The BulleTin • Sunday, March 28, 2021 C3
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I have meddling
in-laws. Anytime my husband
of 20 years and I have a dis-
agreement, he calls his parents
to complain about me. On six
different occasions, I found
messages and Facebook chats
between my husband and my
in-laws in which they called
me a bad mother, a terrible
person, crazy, evil, the devil
and disparaged my family.
Because of this, I have cut
off contact with his relatives,
and they cannot come to our
house. My husband insists on
being around them, and we ar-
gue because I want our 9-year-
old son to have only limited
contact with them. I don’t want
them tearing me down in front
of him. I also expect my spouse
to spend time with me and our
son at holidays, but my hus-
band says I’m being unreason-
able and I should just “move
on and let it go.” His parents
refuse to apologize. They say
they have done nothing wrong.
I need some objective advice.
— Miserable in Missouri
Dear Miserable: The per-
son who has done something
wrong is your husband. He
should not have gone running
to Mommy and Daddy when
you had a disagreement. What
they did was accept his side
of the story and support their
wounded child.
I don’t blame you for not
wanting your son subjected to
any smack talk from his grand-
parents. Wanting to shield
him from that doesn’t make
you crazy, evil, etc. Bury the
hatchet with them if it’s possi-
ble, and drag your husband to
a licensed marriage and fam-
ily therapist so he — and you
— can learn to disagree like
adults.
Dear Abby: My mother
keeps buying me (and my
now-teenage daughters)
clothes from a catalog for el-
derly women. Think lots of
bird prints, florals and elas-
tic-waist pants.
She’s an amazing mother
and grandmother and an in-
spiration in my life. I appreci-
ate her generosity and that she
thinks of us. However, none of
us wear the clothes, and I don’t
want to hurt her feelings by
telling her we are “pretty par-
ticular” when it comes to style.
We are very frugal and even
shop second-hand stores for
some clothing.
Should I speak up, or quietly
continue donating the clothes?
The last thing I want is to hurt
her.
— Wincing in Lansing, Mich.
Dear Wincing: Do NOT tell
your mother you and your
daughters have been donat-
ing the clothes she orders for
you. DO tell her that teenage
girls these days dress much dif-
ferently than women her age
and yours, and that it would
be “prudent” to ask them what
they might like or gift them
money to buy something of
their own choosing. It’s the
truth, and she should hear it.
As to what she is ordering
for you, thank her for her gen-
erosity and point out that since
the pandemic began most
women have been wearing
jeans, sweats, leggings, etc. and
that while you are grateful for
her, you think she should be
aware of it. Fashions change,
and there is nothing so con-
stant as change.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR SUNDAY, MARCH 28, 2021: Confident,
enthusiastic and impulsive, the desire to learn and grow moves you in a positive
direction. This year, you acquire knowledge that enhances your ability to connect
with people personally and professionally. Keep an eye on your finances since
you may be tempted to spend more than usual for business and pleasure. If sin-
gle, friendship may lead to love. If attached, your partner is your biggest cheer-
leader. CAPRICORN directs your energy.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Spend the day outdoors with someone special. Make sure there are
no crossed wires and you both agree about the game plan. Look forward to a
deep conversation. Give your point of view sweetly, though firmly. Tonight: Sam-
ple something sweet.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
You may be preoccupied with an unfinished project. Work on it in
the morning, and then set it aside. Children and grandchildren may come to
visit. Brush up on your cooking skills. Experiment with herbs and spices. Tonight:
Family film.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Get your household chores done early. Take a car, bus or train ride some-
where off the beaten track. You may be invited to a gathering or party. Someone
you meet could become an important contact. Tonight: Phone a friend.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
Attending a sporting event or watching it from home may define your
day. Try to persuade an out-of-town relative to come for a visit. If that does not
work, arrange to Zoom with several family members. Tonight: Solve a problem.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
Enjoy your breakfast and the morning paper before the day takes you
by storm. You may want to indulge in a lazy Sunday, but others have different
plans. Bite the bullet and go out with friends. Tonight: Carve out alone time.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
You may discover you have less cash on hand than you thought. Explore
online bargains and creative ways to buy what you need. Think of it as a treasure
hunt. Involve your family and compare what you find. Tonight: Relaxation.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Family may make plans without asking you. Be accommodating and
assertive. You know how to bring others around to your point of view. Take
advantage of that quality. Make others feel they have gotten what they want.
Tonight: Online shopping.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Be sure to jot down last night’s dream. It might contain an illumi-
nating message. Ask someone you love for a favor you have been hesitant to
bring up. The positive response may surprise you. Tonight: Start an exciting
page-turner.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Reflect on advice you recently received from friends. They know you
well and can provide the objectivity you need. Think about joining a book
club. You will expand your social circle when you widen your interests. Tonight:
Laughing out loud.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Pat yourself on the back for making it through a challenging week. The
recognition you receive will boost your confidence. Share happy thoughts with
someone feeling down. Talk them into going for a walk in the park. Tonight:
Artistic impulses.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) 9
Research destinations for a family trip. The good news is, if you do
your homework, you’ll discover the perfect place at a great price. Children and
grandchildren may provide you with surprising tips on where to go. Tonight:
Dance party.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
The entrepreneur in you is ready to emerge. Use your natural charm, and
someone may be interested in marketing your ideas or selling your products. Ask an
informed friend to guide you through the process. Tonight: Catch up with friends.
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Billionaire’s clothing company
becomes a sportswear sensation
BY MIN JEONG LEE AND
YOOJUNG LEE
Bloomberg
When it comes to Japa-
nese retail billionaires, the
first name that springs to
mind might be Tadashi Yanai,
the entrepreneur behind the
Uniqlo brand and the nation’s
richest man.
But there’s another founder
who’s drawing attention as
one of his biggest companies
transforms in the country.
Yoshio Tsuchiya’s Work-
man Co. has expanded be-
yond its roots as a maker of
drab uniforms for laborers
into low-cost, functional
sportswear and outdoor gear.
The evolution has won praise
from investors, analysts and
even Fast Retailing Co.’s Yanai,
who says the company has
created a “new market.” Other
observers question whether
the positive momentum has
reached its limit.
Workman’s shares have
more than quadrupled since
the start of 2018, despite par-
ing some of their gains re-
cently. That boosted Tsuchiya
and his family’s stake in the
company alone to about
$4.5 billion, according to the
Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
For one analyst, the retailer
has the potential to really take
Toru Hanai/The Washington Post
In 2016, Workman moved into low-cost outdoor gear before open-
ing its first WORKMAN Plus store, like the one shown above, two
years later to focus on sports and outdoor clothing.
off when the country gets clear
of the covid-19 pandemic.
“It’s one of the more excit-
ing stories in Japanese retail”
once things get back to nor-
mal, said Ruhell Amin, global
head of retail equity research
at William O’Neil & Co. in
London.
Tsuchiya opened Work-
man’s first store in 1979 when
he was in his late 40s. The
company specialized in work
clothing for construction la-
borers, a booming business in
the country’s bubble economy
of the 1980s.
In 2016, Workman moved
into low-cost outdoor gear be-
fore opening its first WORK-
MAN Plus store two years
later to focus on sports and
outdoor clothing. The com-
pany had 632 regular stores
and 269 WORKMAN Plus
shops across Japan as of
March 10, often in areas where
blue-collar workers live.
One popular product is a
waterproof jacket that costs
$36 (3,900 yen), much lower
than comparable offerings by
other companies. A “climb
light jacket” from The North
Face, for example, retails for
about $300 (33,000 yen).
“Because our clothes were
originally designed to suit
workers, they weren’t inferior
to sportswear in function-
ality, and most importantly,
they could be made at cheap
prices,” Tetsuo Tsuchiya, a
family member and senior
managing director at Work-
man, said in an interview with
ITmedia Business Online in
January. “We realized that was
Workman’s strength.”
Richard Kaye, a portfo-
lio manager at Comgest As-
set Management Japan Ltd.,
which owns Workman shares,
said the quality of the com-
pany’s products can be better
than more expensive brands
because of its established sup-
ply chain.
The apparel maker boasts
“high performance at one-
half to one-third the cost of
famous brands,” Ryozo Mi-
nagawa, a senior analyst at
SMBC Nikko Securities Inc.
in Tokyo, wrote in a Novem-
ber note. It has “no competi-
tion” in the cheap sportswear
segment, he wrote.
“I want them to keep it up
— competition is a source of
development,” Fast Retailing’s
Yanai told reporters following
an earnings release in October
when asked about the threat
of Workman. “We created a
new market and so has Work-
man,” he said. “The clothes
have functionality, and I think
they’re very good.”