Yohji, Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love The Looser Fit (Yohji Yamamoto Thread)

[Ivwri]



I was wearing my blue rayon Yohji suit in the club and it was really nice to feel the fabric billowing around me. We talk a lot about how you have to see Yohji in motion in order to "understand" it but I think that the feeling of wearing Yohjis clothes while being in motion is also something that makes his designs so wonderful. There is an older ad with some young boys running on the beach towards the photographer/viewer wearing white shirts; it is an image that for me really captures this flowing sort of feeling.

I know what you mean completely. It's a big part of why one has to wear Yohji's clothing to fully understand what people are raving about. Dancing in his clothing is just cool.

i was thinking about this the other day while wearing the hakamas. when i looked down for a sec as I was walking I felt as if there were jelly fish propelling my legs forward. this might be the most bizarre post i've made on SF
maybe if i film it it makes more sense ...

Unrelated note, I've tried emailing for the product code but to no avail...can anyone tell if these two are the same (different color but cotton twill) trousers

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

edit: HB-P01-007 ! they are same

That jellyfish analogy is a pretty bizarre one, but very apt I think shah . Wore my cotton hakamas out to church and then brunch with the long priest shirt from SS11 and felt super awesome throughout, hehe.

"cool" people won't agree with you about aw10....

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

One bad thing the internet has done (with regards to fashion specifically) is that now that there's so much easy access to runway shows and images etc. people believe they are experts on clothing and design without ever having had any experience with the items in question. Now, we don't even need to pay attention or do deeper research. Just looking at a still image of something online is enough to make authoritative statements about things that to be honest they probably need to think about a lot more. Reminding me about the Aitor thread on SZ...sigh.

Consumers are definitely losing a lot of respect for the creators behind the things we consume. It is now all about us as consumers (even if we are just passive ones, like the majority of us online) and if the creator doesn't fit into some neatly sorted box one has in their head then the creations must be rubbish and worthy of insult on public forums. No effort is made to try and understand what the creators are going for or looking at things in the context within which they are created.

You are making this thread at the top of Google search Ivwri, if there's an Oscar for dedication to appraise Yohji's work, you've won it

Well, I definitely can't take all the credit. Without you guys all contributing it would be a very deserted place here, lol. Also, be careful with google results, it's possible they are weighting the results because you visit the thread often as well .

I hope you guys got all the way down here , but I was wondering what everyone's top three YY pieces in their wardrobe are. Inspired by the Contentedness thread elsewhere on the forum and a PM from kiko, I was curious to see what pieces people would bring up and whether there were any interesting stories behind them as well or funny/odd encounters you have had while wearing them. Pictures of the items in question (either fit pic or just the item itself) would be great too. I'll start in a bit if no one does, but want to get pics for mine first. We could also do an addendum with top three "grail"/most wanted pieces too.

 

[the shah]

glad that jellyfish analogy wasn't totally lost on everyone

regarding favorite pieces, well i don't have enough to differentiate right now, but I like them all and would probably say the jersey hakamas are the ones that seem most majestic when worn.

One bad thing the internet has done (with regards to fashion specifically) is that now that there's so much easy access to runway shows and images etc. people believe they are experts on clothing and design without ever having had any experience with the items in question. Now, we don't even need to pay attention or do deeper research. Just looking at a still image of something online is enough to make authoritative statements about things that to be honest they probably need to think about a lot more. Reminding me about the Aitor thread on SZ...sigh.

Consumers are definitely losing a lot of respect for the creators behind the things we consume. It is now all about us as consumers (even if we are just passive ones, like the majority of us online) and if the creator doesn't fit into some neatly sorted box one has in their head then the creations must be rubbish and worthy of insult on public forums. No effort is made to try and understand what the creators are going for or looking at things in the context within which they are created.

interesting you bring this up, there's a similar discussion going on in SZ waywt thread (between short people until M-M got involved sorry not related but curious nonetheless )
I think the more I pieces I've come to handle, the more fabrics and fits I've come to try, the more I've realized how far down the rabbit hole one can go. This was especially true of Yohji, no matter how many shoes I'd watched or how many stockists I browsed online, none had the same effect as spending hours trying things on. I know I've gone on about this enough but it really resonated with me.

And that's why I am waiting on a new order of cuffed-hem trousers is navy although the original lighter blue I tried (color 3) was striking too -- sold out and probably less versatile ?

 

[the shah]

isn't this the french lady that works at the conduit store ?

 

[davidlee388]

I hope you guys got all the way down here

, but I was wondering what everyone's top three YY pieces in their wardrobe are. Inspired by the Contentedness thread elsewhere on the forum and a PM from kiko, I was curious to see what pieces people would bring up and whether there were any interesting stories behind them as well or funny/odd encounters you have had while wearing them. Pictures of the items in question (either fit pic or just the item itself) would be great too. I'll start in a bit if no one does, but want to get pics for mine first. We could also do an addendum with top three "grail"/most wanted pieces too.

That's a great idea. Will come back to you about this

 

[davidlee388]

isn't this the french lady that works at the conduit store ?


Don't think so. The SA's name is Celine. BTW what year was this picture.

 

[pickpackpockpuck]



One bad thing the internet has done (with regards to fashion specifically) is that now that there's so much easy access to runway shows and images etc. people believe they are experts on clothing and design without ever having had any experience with the items in question. Now, we don't even need to pay attention or do deeper research. Just looking at a still image of something online is enough to make authoritative statements about things that to be honest they probably need to think about a lot more. Reminding me about the Aitor thread on SZ...sigh.
Consumers are definitely losing a lot of respect for the creators behind the things we consume. It is now all about us as consumers (even if we are just passive ones, like the majority of us online) and if the creator doesn't fit into some neatly sorted box one has in their head then the creations must be rubbish and worthy of insult on public forums. No effort is made to try and understand what the creators are going for or looking at things in the context within which they are created.

I am probably terribly guilty of this. But I'm trying to remedy that, seeking out things in person as often as possible and even taking sewing classes at the moment to learn what it takes to create a garment, so heading in the right direction I hope. What the internet causes people to forget is that clothing is as much tactile as it is visual. Even looking at high-res images you're still just getting a limited amount of information about a garment. I find that to be the biggest problem with shopping online as well. In the past two years I've returned or sold every single item I've purchased online. They never end up being exactly what I expected, and then trying to guess how a thing will fit on your body, even if you know the brand, is a whole other mess.

But all that said, it's also because of the internet and sites like this one that I've been able to learn about designers like Yohji. I guess like anything else the internet can be great if you're aware of what it can and can't do (it can give you access to lots of information; it can't replace real life :tounge: ).

 

[the shah]

pppp ^ thnx for the hotoveli info, i guess i was waaaay too late as I emailed about some 4-5 items and none were available
also you're in one of the best cities to avoid the internet-expert-syndrome (TM) so take advantage !
you can go to IF and see Harnden stuff too

Don't think so. The SA's name is Celine. BTW what year was this picture.

Are you sure? She looks incredibly familiar ... this was SS12 btw

another one of her

Spoiler: It's gotta be Celine !!!

[/img]

 

[davidlee388]

pppp ^ thnx for the hotoveli info, i guess i was waaaay too late as I emailed about some 4-5 items and none were available

also you're in one of the best cities to avoid the internet-expert-syndrome (TM)

so take advantage !
you can go to IF and see Harnden stuff too
Are you sure? She looks incredibly familiar ... this was SS12 btw
another one of her

[/img]

Don't think so either lol. She said she had been with the business ( she used to work in the Louvre Store in Paris ) for >15 years.

 

[pickpackpockpuck]



also you're in one of the best cities to avoid the internet-expert-syndrome (TM) so take advantage !
you can go to IF and see Harnden stuff too

did that this weekend actually. went over to IF and Atelier. don't recall seeing any Yohji at all at Atelier, by the way. I work not far from where a Yohji store used to be. wish it were still there

 

[Ivwri]



I am probably terribly guilty of this. But I'm trying to remedy that, seeking out things in person as often as possible and even taking sewing classes at the moment to learn what it takes to create a garment, so heading in the right direction I hope. What the internet causes people to forget is that clothing is as much tactile as it is visual. Even looking at high-res images you're still just getting a limited amount of information about a garment. I find that to be the biggest problem with shopping online as well. In the past two years I've returned or sold every single item I've purchased online. They never end up being exactly what I expected, and then trying to guess how a thing will fit on your body, even if you know the brand, is a whole other mess.
But all that said, it's also because of the internet and sites like this one that I've been able to learn about designers like Yohji. I guess like anything else the internet can be great if you're aware of what it can and can't do (it can give you access to lots of information; it can't replace real life :tounge: ).

Yeah this is the main thing right there. My problem is with people who suddenly become authorities on stuff based on hearsay and photos especially when they are obnoxious about it. I know how difficult it can be to get direct access to quite a few of the brands we discuss on here (particularly Yohji) especially because of my location, but that's also why I don't talk about stuff I haven't seen myself.

glad that jellyfish analogy wasn't totally lost on everyone
regarding favorite pieces, well i don't have enough to differentiate right now, but I like them all and would probably say the jersey hakamas are the ones that seem most majestic when worn.
interesting you bring this up, there's a similar discussion going on in SZ waywt thread (between short people until M-M got involved sorry not related but curious nonetheless )
I think the more I pieces I've come to handle, the more fabrics and fits I've come to try, the more I've realized how far down the rabbit hole one can go. This was especially true of Yohji, no matter how many shoes I'd watched or how many stockists I browsed online, none had the same effect as spending hours trying things on. I know I've gone on about this enough but it really resonated with me.
And that's why I am waiting on a new order of cuffed-hem trousers is navy although the original lighter blue I tried (color 3) was striking too -- sold out and probably less versatile ?

 

[esox]

really want that in size 4.
any idea what season this was?

 

[Auburn]

I think the internet in general makes people feel very comfortable to make statements that fall under the rubric of hyperbole. This is not necessarily bad as long as one recognizes that which one is saying is hyperbolic in nature, something which I feel is not the case. I even notice these tendencies in myself; the amount of times I say "hate", truly a shocking and powerful word, is absurd and dilutes its meaning. I assume we are not talking about the media, whose job it is to remain in an exponential sort of hype, both negative and positive but about the average person. In general, I think average people will never have the ability to make "rational" and/or "objective" critiques for the simple fact that both of these characteristics of judgment presuppose a higher degree of knowledge about the object than an average person has (on a side note, it also requires self awareness of the limits of one's education). This knowledge can only be gained when one wants to learn, which is why this thread is so succesful. Everyone here has interest and wants to learn more. I really respect the opinions of the people who post here because they are not just snap judgements but come from people who have knowledge and are interested in their subject.

 

[asobu]



glad that jellyfish analogy wasn't totally lost on everyone
regarding favorite pieces, well i don't have enough to differentiate right now, but I like them all and would probably say the jersey hakamas are the ones that seem most majestic when worn.
interesting you bring this up, there's a similar discussion going on in SZ waywt thread (between short people until M-M got involved sorry not related but curious nonetheless )
I think the more I pieces I've come to handle, the more fabrics and fits I've come to try, the more I've realized how far down the rabbit hole one can go. This was especially true of Yohji, no matter how many shoes I'd watched or how many stockists I browsed online, none had the same effect as spending hours trying things on. I know I've gone on about this enough but it really resonated with me.
And that's why I am waiting on a new order of cuffed-hem trousers is navy although the original lighter blue I tried (color 3) was striking too -- sold out and probably less versatile ?

Yeah, this was true for me too. His shows were my favorites for several years before I actually bought anything, with the exception of a few things off supermarket. It was when I spent more time in Tokyo and could try on things from both current and older collections that I really started getting into wearing it - seeing and handling new stuff pretty much every day - and it was quite a quick decent into fashunz monogamy from there on.

Still, few of us can handle in person all this stuff we see online, we're left with making judgement on what we see on terrible style.com pics.

really want that in size 4.
any idea what season this was?

Hard to say. My gut feeling would be perhaps ss01, but not on the runway. Wasn't there also some hooded blazers in ss05?

 

[Parker]

I can relate to the jellyfish analogy. there's definitely a suspended, floating-thru-space feeling with the billowy hakama pants.

 

[davidlee388]

Ivwri, Asobu, I told you both about the Hakamas I received today, so try the ( nearly ) whole SS12 set up




YYPH SS12 double layer cardigan ( HB-T04-010 ) - great signature SS12 100% cotton fabric, very delicate, inner 6B vest with 2 front pockets, outer 7B closure, round collar, cuffless sleeves. Cutouts on outer layer enable pants' pockets access without unbuttoning. Sz 3 fits perfectly ( Ivwri, Asobu you need sz 5... ) cos it's a slim cut. The double layer allows various plays on the silhouette. Coherent look worn with the hakamas.

YYPH SS12 Look 39 Type 2 Hakama Pants ( HB-P13-010 ) - incredible construction, size 3 juuust about OK length wise, hit above ankles ( thanks Parker for the advice ), 4B closure, adjustable waist with 2 cinches at back. wide hems, the fabric drapes, or rather ' floats ', amazingly in motion. I wasn't convinced at first seeing them at the shop, thinking they are not me. Now I am a convert. Blown away SS12 aka the Hakamas season

YYPH AW05 white cotton LS Tee and Y's AW06 suede/canvas hi-top sneakers complete the picture.