[SSZ] The Depth of Slacks
This pair of slacks is something I happened to dig up at a vintage clothing store. It was categorized as a "work pant" and was just casually mixed in with them. I had seen similar items for sale on a certain flea market site, but most of them were size S. Even though they were size S, they were equivalent to a regular L or XL pant. However, this one was a rare size L. I figured I probably wouldn't be able to buy these pants again, so I didn't hesitate to buy them even for 7,000 yen. There was almost no moment of hesitation.
Honestly, anyone who knows the unique gimmicks and value of these pants would decide to buy them immediately. I will introduce the finer details of these pants. I hope those who are interested will read until the end.
Approaching the concept of the pants
The title section looks like something you might see when logging in, like "I am not a robot," which you see when creating an account. Some people might see it the same way. I will transcribe the content written there. In some parts, I felt like I was solving a puzzle. There were some parts I couldn't read and had to guess, so if you are curious, I hope you will take a screenshot and enjoy deciphering it.
The theme for 2018s/s is ID:Bootleg. I don't know how many times I've written the same thing, but in my younger days, the 90s that I went through were flooded with parodies and sampling mixes of certain things and objects on the street, and the days of "I did it" and "I got done" continued. I can't say for sure that it was everything, but I think that through such experiences, a unique style was born and established. In particular, parody was often used in the graphic designs of skate, surf, and street brands, and through that handling, I could feel the sense and coolness of that brand. I feel like I learned about the original sources from those parody items and, conversely, became obsessed with various things and cultures. Are those Bootlegs not fakes, but rather a mix of street sensibilities, and by adding the sensibilities of skaters, surfers, and artists, does the Bootleg change into something new and become an evolved original form? The theme ID:Bootleg is a theme that takes into account such street trends, and instead of simply sampling brand logos and graphics, it subtly mixes the essence of clothing designs and artistic details born in the high-end mode world, which would not have crossed paths originally, to reconstruct clothing. I think it becomes a theme that is hard to understand if you are looking for reality. However, on the street, rules are created in real-time, and there are those who follow them and those who break them. I wonder if things created by mixing worlds and relationships that seem not to mix at first glance become something new, something that conveys something. Rather than trying to create something new from scratch, I want to go back and forth on the path I have traveled once again, and think about how to enjoy fashion, clothing, and style, and make it something that resonates with real skaters and surfers. That is the very experimental theme of "ID:Bootleg".
Since these pants are made of polyester, they are easy to wash, and naturally, I wash them often. Also, there were difficulties such as the text blurring because it is inside the pants and naturally comes into close contact with the skin, or the print being small. Even so, through the work of transcribing rather than deciphering, it became an opportunity to learn about the background, such as what kind of culture is connected. Since it was designed in 2018, it is interesting and different from recent fashion.
Why is the hem double-cuffed?
These pants were born from an interesting experience of Mr. Kato, the designer of SSZ. I remember reading in a magazine or somewhere that he was inspired by the formality and the ease of wearing slacks that an old man in the neighborhood association wears, just wears normally. The secret story of their birth is printed on the inside of the left pocket, and I like this little bit of style.
To continue the story, the slacks of that old man in the neighborhood association are double-cuffed through SSZ's own interpretation. By daring to make the hem double instead of single, there is a sense of discomfort that mixes formality and casualness, and the idea of incorporating that discomfort into fashion is interesting.
There are a total of 7 pockets
Perhaps general slacks only have the minimum number of pockets necessary. However, these slacks have plenty of pockets. There are deep pockets inside the pockets on both sides. Also, there is a coin pocket only on the right side, so there are a total of 3 on the right side alone.
Since there are 7 pockets, when I wear these pants, I like to put various things in them so that I can emphasize the pockets of the pants, making the pants look heavy. Also, the belt loops are like decorations, but they also serve as belt loops. It would also be good to dare to pass a belt through them to emphasize the weight of the pants. Please use the photos of the pants as a reference.
Basically, I don't put anything in it.
It effectively only serves as a decoration.
It is large enough to store a smartphone, etc.
It looks a bit whitish because I used the flash.
I mainly use it for eye drops or lip balm.
It is suitable for holding small items.
I basically tend to put things like keys in here.
It is a versatile pocket.
I have almost never used it; it is more of a decorative element for the pants.
There are few opportunities to put small items in it.
Like the left pocket, this is also mostly decorative.
The addition of pleats adds a touch of elegance.
Why are there so many pockets?
The pants I prefer to wear basically have four pockets, including the front and back (five if you count the coin pocket). Perhaps the pockets were increased because of a desire to minimize the items I carry. They likely increased the pockets on purpose so that people like skaters and surfers would wear them too.
Intentionally killing the formality
Slacks have a strong formal impression. That impression changes when the hem is cuffed rather than plain. Also, when wearing them with a belt, it is my personal preference to wear them low on the waist to make the formality a bit more relaxed. It is nice that they are pants that are two sides of the same coin, being both loose yet somehow sophisticated.
Looking back, these were the pants I wore the most among those I purchased last year. You can enjoy the fun of these pants through trial and error, such as by wearing them low on the waist so they don't look too formal. I am still in the trial-and-error stage. A way of wearing them I have been thinking about recently is considering the 'significance of belt loops' and realizing that wearing a leather belt on purpose might be a nice accent.
Summary
The background behind my preference for such functional pants is perhaps that I view pants from the perspective of a gadget. With the gadget pouch I introduced before, I also enjoyed organizing while asking the question, 'How should I store things?' It might be good to choose pants from the perspective of 'storage.' Since this has easily exceeded 3,000 characters, I will stop here. I would like to introduce new ways of wearing them when I discover them.