The term “timeless style” can feel like such a cliché nowadays, but it’s genuinely amazing how little — and how awesome — Yukio Akamine’s style has changed since I first saw him on The Sartorialist nearly ten years ago. Granted, ten years is hardly timeless, but with how quickly fashion moves on the internet, that almost feels like a lifetime ago.
Akamine has described his style as being traditionally British, but I actually think of it as a Japanese-Italian interpretation of British clothes. The fabrics are heavy, but the tailoring – save for a few sharply cut double breasted jackets – mostly looks soft and rounded. The shoulders are unconstructed and sloping, the lapels slightly extended, and the quarters gently curved. His shirt collars also look soft and unfused, and the points are long in a way that you almost only see in Southern Italy nowadays. For casualwear, he seems to favor the kind of slim fitting suede A-1 blousons that Valstar made famous in the 1960s, and like many Italians, pairs them with tailored trousers.
And while much of what he wears feels conservative, there are some dandyish details. In several photos, he’s seen in a chunky rollneck sweater with a tweed sport coat, and a couple of his single-breasted jackets have both patch pockets and peak lapels (a daring combination). Plus, there are those deep, deep two-inch cuffs. On most men, these kind of things would seem affected, but on Akamine, they look so natural and good. Whether it’s because of that handsome face or his age, I don’t know. I’ll give them a try when I’m in my 70s so I can at least tell if you if it’s the latter.
To see more of Akamine, you can visit The Sartorialist or either of Akamine’s two blogs – Japan Gentleman’s Lounge and Incontro. Japan Gentleman’s Lounge is particularly good.
(Images via Japan Gentleman’s Lounge and Openers)
