Fashion Five: Tobi Pants, Escaping Fashion, Muji's Premium Line, and a Day in the Life of a Cobbler
Every Sunday, I’ll share five ideas and content usually focused on fashion and menswear.
On Black Friday, I went to my local J.Crew as I heard they were having a sale on their chinos, one of my wardrobe gaps. I tried their Classic Fit and liked it—but when I tried the Giant Fit, I loved it. This was my only cop on Black Friday.
Last year, I wrote a piece on the oversized clothing trend. While I appreciated the style, I preferred slimmer silhouettes. This is one take I’ve since changed my mind on. Through experimentation, I’ve learned that I actually prefer straight and loose-fit pants. They’re more versatile, pairing well with both slim and loose tops, whereas slim pants only really work with slim tops.
This shift raises the question: Do I actually like it or is it just a trend? Trends, after all, have a way of warping our perceptions, often through the halo effect and clever marketing.
What I appreciate about trends, though, is how they encourage experimentation. The oversized trend pushed me to explore new silhouettes, leading me to realize how much I enjoy wider pants. And honestly, any garment —okay, maybe not skinny jeans — can look great if styled correctly.
Let’s jump into this week’s fashion five!
Pants I like
Tobi Pants. Tobi pants are baggy trousers that taper around the calves and are commonly worn by Japanese construction workers. The extra fabric allows for greater movement around tight spaces and the looseness helps workers detect wind gusts and potential hazards when working on scaffolding and skyscrapers. Shout out to Khalil for putting me on these pants.
Blog I’m reading
Freeing Myself From Fashion by Lin. Trends, social media, and brands will tell you to buy more. But having a personal style frees you from the influence of fashion. You don’t need to constantly buy more to be stylish. Lin’s blogged about fashion since 2006 and she’s got lots of great articles on her Substack and blog.
Brand I’m looking at
Muji Labo. If Muji is Toyota, then Muji Labo is Lexus. Muji’s already one of my favorite brands for basics, and Labo is their experimental lineup with more fashion-forward cuts and higher quality materials.
Video I watched
Behind the Register at a Japanese Shoe Repair Shop by Paolo fromTOKYO. In Japanese folklore, there’s an idea called tsukumogami that says that objects can possess a soul especially if they develop a connection to the human world. So instead of throwing out a pair of leather shoes once they’re damaged, it’s common to take them to the cobbler instead. This is a super chill day in the life video of a Japanese cobbler.
Quote I’m thinking about
What you do is important; what you wear, less so. Let your actions define you and let your clothes be a reflection of who you are. I've heard it said that "clothes make the man," but someone trying to sell you something probably said that. In my view, a person should never let their clothes define them. And in a strange twist of fate, those who aren’t ruled by fashion often end up looking the best anyway. - Brendon Babenzien
Fit of the week: Japanese Ivy
There’s an Italian word, sprezzatura, that translates to "effortless grace." It was the first word that came to mind when I saw this fit. For me, Takahiro Kinoshita is style goals. I’ve never seen this man in a fit that wasn’t fire.
What I love most about his style is its sheer simplicity. It’s as if he woke up that morning and spent no more than five minutes putting this ensemble together. In this look, he’s wearing moc-toe shoes—probably Paraboot Michaels—white socks, straight-cut denim, and a thick textured knit layered over a button-up.
What draws me in the most—and what forms the foundation of his personal style—are his thick, round frames and his salt-and-pepper hair. These elements are his signature, anchoring the entire vibe. This is truly Japanese Ivy style at its finest.
As I’m finishing off this email, I’m realizing that 80% of the fashion content I consume is by a Japanese person or about a Japanese person/brand :p
Thanks again for subscribing! I’d love to hear some quick feedback on what you enjoyed and what you would like to see more of.
Have a wonderful Sunday!
See you again next week,
<3 James