Despite being married to a fashion designer, I am not much of a fashionista. There are many reasons for this from having a practical bent to have a body shape and size that doesn’t lend itself to the skinny lines of most men’s fashion. So I generally do not enjoy clothes shopping. But the exception to this is shopping at UNIQLO.
The fourth biggest fashion brand globally, Uniqlo (pronounced “uni-glow”) is a Japanese casual wear chain wholly owned by Fast Retailing Co. Ltd. The experience I get shopping at Uniqlo reminds me of what I enjoyed about The Gap in the mid-1990s. So it was no surprised to learn that the brand, with a history that goes back only to 1984, specifically set out to emulate elements of The Gap in the late 1990s.
While their presence in the United States and Canada is limited to the largest cities, Uniqlo operates more than 2,200 stores globally with the largest presence in East and Southeast Asia. The clothing is moderately priced, well-constructed, on-trend but not to the point where something you buy will look out of date in a year. The range of outfits and styles is limited, so you don’t feel overwhelmed with choices.
What I like best, though, is that even here in Thailand, they offer clothes I can fit in. In Asia, sizes run smaller. What might be a size L in the United States is often a 2XL in Thailand and is often not available at all. At Uniqlo, for all except their skinny-fit pants (I am never going to be a skinny fit), I fit into an XL. I was pleasantly surprised to find some summer shorts this weekend that not only fit, but fit quite comfortably.
Here’s to the joy of finding clothes that fit, that you feel comfortable in, and that you feel are at least reasonably fashionable! Are you familiar with Uniqlo? What has your experience with them been like?
christao408 
I’ve never heard of that brand… Then again I was not a fan of the GAP either. I haven’t purchased brand new clothes in years. I prefer to get everything from the thrift stores. If I had to replace my wardrobe at the mall, I couldn’t afford it. I’ve managed to get name-brand clothing for next to nothing! My friend is a fashionista and nearly had a conniption fit when she found out I had purchased a Lily Pulitzer sweater for $2.50 and a Kate Spade purse for $2.00 and although they were last year’s models, they were like new. I just can’t imagine paying over $200 for a purse to hold my paltry sum of money!
Makes sense – finding good values makes it feel very satisfying!
I am happy that you find clothes that impress you. You are right, we don’t have those stores here, at least not yet.
I am a fan of this store. All of the larger cities I have lived in or near have them at the malls and plazas and I have seen them at malls when traveling. Like you, what I like most about them is that I can find my smaller size and it’s usually items that don’t get outdated like denim. I don’t pack much when I travel because I like to pack light so Uniqlo is an option I have used internationally.
That is exactly what I like about them – perfect for travel.
I have a couple of their stuff – I got them when I was in Hong Kong. It’s decent quality and decent price. I know they have a store here in Toronto but I’ve never been in.
Maybe worth a visit?
Oh, how I miss GAP. Memories to my college years back in the States.
But I too heart Uniqlo. I have been a fan of this brand way before the company started opening up many stores internationally. I was made aware of the brand due to the several business trips to Japan in the past. I was thrilled when the brand decided to open up stores all over South East Asia. I no longer had to wait until I was on an international trip to purchase some of their clothes.
Uniqlo has many branch stores in Jakarta. It becomes a must go store for me whenever I visit a mall, even if only to check out what’s on Sale 🙂