Matthew Waldman Vol. 06: Matthew Style

Vol.06 Matthew Style

After I wrote the last installment of this series, I turned 44, which sparked the idea for this piece.

Come to think of it, what is my personal style?

A friend once told me that Tokyo is full of people dressed like fashion ads, while in Osaka, everyone seems to be trying too hard, making them look a bit odd.

Each city has its own fashion characteristics. What impression does New York fashion give? It's strangely interesting how different industries have their own dress codes (e.g., electro DJs dress the same no matter the city), but with the spread of blogs and the internet, I can really understand these subcultures, these 'tribes' with their distinct styles and behaviors.

More than anything, with the trends of major fashion brands and the internet, I feel that a certain 'international style' of dress is spreading globally year by year. I used to oppose this kind of stylistic uniformity, but now I think it's okay if everyone's clothes look the same. It feels a bit like science fiction. Come to think of it, what is my personal style?

Matthew Waldman 1985

My family was poor when I was little. I rarely got new clothes; I always wore my older brother's hand-me-downs. So, my own clothes shopping began when I started working part-time.

It was the era of New Wave and punk, so I mixed vintage clothes with items from brands like Fiorucci and Benetton. Perhaps I wasn't trying to be fashionable despite my lack of taste, but rather I was just a boy with an unusual sense of dress.

Matthew Waldman 1987

When I started graphic design, I adopted the 'uniform' of graphic designers and architects: Levi's 501 black jeans, a cotton Oxford shirt, and a skinny tie.

After moving to Tokyo, influenced by the crazy fashion of the bubble era, I dressed quite flamboyantly. In the 1990s, I wore my designer uniform on weekdays and embraced Tokyo style on weekends. I even experimented with rock-inspired hairstyles occasionally.

Matthew Waldman 1993

When I turned 40, I started thinking I couldn't keep up this style anymore and needed to dress more appropriately for my age, but people around me would say, 'You're a designer, so it's fine.'

Even so, when I ride the subway, I sometimes catch people giving me looks that seem to say, 'What is this old guy thinking?' Am I just being paranoid?

Matthew Waldman 2008

Speaking of which, I was having lunch with a fashion buyer friend (a woman) at a Korean restaurant for my birthday, and she commented, 'Your style has changed so much!'

I immediately replied, 'Has it?' but then I remembered it had been several months since I'd last seen her, and I started to think she might be right. I was wearing Cassette's bright red jeans, not the typical designer gray. And as I was explaining, 'Since December, I've been mixing conservative pieces with street brands,' I realized that in my haste to explain, I'd switched the 'industry' I was referring to from design to fashion!

A recent list of what I'm wearing

Brooks Brothers Oxford shirts and polo shirts. Cassette and Levi's jeans. Uniqlo V-neck sweaters. Y-3 and Mihara Yasuhiro & Puma shoes. Graniph T-shirts. Occasionally, Prada and Muji. And of course, NOOKA accessories.

Perhaps due to the recession in New York, graphic design work at my studio, berrymatch, has dwindled. I'm now fully immersed in developing new products for NOOKA. It's interesting to think that the changes in my style might be influenced by the convergence of my past and present. Sometimes, friends or even complete strangers reflect your reality more accurately than a mirror, which is quite surprising.

I've mentioned many brands, but here's a bit of New York guidebook-style information too.

For underwear, New Yorkers buy at 'Century 21' instead of paying full price. The store is always crowded, so I lack the focus to buy anything other than underwear, but you can get clothes there at great prices too. For basic wear, depending on the person, it's usually 'GAP,' 'Banana Republic,' 'Uniqlo,' 'ZARA,' or 'H&M.'

'DDC lab' is a shop that uses fabrics not typically found in clothing, with a concept that somewhat resembles NOOKA's sensibility. The patterns are more traditional. David Bowie and Takashi Murakami are apparently big fans. They have two shops in Manhattan.
http://www.ddclab.com/ddclab_v5/?ref=none

Another New York shop worth mentioning is 'ODIN.' They have several locations, but the flagship store on Chrystie Street is a model of a select shop. While their product lineup includes items from various international brands, there's a strange consistency in color and style. If you're looking for a top-tier shopping experience.
http://www.odinnewyork.com/