Relay Column: Wearing in the City / Wearing the City: On Fashion & Anonymity (Shumpei Seki)

I've always had a vague longing for the city. When I was in middle school, I used to take the train from my hometown to the city on weekends, wandering without a particular destination, just enjoying the sight of buildings and people. Even when I got into my 20s, I couldn't let go of that feeling and moved to Tokyo. Despite being a graduate student, I would find myself entranced by Tokyo's bustling areas. Amidst the crowds, I would recall sociology books written about cities and feel excited about what I might discover in my research. Looking back, my curiosity was always intertwined with the city.

When heading out to the city, I found myself caring about my appearance. There wasn't anyone specific I wanted to impress, and I've never been particularly fashionable, but I felt like I had to put some effort into my look. In hindsight, I think there were two types of "ways of caring" about my appearance.

To decipher this experience, I think the hints lie in the city's "performance aspect" and "anonymity." In this article, I want to explore the fashion of people heading out to the city. In other words, I might be considering how people engage with the "stage."