The TRUTH About UNIQLO

UNIQLO has slowly been taking over a niche clothing market globally by advertising themselves as affordable while still maintaining quality. We're wondering... Is that even possible??

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Script: Holly Maley
Editor: Reid Valaitis
Project Manager: Lurana McClure Rodríguez
Host: Levi Hildebrand

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[chavezchavo]

The one thing i appreciate about Uniqlo products is that they actually have clothing that is pretty minimalist. For once, looking for clothing with no designs or pictures has been made simple.

[MegaPoppy]

I'm Sri Lankan, discovered Uniqlo when I moved to Malaysia for Uni. As someone that always gravitated towards more minimal clothing without massive graphics on it, Uniqlo was love at first sight from a design perspective. It's only later that I realised the quality of their clothes is actually very long lasting. It's been almost half a decade since I last bought Uniqlo and I'm still wearing their clothes, and they've still lasted to this day. Not being able to buy their clothes now is probably one of the biggest things I miss about Malaysia now.

[PinguTurtle]

as an ex-employee, the funniest thing was unboxing the dry ex t shirt packaging. the packaging said “plastic free packaging”, but i had to unwrap it out of 2 layers of plastic bags, a layer of plastic wrap, a the cardboard box. they totally greenwash the consumer

[aquicktake]

I lived in SEA for a long time - and UNIQLO's Airism products were a lifesaver from the heat and humidity. I've been shopping with them for at least 20 years.

[mikkie]

As a Japanese living in the US, it meant a lot that you made a video about Uniqlo. Even though I truly want to love the brand, producing the clothes of decent quality with affordable price point, I always have the mixed feelings when it is known that the workers are exploited with low wage, forced to work for long hours, even though the chairman is one of the richest men in Japan. It is even recently they started to act as if they care about the environment. I really hope the brand shifts for the better.

[RambutanLaw]

Uniqlo is the only shop that I can walk in and pick new shirt in 10 minutes. The reason being is that their minimalist design allow me to mix and match the apparel quickly. Uniqlo is really a life saver for a person who think shopping for cloths is a chore and brain draining (life sucking) exercise. Their quality is also much better than other fast fashion chains.

[aydapadistudio]

I can confirm that in my former life as a corporate millennial in SE Asia, almost everyone in our building were dressed exclusively in Uniqlo…Even our local thrift shops are lined with pre-owned Uniqlo items (shipped from Korea, Japan, China). When I discovered the latter, I shopped less Uniqlo on retail and went thrifting instead cos their style and quality stand the test of time better than fast fashion + at least I don’t feel like I’m letting these perfectly good items added to fashion waste + cheaper!

[wanaan]

It is sustainable if you wear it sustainably. I am wearing the same Uniqlo slack I have been wearing for the past 4 years. My oldest Uniqlo outfit is coming up on its 8th birthday now, and I am still wearing it weekly (more often if the wife isn't watching) Almost everything is quite sustainable if you are not buying obscene amount of it.

[yuwenywh]

Uniqlo has been one of my all time favorite apparel brands! Grew up in Taiwan I wore lots of Uniqlo. Their pieces last wayyy longer than H&M or ZARA (both design and quality)!
It saved my wardrobe when Uniqlo opened their 1st store in Toronto years ago😆

[wdmeister]

One of my favourite brands. No huge logos, very minimalistic, much better quality than other popular brands, and very affordable. I don't buy clothes often but when i do this a place where i start my hunt.

[kristoffercedric]

Here in the Philippines, the whole (middle class) country is basically dressed by Uniqlo. Since coming here about 10 years ago, it took the garment industry previously dominated by 2 homegrown brands, called Bench and Penshoppe. Well I don’t fully grasp the economics, ethics, and sociocultural side of things, but you know what, in my own dumb mind, Uniqlo makes some damn good clothing, some of which I bought 7 or 8 years ago, I still (life)wear today.

[readbetterbooks]

This has been my go-to brand lately. They don't really come cheap in the Philippines, at least for a grad student on a budget, but their clothes hold better than other fast fashion brands.

[magpiemelle]

I have a few UNIQLO garments, and honestly, the thing that really drew me in was that it was one of the first clothing brands I found that had ACTUAL PROPER POCKETS in their skirts.

Trying to move in a more sustainable direction now, because of the worker's rights, but the skirts I do have from them continue to be staples of my wardrobe

[NearbyCactus]

As a New Zealander who used to visit China fairly frequently (until Covid hit anyway), Uniqlo was a reliable way for me to get cheap clothes while there. Further, I have found that with one exception they last longer than more expensive clothes here in NZ.

[CentaurMoe]

I grew up wearing uniqlo clothes, I've never really cared about fashion, and actually like simple blank clothes. They're not flashy, but affordable and have always been good money for the price (for the most part, their jeans have been mostly trashed IMO but have definitely got better).

However I fear for Uniqo nowadays, they are becoming more and more popular, and have started to slowly become a little more fashion conscious in the last few years.

I fear as they become more popular, they will likely become more of a fashion brand rather than a functional brand. Hope I'm wrong, but the writing is on the wall.

[valentinevansteenbergen]

Since I've discovered Uniqlo it's all I wear. I always struggled finding clothes that fit my body but Uniqlo clothes fit me perfectly. I also love how comfortable and simple they are, super versatile.

[yuaelt]

It saddens me very much to learn they're not much better than the likes of H&M or Zara. However, what I can absolutely attest to is that at least some of their clothes really are much better quality and long-lasting. When I went to Japan as an exchange student 12(!) years ago, I arrived with just one suitcase and almost immediately needed more clothes, but couldn't afford any popular brands. And because I'm a European with a D cup, shopping in second-hand stores over there was very difficult. A Uniqlo shop was like a gift from heavens and I bought a bunch of basic clothes... some of which I only threw out/donated 6 months ago during a big wardrobe cleanup! The pieces weren't looking great anymore of course, but the colors hardly faded, the seams where holding up well, the only sign of them being over 10 years old was the fabric condition - but because I can't use fabric softeners (allergies) this could actually be my fault. I haven't been to Uniqlo since going back to my home country so I don't know if their quality deteriorated over time to maintain the low price. And learning that their wages might not be fair is also very very sad. I hope they'll come to their senses and live up to the standard they've set for themselves.

[suchick]

I worked in senior management for 40 years in the apparel industry. Here's the saying I learned:
"You can have it fast. You can have it quality. You can have it cheap. Pick Two."

[kurtsullivan]

Just to nitpick a bit, Uniqlo doesn't sell their story/history simply because that marketing trend hasn't hit Japan. Most Japanese companies don't have an "our story" page on their websites. At best there is a timeline with bullet points. Also, I'm not sure that Uniqlo based their model on Gap so much as English-language articles about them use it as a convenient point of reference. Third, the Japanese absolutely do flaunt wealth through their attire, just more subtly, as the quote said. People spend crazy money on clothes here compared to the US, for example. (In the US people need to put that money into impressing people with their cars, so I'd say fashion is the lesser evil.) But overall a spot-on analysis and good video!

[vaguelyweird]

as someone living in japan, i have a good number of uniqlo items in my closet -- some airism items for base layer and active use, and a few slacks & sweaters for working in an office. what i appreciate is that despite the cheap price, they are well made and functional. after nearly a decade of careful use for some, my uniqlo items are still in good shape. i honestly can't bring to mind a single piece of more premium brand clothing that has lasted as long, except for maybe a fancy coat? like another commenter said, i also have mixed feelings considering their ethical practices but also loyalty for the brand.