In this month's issue of Popeye Magazine, Shinya writes about a purchase he made as a teenager that fundamentally changed his relationship to clothing, fashion, and design.
For those of us who struggle to read in Japanese, we've included an English translation below. In addition, just for Batten-fans, we have foot-noted the English translation to provide a bit more circumstantial information. Enjoy and please drop a note to let us know what your first and favorite clothing purchase was!
The Sweatshirt That Changed Everything
I bought this Champion Reverse Weave sweatshirt when I was 16 years old in 1988, the year of the Seoul Olympics¹.
At the time, my brother, who is six years older than me, was deeply into Ivy and preppy fashion and read magazines like POPEYE and MEN’S CLUB. His bookshelf was filled with fashion magazines. I was strictly prohibited from touching his stuff, but while he was away, I would sneak in and read his magazines. That was how I started learning about American clothing from a young age.
Back then, American-made sweatshirts from brands like Hanes could still be found fairly cheaply, and I would save up my allowance to buy them. But Champion sweatshirts were in a different league. I still vividly remember seeing a advertisement in a magazine of a model wearing a Champion Reverse Weave sweatsuit with Adidas Country sneakers. I was captivated by the look. "I have to have this" I thought.
At the time, I was on the rugby team, so I had no time for part-time jobs to make pocket money. Champion was totally beyond my reach. Then, one summer, I got a temporary plumbing job through a friend of my parents². With the money I earned, I was finally able to go shopping for Champion.
Since my father had often taken me to Ueno and Okachimachi when I was young, I knew where to shop for American clothes, but I was nonetheless nervous. I was only 16 and I had no idea how to talk to the store clerks about what I wanted. With my heart pounding, I walked into a shop called Yayoi in the Ameyoko market³ and somehow managed to buy the Champion sweatshirt that I had long dreamed of owning.
As soon as I got home, I excitedly tried it on . . . and was immediately disappointed. The fabric was thick and wearing it, I felt rigid like a robot. I couldn't believe how different it was from what I expected.
Still, I kept wearing it, complaining about it, and washing it when it got dirty. Repeating that process over and over, I gradually grew used to the sweatshirt and then attached to it. The stiff fabric softened and became familiar to me, and before I knew it, the sweatshirt had become something I couldn’t imagine not having in my life.
That experience was a real "aha" moment in my understanding of American utilitarian clothing. There’s a Japanese expression that says, “The more you chew, the more flavor comes out.” That’s exactly what it was like. Through the process of wearing this item, it changed and molded to my body becoming a part of me and my daily existence.
Later, after I moved to America and began working in clothing production there, the lesson my 16 year old self learned from a sweatshirt became even more clear. Even now, this Champion Reverse Weave remains the foundation of how I relate to clothing.
