WELCOME TO WIMPY

Yeah, I know, not another menswear newsletter

Every time I’ve heard the words “I’m starting a menswear newsletter” leave my lips recently, I’ve died a bit inside. The world does not need another mediocre fashion Substack. But stick with me—this one’s from Japan.

A brief intro: I am a British fashion journalist based in Tokyo, reporting on Japanese fashion and menswear more generally. I’m the Tokyo correspondent for Vogue Runway as well as a menswear writer for various other places, and I wanted to make a space to write about the things that I don’t get to cover for larger magazines, and to highlight some of the unseen conversations and specialist brands/stores/creatives that I often find. There are plenty of rabbit holes in menswear, and especially in Tokyo—hidden spots and scenes that are near-impossible to find unless you know the right people. And I want to be the right people! At a time where it feels like every morsel of fashion knowledge has been hoovered up by the internet, it’s exciting to find plenty out there that remains unlisted—and so this is my way to share it with you.

So welcome to Wimpy! Take your shoes off and come in.

With a focus on (but not limited to) Tokyo, Wimpy will dig deep into menswear and fashion that you won’t find elsewhere. There will be designer profiles, fashion week insights from Tokyo and Paris, and recommendations across clothing, skincare and more—with some personal reflections on life and fashion in Japan along the way. I can’t promise regularity, but I can promise to show you things you’ve never read about before. I hope you’ll join me!

(The credit for Wimpy’s name goes to Jian Deleon, who came up with it in two seconds flat when I mentioned I was thinking of starting a Japan-based newsletter over a drink during Paris Fashion Week. Jian possesses the most encyclopaedic mind in menswear, and his instant suggestion, rooted in the grand tradition of Japanese menswear publications, was far better than anything I had wrung out of my brain in the months I’d been thinking about and planning this. So thank you Jian!)