• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Uniqlones -- NY Mag on the rise of Uniqlo

wangvicous

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 23, 2009
Messages
149
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by APK
I'd say that's pretty accurate, though the selection is far larger than any comparable brand. In my limited experience (one visit plus two shirts and a pair of jeans), the fabric quality is a bit better than GAP. The prices are better, too.

What the store does is offer a lot of basic items that fit well and will compliment mid-tier or higher end pieces. Personally, I find their shirts to suffice most of my shirting needs. Likewise, it'd be my go-to place if I needed something that looked nice, but I know wouldn't get a ton of use (like a trench).

EDIT: And if we're just talking about the US store, the sizing isn't THAT different than GAP or J. Crew. A bit slimmer, but my medium button-downs could still stand to be taken in a little and I usually waft between a medium and large.


I really like their dress shirts, the fit is really good for me as well. I only wish they would carry more varieties, sometimes I can't fine a blue shirt or a gingham.
 

sushijerk

Distinguished Member
Joined
Aug 19, 2006
Messages
2,057
Reaction score
8,976
Originally Posted by Roguls
This makes me not want to buy any Uniqlo, ever.

Anybody ever seen Gung Ho?

The parts about the cash out contest and the 6 shirts folded in one minute just made me want vomit.


Someone else was expressing the same sentiments to the article in another thread. It's a ******* mass retail store that is dedicated to high volume turnover, not an art collective where everyone is a unique and beautiful snowflake. I'm there pretty regularly and the check out line moves fast, there is very little clutter because employees are constantly folding and replacing stray items, and I'm always offered a bag if they see me hand carrying multiple items. Whatever the hell they do behind the scenes I think more stores should do it.

Sorry a bunch of college kids trying to make some spending cash makes you want to vomit.
 

Simion505

Senior Member
Joined
May 12, 2010
Messages
134
Reaction score
5
Originally Posted by ctrlaltelite
i was definitely weirded out by the "my name is Uniqlo" bits.

Haha yeah me too, I was thinking... WTF... as I read it. But don't worry, if you read the paragraph after that the writer does state:
"with Uniqlo being replaced with the actual staff member's name of course."
 

holymadness

Distinguished Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2008
Messages
3,609
Reaction score
11
My main complaint with the Paris store is that there are three men's changerooms for the entire store; the lineups are atrocious, as you can imagine.

It is amusing to see young French cashiers handing me my change with both hands and a bow. Endearing even. Some of them screw it up and drop the money, which is always fun. Our store has even hired a huge number of Japanese residents in order to cater to the Japanese tourist market, as well as to lend an air of authenticity to the whole thing.

I only buy underwear and undershirts there (great value for the price). The shirts, sport coats, ties, sweaters, etc. are lousy as you might expect. I'll probably buy a pair of jeans from them one day, since the selvedge denim is attractive. The colours are also highly overrated; like a rainbow threw up on the walls. There's no subtlety at all, just bright, primary shades.
 

Fuuma

Franchouillard Modasse
Joined
Dec 20, 2004
Messages
26,940
Reaction score
14,529
Originally Posted by holymadness
My main complaint with the Paris store is that there are three men's changerooms for the entire store; the lineups are atrocious, as you can imagine.

It is amusing to see young French cashiers handing me my change with both hands and a bow. Endearing even. Some of them screw it up and drop the money, which is always fun. Our store has even hired a huge number of Japanese residents in order to cater to the Japanese tourist market, as well as to lend an air of authenticity to the whole thing.

I only buy underwear and undershirts there (great value for the price). The shirts, sport coats, ties, sweaters, etc. are lousy as you might expect. I'll probably buy a pair of jeans from them one day, since the selvedge denim is attractive. The colours are also highly overrated; like a rainbow threw up on the walls. There's no subtlety at all, just bright, primary shades.


The Paris store offers a hellish experience and is too "branded" for Uniqlo with all the anime-themed installations and stuff like that. NYC one is quieter.
 

TheDroog

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2007
Messages
485
Reaction score
19
Originally Posted by ctrlaltelite
i just thought with the glut of posts in the "why designer clothes cost so much" thread, it'd be interesting to see what people thought about the other side of the spectrum.
Good point, I gotcha. I found the article incredibly interesting, especially since I've tracked the growth of Uniqlo since it first came to NYC. I visited Uniqlo when it first opened in that tiny shop on Prince Street (or was it Spring St?). The clothes looked very simple and blousy, the lighting was dim, layout was cramped, and traffic was slow -- basically it wasn't very impressive. The store only lasted a few months, I think. Most Uniqlos outside the US are small and drab like this, according to the article. What's fascinating to me is how quickly they retooled their image by opening a megastore a year or so later that knocked the socks of everybody ... 3 floors, dozens of colors for every item, great floor plan. They've made the store itself an experience, thus enhancing the brand. H&M did this in its early years in NYC, but Uniqlo has managed not to dilute itself by limiting the number of US stores to one. It'll be interesting to see if they can keep up the allure with more stores opening. It's also interesting how quickly they can change clothing styles. Like I said before, Uniqlo used to be quite baggy. But those things didn't sell and now they're gone. In their place are the slimmish Vintage Chinos, "Japan-size" sweatshirts, etc. Few stores respond to customer demands so fast. Look at Gap. Everyone said their sizing sucked and it took them 6+ years to fix that. They're still fixing it. I admire what this company is doing. It's listening to customers, keeping supplies limited to build hype, and selling quality items at low cost. Not bad at all.
 

johnH123

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 2, 2010
Messages
1,586
Reaction score
27
So from I gathered from this thread, Uniqlo has;

Garish cultural stereotypes...advertising that borders on creepy...'slim fit vintage chinos'...a crowded store...what sounds like a very distinct 'character' they want for staff...an obsessive policy of having everything folded 'just so'...giving the customer the full corporate-directed shopping 'experience'....

Sounds sort of like Japan's version of Abercrombie and Fitch. Just with less cologne.

peepwall[1].gif
 

Hehlol

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
99
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by Roguls
This makes me not want to buy any Uniqlo, ever.

Anybody ever seen Gung Ho?

The parts about the cash out contest and the 6 shirts folded in one minute just made me want vomit.


What kind of practices did you expect from a company of this magnitude? Are there still people who are amazed at the monotonous, meaningless practices at large retail chain outlets?

You don't want to shop there because they're a big company?
confused.gif
 

romafan

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Nov 30, 2004
Messages
11,037
Reaction score
2,359
Did anyone read Ray Kelly's recipe for pasta con sarde (same issue)?
facepalm.gif
 

Hehlol

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 25, 2009
Messages
99
Reaction score
0
Originally Posted by johnH123
So from I gathered from this thread, Uniqlo has; Garish cultural stereotypes...advertising that borders on creepy...'slim fit vintage chinos'...a crowded store...what sounds like a very distinct 'character' they want for staff...an obsessive policy of having everything folded 'just so'...giving the customer the full corporate-directed shopping 'experience'.... Sounds sort of like Japan's version of Abercrombie and Fitch. Just with less cologne.
peepwall[1].gif

A&F produces acceptable quality garments for sale at high prices with branding that makes it clear to everyone around you where you bought that $89 hoodie. Uniqlo produces acceptable quality garments for sale at low prices without branding. But they both maintain some sort of creepy corporate culture for their staff.
 

ctrlaltelite

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
2,335
Reaction score
3
Originally Posted by Hehlol
A&F produces acceptable quality garments for sale at high prices with branding that makes it clear to everyone around you where you bought that $89 hoodie.

Uniqlo produces acceptable quality garments for sale at low prices without branding.


this. a&f started out as an actual outfitter before it became the uniform of the broletariat. there's plenty of folks who pride themselves on truly vintage a&f finds, ranging from safari shirts to other workwear-type fare.

the article notes that uniqlo seems to exist in a vaccum, and its sterile, apple-store like interior attests to this.

as far as garish cultural stereotyping, it seems to have backfired in uniqlo's case -- their perceived larger "american sizes" failed to sell whereas their normal product in "japanese sizes" flew off the racks.

i haven't seen many uniqlo ads, but most of the ones i've seen in store lookbooks and the few for +j and the heattech lines never seemed creepy to me. which ones were you referring to?
 

London

Distinguished Member
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Messages
1,954
Reaction score
649
They were first on Lafayette in the old Vice space.
 

APK

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Sep 10, 2008
Messages
10,276
Reaction score
11,153
All of this still seems relatively normal compared to the cult-like aura Zappos has going for it.
 

ctrlaltelite

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jun 8, 2007
Messages
2,335
Reaction score
3
yeah but whereas zappos was bought by amazon, uniqlo almost bought barney's three years ago and was purported to consider buying gap.
 

Roguls

Distinguished Member
Joined
Nov 27, 2009
Messages
1,492
Reaction score
209
Originally Posted by Hehlol
What kind of practices did you expect from a company of this magnitude? Are there still people who are amazed at the monotonous, meaningless practices at large retail chain outlets?

You don't want to shop there because they're a big company?
confused.gif


No. I am not amazed; just saddened.

I worked at the GAP (a very busy, profitable one). I understand the corporate mindset, especially in a high volume store. It simply makes me not want to buy anything there.

I read this article, and it made me cringe, because it reinforces the notion of our nation becoming more and more easily duped as mindless automaton consumers. Perhaps I should just become a Uniqlo drone.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 36.7%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 59 39.3%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 15 10.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 26 17.3%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 26 17.3%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,140
Messages
10,578,732
Members
223,896
Latest member
vocalkeny
Top