Thoughts on Muji?

[Televangelist]

I'm actually a huge fan of their jeans, specifically because I wanted jeans in a fairly dark wash that never fades even a little, and they make a pair of dark-wash jeans with amazing fit and comfort at a really nice price point that haven't faded at all on me going on 2 years now, with a nice diagonal weave I really like.

 

[LaymanX]

Not a fan of their oxford shirts. Pretty much got destroyed after one wash, while my JCrew/Uniqlo equivalents have held up nicely.

 

[dotcomzzz]

once every blue boon they restock or what?

 

[Ecstasy]

Their range is so limited, I don't even consider them a clothing store.

 

[Televangelist]

You stop in once a season and either you find something that really grabs you, or you don't. I found an awesome winter cloak this time when I was at Muji's London flagship.

 

[ispace]

Some cool indigo-dyed shirts in various washes and patterns have just landed in Sydney, Australia for $A55. Not sure if they drop simultaneously in other countries or not.

 

[ispace]

 

[Clouseau]

I always visit Muji when possible. Especially in Asia their stores offer a really nice retail experience. It's rare to see a shop where everything they sell is so well in sync aesthetically.
As for the clothes, the quality is good considering the price. The price/quality ratio was even higher a few years ago when the Yen was weaker compared to Euro. I would say the quality of clothes is a above Uniqlo, and well beyond most high street brands. In Asia the clothes are cut in a more Japanese pattern (shorter sleeves, slimmer fit) than in Europe (and I guess US as well). I'd say Muji is best for casual shirts, sweaters and outerwear.

Reviving this tread and quoting this post as it is spot on.
I am pretty disappointed with Uniqlo for a couple of years, and going back to Muji for a while. Their jeans, shirts, sweatshirts, linen jackets, are pretty nice. Thoughts ?

 

[sandmountain]

Reviving this tread and quoting this post as it is spot on.
I am pretty disappointed with Uniqlo for a couple of years, and going back to Muji for a while. Their jeans, shirts, sweatshirts, linen jackets, are pretty nice. Thoughts ?

I’m a big MUJI fan (a small part of my doctorate thesis was about MUJI and some of the designers associated with the brand). In Australia, the pickings are a bit slim, but I proxy everything from Japan anyway. I buy most of my basics from them and occasionally supplement that with some nicer pieces from brands I like such as Margaret Howell. In fact, it was through MUJI that I first came across Margaret Howell, when the Japanese studio collaborated with them on the Labo line. I wish I had bought more of that back in the day. The current Labo line with Daisuke Obana of N. Hoolywood is a very different aesthetic, one that I appreciate more than seeing myself wear. But I think it looks really cool (I think it’s one of the most interesting takes on unisex clothing that I’ve seen) and I’d like to wear more of it. (I’d like to buy some stuff from N. Hoolywood, too.)

Over the last month or so, they’ve started releasing their autumn-winter collection in Japan, which is quite appealing. Some of the Labo designs have now become part of the standard line, and the aesthetic of Labo seems to have influenced the standard line too.

Comparing MUJI to Uniqlo, I have personally found the quality better and the design much more interesting. MUJI seems to have its own aesthetic and identity, whereas I find that Uniqlo is a bit more oriented towards trends. Uniqlo also reminds me of the IKEA design process that begins with a set price point and making the product fit that price (which ultimately leads to corners being cut and the final product looking a bit cheap).

I think that with MUJI there is much more “honesty” about the designs and the materials. Unlike Uniqlo, I don’t see them trying to make something that is cheap look expensive (which to me is a bit deceitful). Rather, the “cheapness” becomes aestheticised or a feature of the design itself (a classic example from many years ago would be their transparent PVC raincoats, which you cut to size yourself). Lately, they’ve been releasing clothes cut from surplus material, not too dissimilar an idea to the collaboration they do with Idée.

Having said all this and as much respect I have for the brand and the designers involved, I became a bit uneasy about buying clothes from MUJI after reading about their use of forced-labour for the Xinjiang cotton they used. I have not seen any reference to Xinjiang cotton on their website for a long time, which makes me think that they have stopped using it (except for the stuff that is perhaps still in circulation). But I suspect, as with any mass-produced brand like MUJI, that there are inevitably ethical issues on some level. And whilst it’s nice to see them advertise their new range as using recycled materials, it’s difficult to gage what this actually means.

Sadly, I can only really afford to buy clothes from brands like MUJI at the moment, and I’m not sure if there are any other brands at that price-point that are ethically any better. Because I don’t have much choice in terms of what I can afford to buy, ethically I do what I can by buying as little as possible and wearing things as much as possible. One positive is that I find that the clothes from MUJI last me a long time and the simple, harmonious aesthetic means I never grow bored of them.

 

[Clouseau]

I’m a big MUJI fan (a small part of my doctorate thesis was about MUJI and some of the designers associated with the brand). In Australia, the pickings are a bit slim, but I proxy everything from Japan anyway. I buy most of my basics from them and occasionally supplement that with some nicer pieces from brands I like such as Margaret Howell. In fact, it was through MUJI that I first came across Margaret Howell, when the Japanese studio collaborated with them on the Labo line. I wish I had bought more of that back in the day. The current Labo line with Daisuke Obana of N. Hoolywood is a very different aesthetic, one that I appreciate more than seeing myself wear. But I think it looks really cool (I think it’s one of the most interesting takes on unisex clothing that I’ve seen) and I’d like to wear more of it. (I’d like to buy some stuff from N. Hoolywood, too.)

Over the last month or so, they’ve started releasing their autumn-winter collection in Japan, which is quite appealing. Some of the Labo designs have now become part of the standard line, and the aesthetic of Labo seems to have influenced the standard line too.

Comparing MUJI to Uniqlo, I have personally found the quality better and the design much more interesting. MUJI seems to have its own aesthetic and identity, whereas I find that Uniqlo is a bit more oriented towards trends. Uniqlo also reminds me of the IKEA design process that begins with a set price point and making the product fit that price (which ultimately leads to corners being cut and the final product looking a bit cheap).

I think that with MUJI there is much more “honesty” about the designs and the materials. Unlike Uniqlo, I don’t see them trying to make something that is cheap look expensive (which to me is a bit deceitful). Rather, the “cheapness” becomes aestheticised or a feature of the design itself (a classic example from many years ago would be their transparent PVC raincoats, which you cut to size yourself). Lately, they’ve been releasing clothes cut from surplus material, not too dissimilar an idea to the collaboration they do with Idée.

Having said all this and as much respect I have for the brand and the designers involved, I became a bit uneasy about buying clothes from MUJI after reading about their use of forced-labour for the Xinjiang cotton they used. I have not seen any reference to Xinjiang cotton on their website for a long time, which makes me think that they have stopped using it (except for the stuff that is perhaps still in circulation). But I suspect, as with any mass-produced brand like MUJI, that there are inevitably ethical issues on some level. And whilst it’s nice to see them advertise their new range as using recycled materials, it’s difficult to gage what this actually means.

Sadly, I can only really afford to buy clothes from brands like MUJI at the moment, and I’m not sure if there are any other brands at that price-point that are ethically any better. Because I don’t have much choice in terms of what I can afford to buy, ethically I do what I can by buying as little as possible and wearing things as much as possible. One positive is that I find that the clothes from MUJI last me a long time and the simple, harmonious aesthetic means I never grow bored of them.

What I find very interesting with MUJI clothing is the minimalist approach, and the sober aesthetic that has a real Japanese identity, on contrary to Uniqlo whose founder was an Ivy and Americana enthusiast. Muji also sell some trad Japanese stuff like tabi socks and jinbei.
While at the beginning Uniqlo stuff was of decent quality (I used to go regularly to Japan and discovered Uniqlo when they still only had shops in Japan) I find the quality pretty bad now, the designs and collabs not as good as they used to be (Lemaire or Jill Sanders repeating theirselves), and the price increase, while it stays cheap High Street shop stuff.
I also noticed for a while that the sales are not interesting at Uniqlo while they are at MUJI, at least where I live.

 

[Clouseau]

I really like those MUJI « Heavy weight jersey Gusset t-shirts » i bought recently.