THE JOURNAL
In one of the early reviews of Y-3, Mr Yohji Yamamoto’s now 20-year-old collaboration with adidas, a Vogue staffer wrote, somewhat incredulously, that the label “is proving… [that] tweaked properly, sports clothes can be fashion.” It’s a funny thing to read now in year 2022. How long has “athleisure” been a thing? How many years have we been living in sweatpants and sweatshirts? And sneakers? Some guys haven’t laced up a hard sole in more than 24 months.
It’s hard to pinpoint the moment that sportswear became, well, normal wear but Yamamoto’s signature slouch and drape for Y-3 can certainly take some of the credit. We’ve seen countless iterations of sport-as-fashion, but his interpretation and subversion of the adidas tri-stripe and his louche Japanese tailoring-infused silhouettes put him in a class all his own.
That’s why we’re pretty thrilled to see the return of some of his earliest pieces for Y-3 this season in honour of the 20-year anniversary of the collection launch. Voluminous trousers, black and white colourways and soft tailoring all make for a generous offering that’s both elegant and comfortable, sporty and stylish. The first drop in this collection (yes, we’ll be treated to another down the line) allows us to indulge in a little nostalgia with Yamamoto, walk backwards with him into the future (as he likes to say) while wearing stripy sneakers fit for a Japanese street-style god.
The sneakers are a good place to start for anyone who isn’t quite ready to dive headfirst into ballooning trousers and blazers without a shirt underneath. Paired with your standard denim and a workshirt, they’re a graphic and eye-catching break from the ordinary that’ll elevate your leisurewear and make even a dog walk a bit more exciting.
“This collection is all about nostalgia and returning to what makes Y-3 so legendary”
This collection is all about nostalgia and returning to what makes Y-3 so legendary in the first place. If the idea of nostalgia for 20 years ago makes you want to bury your head in the sand (although we wouldn’t recommend this, as adequate moisture is the key to anti-ageing), console yourself with the knowledge that this Y-3 collection isn’t retro – it’s not bell bottoms and polyester and wide lapels. No, it’s simply youth culture from, well, your youth.
Alternatively, if you have no idea where any of this came from because you were still a zygote two decades ago, then you have some homework to do. Just consider Yamamoto’s Y-3 the introduction to your sport-as-fashion textbook, and MR PORTER your professor. We’re here to help you, though we may assign some reading and a 500-word essay on why Y-3 was so transformative. Key themes to include: restrained draping, the concept of formal sport and slouchy tailoring.
Either way, the beauty of this collection is its versatility. Dress up, dress down, wear to work, wear on a date. However you wear Y-3, we can guarantee you’ll be the coolest guy in the place.