still in my room so I decided to head out to the streets. The sky was dressed in twilight colors.

As I walked down Hudson Street where Asha and I often walked together, I saw a little boutique with their lights on. I remember once Asha bought a pair of jeans.

I peeked in and found the tiny storeowner placing cards on the small table. Noticing my stare, she smiled and said hello.

I asked, “Do you remember me?”
She said, “I’m so sorry, I don’t.”

“My girlfriend bought a pair of jeans in this store.”
To this, she responded, “Oh, yes! I remember now. She looked really nice in those skinny ones, yes.”

That’s when I noticed that she was laying down tarot cards on the table.

“You have to touch your tarot cards every day. Fortunetelling is also part of my job,” she said.

“She was a cutey. Those skinny jeans looked so good on her slim legs. She had on this airy and baggy sweater. How is she? Is she well?”

“Yes, she’s doing fine. After that, she moved to Paris and now she’s back home in Ethiopia but is planning to come back to New York.”

“I see. I’d love to see her again. Send my regards for me, will you? Hey, why don’t I read your fortune, yeah?”

She shuffled the cards and told me to pick two.

She turned it over and they were ‘World’ and ‘Judgment.’

“Wow! They are really good cards. Some kind of new success awaits you,” she said.

I couldn’t wait to hear Asha’s voice.

This perfect denim material was then brought into our proud Jeans Innovation Center with its state-of-the-art technology where the jeans specialist used their proprietary processing skills to add the used treatment. We worked tirelessly to achieve this amazing expression, given how difficult it is to add a damaged look to a highly stretchy material. It is a tapered cut that fits from the inseam to the hem.

We came up with the best balance for the bottom width to satisfy customers with muscular thighs to those with large shoe sizes to easily put them on. It’s ultra-skinny but stress-free. Depending on the used look, this LifeWear can stretch from office fashion to casual style.

So easy to move,
such fine touch.
It is the clean perfect jeans.

MENULTRA STRETCH
SKINNY FIT
JEANS$49.90

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.”