Is UNIQLO Still The Best For Affordable Basics?

It's been over a year since I bought anything from UNIQLO and I've heard mixed things about their quality recently. I used to talk about UNIQLO selling the best quality affordable basics out there when I first started posting to this channel but do I still think that today?

Well, to put them to the test, I bought a number of pieces I used to buy off them regularly and I give my thoughts.

Items from the video:

U T-shirt

Supima Cotton T-shirt

Waffle T-shirt

Sweatshirt

Overshirt
US Link - Not Available

Trousers

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[HarryHas]

If you want to see some other shops I recommend for basics, I have a video on the channel called, ‘The Best Quality Affordable Fashion Brands.’ Thanks for watching

[MLGBrownCat]

Just to give an idea of how good Uniqlo used to be, I still have a couple of white supima t-shirts from around 2014 which have had over 200-300 wears and washes, no rips, stitching is still good and it still fits perfectly.

[chrisjoshua]

They’ve gone from $30 hoodies, to $40 for a few months. and now have settled with $50 ! Insanity. Many things have gone up in price but the basic sweatshirts is what blows me away. Their chinos too have gotten more expensive but have also become thinner

[peregrineslim]

The prices are definitely higher, but I always found them to lean towards "thin". I live in the sub-tropics so I can't complain. I prefer their collabs.

[adamcohen]

The biggest problem I have with Uniqlo is their sizing is outrageously variable. Without changing my own dimensions in a one year period I have found clothes there that fit me ranging from XS to Large. Its not so problematic when shopping in their stores, but its impossible to know what size to order on new items and most importantly, they charge you for shipping on returns.

[pt]

I love the Airism line, but I must admit this year I got most of my basics from weekday.
Maybe because they are a bit edgier and feel just right for the post-lockdown summer.

[omertariq]

Absolutely agree here regarding their U t-shirt, I absolutely loved the boxy fit it had. Now, they just feel too slim for my liking. I couldn't believe how the fit could drastically change. Now looking at other places for a similar look and feel.

[danyfalcon]

After watching so many videos in this channel talking how wonderful Uniqlo it is, I finally decided to go shopping at the store and I spend a solid $600 on basics, a week later I face this video saying its better to spend my money somewhere else lmao I love it.

[yuta]

My issue with most brands especially Ralph Lauren is that their quality and fit have gone bad over the years, most new brands such as Uniqlo started by impressing just to attract customers and after making their name they start cheating on the quality for more gains, corporate greed.

[Theo-ulqm]

I’ve always found uniqlo a bit overrated to be honest - always preferred GAP/Banana Republic for basics. And now, with uniqlo’s price increases, they might even be evenly priced.

[edoalva]

I can sense their change recently, although personally Uniqlo is still very much my go-to for basics. But their supima tees increased in price and some of their product lineups changed. For instance, their soft touch long sleeve t shirts now has sweatshirt style wrist when they have actual sweatshirts and sweater lineup, which wasn't the case back then so it is somewhat redundant. And the pocket oversized tee lost the different front-back length, small detail which I liked. Also for some reason they don't promote Airism as much anymore. Good thing is that U Tees, my absolute favorite are still perfect. Well, maybe other than for the white color not being actual white.

[thisistotallyfine]

I was a big fan of the supima tees when I first started buying Uniqlo basics. But after multiple washes, the shape just didn't hold up well anymore. Then I switched to buying U tees since the heavier weight material overall felt nicer, but as you said it's quite a rough texture. It's still nice looking but it's not exactly comfortable when wearing it in a hot and humid weather. Now I only buy the airism U tees which in my opinion is the best one. The sleeve is slightly too long but I usually roll it up.

[penguin]

The thing I've found with Uniqlo, is that the sizing can be so off, even in the same tshirt, I've bought 3 tshirts at the same time in the same style just different colours, and they are all of different lengths.

[FabulousResults]

I usually just stick to the U releases from Uniqlo. I do still like the supima tee but I gravitate towards my cos basic t-shirts now. However, I do think it makes sense that the prices have increased. I work in the furniture/design industry and the cost of raw materials have skyrocketed. Everyone's charging more nowadays. I would be skeptical of any brand that hasn't increased prices in general, they're probably cutting corners somewhere, probably with labor, environmental care, or materials.

[GOZES]

Maybe It would have been best to mention some alternatives from other brands for the pieces where the quality from Uniqlo has gone down.

[ngtaikhoa]

Uniqlo used to be my go-to option when I first started working, as well as my fashion journey, thanks to their simplicity & affordability. But now I’m leaning towards having less, but higher quality pieces. All in all, Still a good place to start

[sdamrongmanee]

I agree. I bought several heattech tshirts in 2018 which are still completely in tact after all these years of wearing and washing. Recently I decided to restock and buy some new heattech tops but they started to already fluff up after a few washes. The newer version of the extra warm heattech also has a less refined finishing around the neckline and a rougher texture on the inside.

[jzukill]

Hi! It's me again lol. Why am i seeing these kind of videos of yours so late about conversses and how to style them especially wearing trousers. I am in love with trousers, this helped me a lot I swear. Keep uploading more videos like this, you're helping a lot of people. Thank you, Harry! Love from Philippines

[meenathakur]

Totally agree with you....the quality goes down in last few years. Its more like H&M and other fast fashion brand. But the prices goes quite high. I am very frequent buyer of UNIQLO brand. I seriously notice the issues you mentioned. I started shopping the stuff only when they are on sale. I am not paying full price for this quality.

[juliegoesboatin]

I'm pretty sure they slightly alter the shirts for F/W and S/S nowadays, so that *might* explain the thinner fabrics