Why Did the 'Older Man in a Hoodie Controversy' Go Viral on Social Media? A Book to Free You from 'Clothing Anxiety': 'Who Decides What is Uncool?' Released April 22

Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd. released 'Who Decides What is Uncool?' (written by Hiroko Hirayoshi) on Wednesday, April 22, 2026.

In 2024, the 'older man in a hoodie controversy' suddenly became a hot topic on social media.

"Why is it considered 'uncool' when a middle-aged man wears a hoodie?"

"To begin with, why is it considered preferable to dress age-appropriately in fashion?"

Many in their 40s and 50s took this controversy personally, as their own issue.

Without realizing it, modern people are bound by anxieties such as "I don't want people to think it doesn't suit me," "I don't want to be told it's not age-appropriate," and "I have to follow the manners."

This book carefully unravels the common sense and stereotypes of clothing that modern people living in the social media era are unconsciously trapped by, from historical backgrounds and social reasons.

It is a book that helps you acquire a mindset to break free from the constraints of fashion and enjoy wearing clothes more comfortably.

[Contents of this book]

Introduction

Chapter 1: Why Do We Care About Other People's Clothes? <Self and Society> Flaming fashion / People who call others' clothes 'uncool' / Why do we dress up? etc.

Chapter 2: How Was the Hoodie Born? <Origins and Trends> What is a 'hoodie'? / From outdoors to everyday wear / Trends change, and generations take turns etc.

Chapter 3: Why Do We Fear Being 'Uncool'? <Age and Dressing> What is 'uncool'? / Taken to Uniqlo / Wearing a hoodie = Youth? etc.

Chapter 4: Who Supports the Hoodie and How? <Style and Deviation> Casualizing work clothes / Steve Jobs' revolution / Takafumi Horie and Hiroyuki's views on hoodies etc.

Chapter 5: Where Does the Power of the Suit Come From? <History and Class> The suit born from British aristocrats / The revolution emphasized 'polishing the inner self' / New class differences based on ability and sense etc.

Chapter 6: How is Appropriateness Determined? <Diplomacy and Strategy> Why does President Zelensky not wear a suit? / Internalized Western culture / Japan also chose the suit as a strategy etc.

Chapter 7: Why Do We Choose Those Clothes? <Fashion and Norms> Choosing clothes to match 'everyone' / Who steps out of line first? / How to take the first step towards 'freedom of fashion' etc.

Conclusion: Who Decides What is 'Uncool'?

Author Profile

Hiroko Hirayoshi

Professor, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University. Born in Tokyo in 1972. Graduated from the Department of Aesthetics and Art History, Faculty of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts. Withdrew from the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo after completing coursework. Ph.D. (Academic). Specializes in representational culture and fashion culture studies. Her main publications include 'The Apparatus of the Gaze: Fashion and Modern America' (Seidosha), 'Intensive Lectures on Fashion Theory at the University of Tokyo' (Chikuma Shobo), and '150 Years of Japanese Fashion: From the Meiji Era to the Present' (Yoshikawa Kobunkan), and she is a co-supervising translator of 'Fashion Theory: Selected Works of Valerie Steele' (Adachi Press).

Book Information

Title: Who Decides What is Uncool? Author: Hiroko Hirayoshi Price: 1,078 yen (including tax) Release Date: April 22, 2026 Publisher: Poplar Publishing Co., Ltd.

Bibliographic page >> https://www.poplar.co.jp/book/search/result/archive/8201284.html Amazon >> https://amzn.to/4cypHBV