SoraNews24’s Mr. Sato is no ordinary guy, and so no ordinary clothes will do.
Something strange happened to Mr. Sato last week (as opposed to Mr. Sato himself doing something strange, which happens every week). Craving a cup of coffee, he visited one of Tokyo’s fanciest cafes, and as he sipped his cup of vintage Blue Mountain coffee, he suddenly seemed to become handsomer.
▼ Same dude, believe it or not.
Of course, if Mr. Sato’s face was becoming handsomer, he felt it was only fitting for his clothing to become more stylish as well. So he was off to the Ameya Yokocho shopping street in Tokyo’s Ueno neighborhood.
Also called Ameyoko, Ameya Yokocho gets part of its name from “America,” because many of the stores that originally sprang up here shortly following World War II were black market shops selling Army surplus and other shadily sourced wares. Ameyoko went legit several decades ago, but it still remains a great place for bargain hunting or finding rare or offbeat items, and on this day Mr. Sato headed into Uenoya Shirts.
The name is a little misleading, as Uenoya doesn’t just sell shirts. It’s actually a full-fledged menswear retailer, and since its opening in 1958, it’s been popular with musicians, dancers, entertainers, and all other sorts of show biz types looking for snazzy threads for their next performance.
The shelves are lined with shimmering satin shirts in such a dazzling array of colors that it’s ironic the store is located on the site of a former black market.
Heck, even the pants are colorful, and Uenoya also has suits and ties in all the colors of the rainbow.
Overwhelmed by the high-intensity selection, Mr. Sato sought help from Narishima, Uenoya’s current owner and grandson of its original founder.
“Please put together an outfit for me,” asked Mr. Sato, saying he’d agree to wear whatever the fashion professional thought would look good on him.
▼ Mr. Sato had shown up in a T-shirt and Uniqlo jeans.
Narishima looked at our reporter for several long moments, then started grabbing items off the racks for a complete fashion makeover. Once all the parts were assembled, Mr. Sato slipped them on and posed for the camera.
Let’s start at the bottom, with a pair of shiny white leather shoes contrasting with a pair of dark-as-night bell-bottom slacks.
Moving upwards, Mr. Sato slipped into a snow-white ruffled shirt with flared frills at the wrists. At his neck blossomed a rose-red bowtie, and tying the whole ensemble together was a tastefully understated leopard-print jacket.
Like we said, Uenoya’s primary clientele is people who work in the entertainment field, and so their selection is geared more towards performance costumes than everyday clothing. We have to admit, though, for as flashy as the outfit Narishima coordinated is…
…Mr. Sato does look good in it.
▼ The continuing evolution of Mr. Sato
We’re not sure this style is for everyone, since it takes an almost palpable aura of a panache to pull off, and also a healthy dose of mature coolness, as Uenoya’s fashions are closer to the aesthetic sensibilities of a generation ago than they are to modern Japanese show business. Still, if you’d like to make Mr. Sato’s look your own, Uenoya is the place to go.
Shop information
Uenoya Shirts / 上野屋シャツ店
Address: Tokyo-to, Taito-ku, Uno 4-78, Ameyoko Center Building 2nd floor
東京都台東区上野4-7-8 アメ横センタービル2F
Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Closed third Wednesday of every month
Website
Photos ©SoraNews24
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