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.
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.
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
Most companies do this. My favorite is Apple. Who (and this is my favorite and newest extreme example) ship their apple watches in a box in 2x1 layers, cardstock between each layer, in a box, that box surrounded by a bunch of more cardboard cushioning, inside another box. (so...the watches are in two VERY overbuilt boxes, plus the retail packaging)
@@CaptainMauzer This is 100 % true. I got my first Apple Watch a few months ago, and I was shocked at how much packaging there was for a little watch. Absolutely absurd! I typically save packaging for resale later on, but this all just went in the recycling bin- it was too much to keep.
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.
Oh yeah man I live in SE asia. I wear H&M and take the trash out, sweat marks and the shirt is ruined for the day. Uniqlo, no worries. Do whatever outside the shirt sorts it out.
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!
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.
Their airism shirts don't smell as quickly, so you can wear them multiple times before they start smelling and save on laundries and detergent. Wool might be more sustainable though.
Yeah exactly, some of my tshirts and Jackets from Uniqlo are 5+ years old. Still very usable, unfaded and not damaged. People are quick to state its a fast fashion brand as they are cheapish and have factories in china. And for them expensive is always sustainable. What a lot of these people do not know if their sustainable brand also have manufaturing roots in china. No average selling expensive brand will handmake their stuff to justify the price tag.
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.
This is the first time I’ve heard about the negative aspects of the brand. I can see similarities between them and how H&M operates. I think somehow they flew under the radar of companies that get criticized for their business practices at least in the US.
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.
Exactly! And I don't know why the speaker said something bad about the quality! The quality is really great from what I have seen. Every single item from Uniqlo is still in really nice condition! They make beautiful things that last long, quality is comparable to some much more expensive brands!!!
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😆
My relatives from Canada visited us in Asia once, and they went all out in the Uniqlo here. I'm talking a whole new luggage worth of clothes. Apparently it's that hard for Asians to get appropriately sized clothing in the West. Or at least it was years ago.
I'm not a flashy person so when I visited Tokyo for the first time 8 years ago, I fell in love. Since they opened in Toronto I shop almost exclusively there. 90% of my clothes are now Uniqlo.
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.
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.
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
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.
Happy to hear their items have lasted you as long as they have! There's definitely a need for affordable basics at a higher quality standard so we'll just have to see if the ethics improve over time 🙏
I think that's beginning to change tbh. I stored away some of my Uniqlo things when the lockdowns started and just recently brought them out again. Compared to the new items (same model, diff color), the old ones feel much higher quality. I'm afraid even Uniqlo's quality is starting to suffer, which is made all the more worse by the huge increases in prices. I was even told by my batchmate who works there now that they were instructed to tell customers that the price increases are due to "new technologies and materials", but we all know that's bullshit lol. The price increases make Philippine prices on par with international Uniqlo prices, I guess the margins here became too small for comfort for them. I used to love going to Uniqlo, but these days I just feel bittersweet when I pass by.
@@spartanB0292 you’re not wrong. I still feel that they are fairly “unique” in their pricepoint, offering a much higher quality than the rest of fast fashion/mall fashion (and I’m not sure they qualify as fast fashion, because the definition of that is very high turnover of styles and trends and expedited methods of product design, manufacture, and transport to achieve it, and Uniqlo’s product selection updates at a more traditional seasonal pace). What they offer is basics that suit a range of personal styles and ages/contexts, and I still look there when shopping for specific things and find some quality. But when I first became interested in Uniqlo, they had a whole range of silk that is long gone. There was far more wool and cashmere used. I don’t know that their materials were any more sustainable or responsible, but they had a great selection of quality fibers and fabrics with their clothes. At that time, I felt like they were doing what The Gap had been purporting to do, but better. But now, I do feel that I need to pay more attention to quality if I shop there. I tend to buy most clothes secondhand now anyway, if I can, and almost everything I’ve bought at Uniqlo has held up very well (exception being a merino wool ribbed turtleneck that didn’t survive one winter in the drawer), so they are definitely one of the brands I look for in thrift stores or follow on Poshmark. Their ultralight down topped with one of their light raincoats is my go-to winter coat and was great in a frigid, damp London during a January trip, too!
Nung nasa japan pa ako di kami bumibili ng uniqlo kasi namamahalan kami compared kung mag ukay kami. Tapos dun kami sa GU na sister company nya bumibili kasi mas mura lalo na pag magpapalit na ng season.
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.
Bought my 1st 2 Uniqlo fleece tops in nyc in 2012. They are still going strong. Have no qualms buying their stuff. Wish there was Uniqlo in South Africa.
I've never been to their store but always wanted to because I've always preferred natural fibers to synthetics. I don't think it's a popular brand where I live in the US (not where I'm from). I figure if it's Japanese, then the clothing is made for rectangular-shaped bodies like most Asians have. I'm a size 4 short/S/XS, but have curves. It's enough of an issue with American brands, who use the same rectangular model for women's apparel. I'm tired of spending $25 to take the waist in on jeans and pants because the designers only make clothing for one body type. It wasn't like that even 20 years ago. I don't know where to shop anymore and totally dread it.
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.
As a fellow kiwi I don't want it to come here why cos we would end up getting ripped off on pricing as a high end import retail just cos that's the bs New Zealand in general has become good affordable products become luxury or not what it's original intention was and price and quality become irrelevant
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.
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.
Hopefully, instead of venturing further into fast fashion, they meet the demand for affordable goods produced ethically and find a middle-ground - but realistically this doesn't usually happen when brands grow! Fingers crossed for the future 🤞🤞
I think they're definitely getting there, with how many collabs they do. Back then, collabs meant higher quality clothing. Now they mean fashion forward items (aka us normies would never wear them) that rot in the sale section until I assume they are thrown out. Worst offender is their graphic tees, Jesus some of them are so ugly or poor quality, you have to wonder why Uniqlo would think anyone would buy them.
yes, I've definitely found that the last few seasons I've looked at most items and thought "I don't like the silhouette". My husband has found this is especially true with the men's clothes.
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!
Japanese people definitely impress with their cars! I was in Ginza, Tokyo last week and there was about 50 decked out lambos on the street all covered in lights and revving their engines. Having a Toyota Century is the ultimate flex because that's what the emperor drives in, but I saw plenty of Rolls-Royces as well
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.
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."
I forbid myself from buying anything fast fashion and decided to only buy basic clothes from UNIQLO as a weird minimalist decision. All of my Uniqlo clothes are still here and apart from repairing the jeans I never had any issues. Their clothes can go well with more expensive stuff or more basic things. Very versatile :)
I live in Japan and love Uniqlo. They have “heat tech” for the winter and it actually is pretty freaking hot, keeps me warm. Uniqlo makes perfect clothes to pair with other stylish things. I vote YES for Uniqlo always.
When Uniqlo Soho NYC opened over 15yrs ago, their cashmere sweaters and selvedge denim at insanely low pricing was something nobody had seen in the US. I still have some of those sweaters and jeans and they’re in great shape after all these years.
I’ve been aggressively championing Uniqlo since high school when they opened a store in my city (I’m now 24). I have a hard time wearing pants from anywhere else, and I dig a lot of the random collabs they’ve done for graphic tees over the years. Classically problematic from an ethical standpoint, but a staple for me as a broke young people
A few years ago, I decided to go minimalist (although not in an extreme way), I gravitated to clothing that doesn't have designs on it or prints. Most of my wardrobe pieces are from Uniqlo and Muji. I only have 3 dresses in print, and I love this lifestyle so far. It made my "getting ready with me" a lot easier because I didn't have a hard time deciding on what to wear. For some, it may look boring, but it gives me actually real happiness to have a few pieces that I actually wear all the time.
Second-hand shops in Vietnam carry a lot of Uniqlo. Their clothes generally appear high-quality and have a simple, vintage style. A lot of the shirts in my wardrobe are Uniqlo now because of those qualities.
I often buy my dress clothes from UNIQLO here in Japan. Their shirts and pants are excellent, with some people saying they look like items worth 2 or 3 times their price. Been wearing the same shirts for 3 years and running, and they still look and feel like new!
Ever since i became aware of fast fashion, it was surprisingly not that difficult for me to stay away from brands like H&M. But Uniqlo? That one’s hard. I still walk into their shops and hope to come out with a purchased item (which rarely happens because I usually don’t have money). They just have so many affordable quality essentials
I've been buying Uniqlo for almost 15 years now. I have Heat-tec undershirts that I bought in 2008, back when it was still pretty new in Europe and the only place I could buy it was London because they didn't ship to Poland, and they still look and behave as new, despite being washed hundreds of times. Their bra shirts allowed me to get rid of almost all of my bras and I've never been more comfy. Their Supina t-shirts are invincible. The only reason I binned my black skinny jeans was because they had frayed between the legs from years of constant wear. I've never had a bad quality item from them and I have items in, I think, every clothing category (except coats). Now that I've learned their practices suck I'll be cutting back unless I actually need something, but if you're looking for quality that will last you many, many years of wearing and washing, Uniqlo are the answer.
I initially found Uniqlo back in like 2018, and I actually still wear tons of the clothes I bought back then (outerwear, sweaters, shirts, jeans, underwear… you name it, I probably have something from them that I use regularly). They hold up fine over years of use and reasonable/normal clothing care. I think the only thing I have from them that deteriorated was a black cashmere sweater, but that’s bc I put it in the washing machine and didn’t dry clean it like you’re supposed to. The reason why I have so many clothes from them is.. well, frankly, being a short man (5’2”) living in the united states of gigantic people, literally no other brands carried menswear that were even close to my size. I always looked like a teenager who borrowed his dad’s clothes to wear to prom. My only alternatives were women’s clothing (which are fine for tshirts and stuff but formalwear was impossible to find) or kid’s clothing (no thanks) or buying online (still not ideal bc I prefer being able to try stuff on before buying if it’s not something I’ve bought before). I know they have a lot of problems, and they’re only a little better than places like gap or yesstyle or whatever, but I’m a student and I don’t have the money to shell out for clothing from expensive brands, and on top of that, I wouldn’t even know what to look for in the more expensive places. Uniqlo just happens to fit me, both physically and financially, and their clothes are plain but not ugly while also being comfortable and reasonably durable. Plus, their clothes will never go out of style, at least not until they just aren’t wearable anymore. All of that makes their clothes really valuable to me as a university student.
@@PinguTurtle I've seen both. I got 3 trousers done for an hour later and another time one pair done for the next day. Both seemed to be instore in different locations.
Too bad most of the (women's) trousers are very short 😅 that's a difficult fix. They're releasing "long" styles now but those are still often ankle length. Saving on fabric I guess.
as a child who grown up in a not so wealthy family in vietnam, i used to wearing clothes that costs like 4 - 5 dollar each imported from china. Seeing people saying uniqlo's clothes are cheap is kinda strange to me 😭 nowadays, uniqlo's clothes becoming more and more affordable for my family, still i dont think the price is cheap at all. Me and my family really enjoy the simple design and the quality they offer, I know they do have shady problems like any other brands, but it's kinda the best clothes at that price range we have 🙌
I own a few of their knitwear products and a linen blend dress and I've worn them non-stop for years. they've been holding up really well. Sure, at the end of the day they're not the most sustainable option, but at least for me finding a good basic that means I don't need to buy any more clothing for years it's a win
I think people who cannot afford in this world economy to move away from fast fashion to partake in wearing clothes they like, should definitely have you mindset. I have this too. I've worn a lot of my fast fashion items for years upon years. I try and buy the higher quality items within fast fashion (stay away from flimsy items) and I always have them last. I sometimes wonder how ppl care for their clothes in general....for them not to be able to wear some clothing items for some time. Yeah there's some lower quality items but even mid and up...can last. I've had some clothes for like 10 years...and they are still ok. I'm older now so I get some higher tier brands with actual quality products sometimes, but I like affordable basics.
@@rhynochi absolutely!! I still have some H&M t-shirts I bought in high school and I'm now in my 30s. nowadays I mostly try to buy second hand, but to me it's important to wear natural fiber clothes (both because of the comfort level but also not to shed microplastics in the laundry) and at least where I live it's not that easy to find 100% wool jumpers in the charity shops.
@@olamideolayinka4130 that is a very complicated question!! there's so many aspects to consider. I personally try to avoid synthetic materials as much as possible, and buy second hand or handmade things on etsy or something like that. But at the end of the day the most sustainable option is not buying anything at all! so I always ask myself if I really need a piece, if I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it, and if the answer is yes, that I make sure to take care of it properly so that it can last me for years :) That's what works for me within my budget, though, everyone is different!
I really think the biggest problem with fast fashion is buying many pieces of clothing in just one month. Sadly even many eco friendly brands rely on monthly collections to drive their sales. So to me this is a welcome shift in culture.
Uniqlo always meant two things to me: consistency and continuous improvement. I didn't even bother trying on things in Uniqlo anymore, I knew what my sizes were and I was confident that as long as the item was labelled a size, it would fit. And if I found an excellent item, I could expect that next year, not only would that item still be there, it would have been improved in some way. Maybe it looks better, maybe with better materials. But these past few years, they've been stumbling in these two areas. I've gotten a bunch of shirts that should have fit me but didn't. Hell, I even brought it back to the store, held up a shirt against the same model in a different color but same size, and showed the staff that what I bought was almost an inch smaller. They couldn't give me an explanation. Speaking of shirts, they completely massacred the legendary Uniqlo U shirt. It feels worse, fits worse, and doesn't last as long. The most recent one I bought already has holes, whereas the ones I've bought literally 4 years ago are fine. The worst part of all this is I have no idea what I could possibly replace Uniqlo with. I'm not exaggerating when I say my closet is 98% Uniqlo. I don't live in country where it's easy to pay higher for better quality products, fast fashion has a huge stranglehold here. Sigh. Hopefully all this is just being caused by the recent poor economy and they can get back on the right track soon, but I have my doubts.
As someone from the US, for the past 10 years or so I probably have bought a few hundred Uniqlo items, and I’d say 95% of them held up well for long term use. The balance between price and quality has been pretty solid with this brand. A step up in quality for me would be the brand everlane, but for the amount of things I buy I think Uniqlo is the best choice for my budget.
It's also a kind of Gorilla marketing. Linked with the lack of back story, their is arequirement on the client to ask themselves the question; 'Why don't I know who this is?'
Not you specifically, but millennials are definitely seen as a generation that blames everyone else for their problems. Student loans... I had no idea that a $80,000 in loans for a history degree was a bad idea. Also a generation that is struggling to accomplished anything, unlike gen z who just changed all the social rules. It's a generation that is largely seen as quiet quitting, yet complains there are no advancement opportunities. A generation that says home ownership was a bad idea and they want to rent, and then when rent went up they complained they cant afford a house. Not to compare too much to gen z, but gen z is able to hustle and figure out their own income where millennials seem to struggle and complain. When millennials turn 65 i really wonder how if they will be the worse off generation ever for retirement. No shade, you did ask.
I've been slowly replacing a lot of my small simple wardrobe of clothes with Uniqlo lately and I love it. I've been pretty much living in their black sweatpants for the past month
As a long-term resident of Japan, Uniqlo is very good quality for the price. I used to by $60 shirts in the US whose buttons would fall off within two weeks, compared to $20 Uniqlo shirts I've been wearing for 8 years with hardly any signs of wear.
Uniqlo, whatever people may say, has been a savior for someone like me. I can find basics that I need without pouring my guts out price wise as a college student, and most stuff I bought was of good quality :) just wore a uniqlo skirt today and even got compliments. So honestly they’re a good brand. But better treatment of employees and better environmentally friendly procedures is always an improvement
2:07 you missed the point: that's the MAJOR DIFFERENCE between US companies and Asian ones: the first has this URGE to brag and pretend about whatever they do, while the other just DOESN'T need to.
I’m in my 40s and I’ve been shopping in uniqlo for more than 10 years. Quality is definitely amazing. I have simple dresses that I’ve had for more than 8 years. And because of their minimalist aesthetic their stuff never goes out of style.
Unlike GAP which plasters it's brand on many of their product, Uniqlo has a very minimalist look that I love. Many of their products are nothing fancy but they fit pretty well and most stores (at least here in Japan) will do minor corrections//fitting in-store for very reasonable price!
Coming from Indonesia, it breaks my heart that Uniqlo failed to pay (and still hasn‘t) the wages of garment workers. I used to shop a lot at Uniqlo when I started building my wardrobe. I found many of the clothing items stand the test of time & I wear them often throughout the years. Nowadays I mainly thrift for clothes, sometimes I can find decent Uniqlo pieces there. What I still like about Uniqlo is that they always have dresses & skirts with reasonably-sized pockets!
Misleading. It was the supplier's responsibility to pay those workers, UNIQLO already did their part by paying the supplier appropriately. UNIQLO doesn't have neither right and obligation to have a finger in the pie on this matter. It is the supplier's duty to pay the workers. You can literally find this news online, not everything from TH-cam is 100% accurate especially if it's talking about Asian companies that are starting to take over their Western competitors.
Additional info: UNIQLO was this supplier's (Jaba Garmindo) main client since 2012 iirc. Everything worked wonders until there was this issue of Jaba's labors not getting paid as they should and how they overworked a lot. Anyone that understands supply chain and business will clearly see whose fault is this. UNIQLO has always paid Jaba appropriately because if they didn't, Jaba wouldn't be fabricating their products. It was Jaba, being an Indonesian company as we all know, who did not obey the rules by forcing the labors to overwork without paying them the right amount. Everyone was talking about how UNIQLO demands for such high quality and standard for their products from Jaba. These ignorant ppl somehow made a correlation between this high standard and the labors' overwork. Anyone with at least one single brain cell working should know who to blame. It was Jaba's fault once again, for taking the offer by UNIQLO despite knowing that they need more labors to fulfill the target quality and standards demanded by their client. UNIQLO had paid them fully based on the agreement and in business ethics UNIQLO had no right whatsoever to intervene on Jaba's labors. Long story short, because UNIQLO values humans rights so much, I suppose that was the reason why they cut their contract with Jaba. And ofc, with the main client stopping the contract, Jaba was suffering (financially) and the problem of unpaid labors rose even higher. Once again, UNIQLO is clearly not the one to blame. The moment they heard that their supplier was being unethical to the labors, they stopped the contract. Because clearly it doesn't align with UNIQLO'a value of humans rights. The fact that Jaba was eventually collapsing without being able to pay their labors is none of UNIQLO's problems. I stress this once again, UNIQLO has paid their duty to Jaba exactly as they demanded. The deal was made between the two. Overworked and unpaid workers should have complained to Jaba instead of UNIQLO. But again, Jaba is more likely nowhere to be found since UNIQLO left them, so these workers had no other to go. But answer this question, do you really think UNIQLO has to pay these labors rights? Despite the facts thay UNIQLO has paid for them based on the agreement with Jaba appropriately? Use your common sense and you will know the one to blame.
@@farisrafimeitaputra9178 omg thank you for this! I remember reading an article about this back then and always wondered why did the workers go after Uniqlo instead of JABA management/owner since JABA WAS their employer and Uniqlo did paid all the bills to JABA when they ended the contract relationship. Of course they ✨disappeared✨ after declaring bankruptcy 😅😭
@@FutureProofTV He said it was miles ahead, not a step above. You are in over your head with your snarky attitude. Uniqlo's quality compares very well against clothes that cost significantly more.
@@PinguTurtle I think that's actually the problem, they bring the Japanese workplace culture into even their international locations. And that culture is known to be toxic as hell. My friend who just started working there told us that a bunch of Japanese top brass is visiting their branch soon, which means they all get to stay until late at night for a 10+ hour shift to make sure everything is spic and span for inspection.
i've always been pretty ambivalent towards uniqlo. i love that they have classic, minimal, and better quality clothes than most fashion brands at a decent price range but at the end of the day, they *are* a fast fashion brand using unethical manufacturing processes. the only way i can make it more sustainable is by taking care of the items that i already own and resisting the urge to constantly go in the shop and buy more items.
Your last point is what everyone should aims for. The only way to be sustainable is to reduce the amount of clothing we buy, and take care of the clothes we already have no matter of its price tag. There are $10-$20 clothes which I hand-wash because they are of delicate material or have embroidery/fake pearls on them. I never put on high heat when I dry my clothes, or put on high spin cycle that will put more tear on the clothes when I wash them.
i shop at uniqlo bc as an adult man who is 4ft11 most american clothing brands do not fit me in adult sizes. at uniqlo i can at least find clothing that fits me
I've been wearing some uniqlo tees for 2 years and they haven't changed at all. They still feel brand new. I feel like the quality they offer at the price, is unmatchable.
I love Uniqlo for their anime attire as much as all the other reasons mentioned in this video: HEATTECH, Airism, and affordable prices without being cheap.
I had no idea about the UNIQLO repair studio! I am living in Berlin, Germany so I searched for it and lo and behold found one IN MY AREA -- only a 20 minute walk to my local Uniqlo store. Thanks for the tip!
i love uniqlo, and their thermals + tees have lasted me a while ^_^ i’ve always assumed their manufacturing is as bad as other affordable brands, but in my experience they take the longest to fall to bits, so i feel a bit less bad shopping there :^) even better when i find their stuff in op shops!
I remembered someone in the factory for making the clothes wrote about making clothes for these brands, which outsourced the manufacturing to third parties. Uniqlo supposedly have the highest expectations for quality. Vs Zara and others. They actually pay more for third party manufacturers to make better clothes. Gap was like that before, but no longer.
I have a soft spot for Uniqlo as their heattech line (and merino wool!) helped me, a California girl, survive winter in NYC. Since then, i've just loved a lot of their products and dont plan on getting rid of them unless theyre destroyed
As someone who was a fan of Uniqlo before I started working there (no longer do) and also someone who’s really into textile and design this was hard to watch, but very accurate 😂
I don't understand why Uniqlo is considered low priced when it's not? In London, Copenhagen and Tokyo stores most basic items start from 30 euros and over, the average price point is between 50-100 euros, which I wouldn't call it low.
Exactly, what the summary. Can't expect CHEAP with QUALITY at same time. If you want less plastic in the clothes, read the materials of the clothes. In my country, the clothes are not packaged in plastic. You can opts for your own carrier as well.
Not mentioned in the video, but UNIQLO also has a recycle program called Re.UNIQLO, where you can bring in used clothes and they'll send them to people in need, use the materials to make other garments, or use the materials for other purposes. Pretty cool!
We used to love Uniqlo when they came to Canada. They still have decent times like airism and kids clothes. For me, it’s hit and how long clothes will last. Some Cotton based flannel or other shirts items have lasted more than few years while most wrinkle too easily. I’d rather spend more money on quality items. Also, their sizing is horrible recently, seems everything seems bigger/baggier.
I think the largest difference is Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai borrowing from kimono artisans for stitching. Japanese stitching is an art that was taught to the Chinese manufacturers to distinguish from other cheap makers. Kimonos are extremely expensive materials and stitching designed to last a life time. That's why H&M and Forever 21 just breaks up in the washer after a couple of washes.
I remember there was a time maybe 10 years ago when a basic plain white t shirt is just 10 dollars but now i am seeing them go for 50-60 dollars is insane. Its soo minimalistic that the price doesn't suit it.
I'm too embarrassed to buy merchandise stuff from the hobby shops so having Uniqlo work with the manga publishers to produce anime-centric shirts was quite a nice opened option for people like me.
I've been wearing dark cotton shirts under my work clothes for the past 12 years only from uniqlo and they are amazing how they hold up, no bacon action around the neck and no stretches. and I paid $10 for them. literally a few of the shirts are 12 years old.
Bacon action is such a precise word 🤣 I literally have that happen to me in one of the shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren, granted its 4 years but i never heard this before
I think it'd be very good to look into how lowering prices for "luxury" fabrics such as cashmere is very detrimental to our environment. While cashmere is a natural fabric it is a very environmentally intensive material (cashmere goats are very small, and each goat doesn't produce a lot of material per year). The cashmere used by uniqlo is very low cost and low quality cashmere, and it's perpetuating some very bad agricultural practices in the countries that produce it in order to meet growing demand, which is having severe environmental consequences!
I’ve been wearing Uniqlo the last 4 years since I’ve found it. I still wear the same hoodie 4 years later that I bought on my first purchase and I wear it every weekend. I’m a carpenter and wear their shorts and socks for work and they last ages. Longer than clothes from work clothing stores that are meant to be for the trades. Can’t recommend them enough. It’s great stuff and super well priced.
I literally skipped an interview to work at UNIQLO the other day. For some context I'm Australian, which is very opposite to Japanese work culture. I was so excited to start working at a clothing brand I use and like, but when I was looking at their profile on the site I was using to schedule my interview, I noticed a 2.8 star review. Immediately I was concerned and decided to look into it. Everyone was talking about the bias of management, blatant favouritism, measuring success on the retail level by selling a certain amount of boxes an hour, unreasonable work hours, high staff turnover, crippling Japanese-style work culture, minimum wage, unrealistic standards for their workers. Australian work culture swings to the opposite end of the scale from Japan in retail: working at minimum wage is rare (even if it's $1 extra) because it's culturally rude here (on top of one of the highest minimum wages in the world). Other retail jobs I've worked at also focus strongly on the wellbeing of their workers and try to avoid burning through staff. There's a strong sense of community in most Australian suburbs, and burning through workers makes people want to shop there less because they don't connect with the workers. Australian's are also much more laid back, and measure success based on customer satisfaction not selling a certain amount of products at a time. The stark difference I realised about UNIQLO made me doubtful of working there and I decided not to, and that I would be looking elsewhere for work.
I love Uniqlo but it can be hit and miss. Some seasons I don't like the silhouettes and/or the colours but when you find something you like, it's amazing. I went on a very small shopping spree when I came into a very small amount of inheritance about 7 years ago and the only thing I'm still wearing are the Uniqlo tops. I often buy the same dress or top in 2 or 3 different colours. My main problem with them is, as a vegan, I can't buy any of their knitwear or puffer jackets as they're made with animal products.
I´m a fulltime traveller since 2018 and I have some of those heattech pieces and they are still going strong...at the end its still a brand that produces under bad conditions but at least it lasts longer than H&M and since everything is so minimalistic it doesnt really go out of style, so you can buy less clothes...
Ever since Uniqlo opened their first store in my city, my wardrobe has been increasing stocked with Uniqlo clothes. I like the versatility and the quality of a lot of the garments and it's usually the first place I go to when looking for basics. I'm currently wearing all Uniqlo as I typed this. Lol.
I've been wearing Uniqlo for a few years now. About 90% of my wardrobe is Uniqlo now, lol. The quality, especially of their Supima tees, has decreased noticeably, but they're still the best option in this price range and still hold up great!
their supima t shirs are getting thinner and thinner. next year they will be see through. prices went up too. the Muji cotton Ts are now better quality than Uniqlos supima
@@stefpix I've tried MUJI a few times. I like their non-clothing stuff, like the wax candles, but their clothes are an awful fit for me. The oxford shirts are too small in the chest and in sleeve length, their pants also come too short. Didn't try their cotton tees, but from my experience this brand is directed towards Asians (so about 5'6 height and rather skinny build) rather than the typical European build. I guess contrary to Uniqlo they haven't adapted their clothes to the EU and US market.
@@Wolfnacht I find muji and Uniqlo t shirts and some tops a bit too short in the torso. I bought some adidas t shirts at the outlet, definitely a little longer at the same size. I got Muji in S, but should have bought in M. Their cotton feels premium and nicer compared to Uniqlo supima. Some adidas t shirts, with a small logo on the chest l seem to have a more flattering cut on me.
As i live in Japan ☺️ I'm very happy to shop in Uniqlo. The quality of clothes is much better than h&m . Closer to Zara but in minimalist style. Also they have a lot of collaboration with artists from around the world. They have ♻️bin . Only one thing is it's for shorter people(sleeves and pants are usually too short for many people, I'm short so Im ok with that) Also they have dranch GU, it is more of fast fashion for young people and cheaper like h&m.
I am appreciative of the many choices at Uniquo. Just need to be more discerning with the material used. For example, for clothings I primarily stick with 100% cotton and Marino pieces. Works well for me.
My wardrobe used to be full of Uniqlo but I've switched over to actual outdoors brands like Fjallraven, Patagonia and a few other lesser brands like the North Face. I find Uniqlo's heat tech to actually work really well. It's about 60% of the performance of a quality brand like Patagonia. Comparing my Uniqlo extra warm heat tech long sleeve base layer to my Patagonia Capiline mid weight base layer I can definitely say on the warmth department they're about the same. The difference comes in actual quality. The Patagonia one is ever so slightly warmer while being lighter due to their technical material that has raised bits to act as air chambers to retain your heat where the Uniqlo extra warm heat tech is simply thicker material without adding any technologies. The Patagonia one looks nicer, feels more premium, but most importantly: Better quality clothes will WEAR better. With the heat tech base layers I found it hard to actually put a sweater over it on a cold day where the Patagonia ones just slide right under the sweater with ease. Also don't shop at Uniqlo and other places that doesn't support fair trade labour!
Erm they do since way less then ZARA and H&M due to less number of pieces in their collection but they do. Since in general production of clothes on mass scale indicates lots of pollution the least wasteful is linien and hemp as they don't recquire lots of pesticides and water. Also they make soil more fertile. But synthetic dyes are a source of pollution. But you can dye your clothes with natural dyes like indigo plant, side or kosheline red. They are perfectly safe for environment
Uniqlo is so much better than other fast fashion brands though... I literally bought clothes there when I was in Japan in 2019, I still have those shirts and pants, they are so good I even regretted not buying more. I went to Japan again earlier this year, and went straight to Uniqlo.
At first I was like “who hasn’t heard of Uniqlo??”” And quickly remembered you’re Canadian. Here in the US I’ve had to rely on these budget garments aside from thrifting. They do last and appreciate that the majority of natural fabrics like cotton and linen. Anyway new sub here. Great videos.
I worked at a uniqlo for about 6 months and it was crazy how fast some of their pieces would sell out. Those teddy bear fleece items Flew off the shelves and I didn't really get the hype. I don't think I ever even used my employee discount except to buy small gifts around the holidays. It's definitely a brand meant for families rather than youth culture lol.
@@zhisu2665 Secret for you: Unless you're shopping in a flagship location (aka a really big Uniqlo) you're better off looking for anything more than bare basics online. They rarely keep collaboration items or special collections in-store for more than a week.
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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.
Muji in Japan is based entirely on that concept; not a single one of their products has their brand on it, hence the name Mu (No) Ji (mark)
I like that too! I also appreciate the quality of the materials for the price. Way better than H&M.
@@sightsandsoundsjapan9864 I do like Muji's stuff too but where i live in, Muji is a lot more expansive than Uniqlo.
@@chavezchavo that's a shame. We have a muji in almost every single mall here in Japan, even at train stations.
@@sightsandsoundsjapan9864 I have several Muji shirts. I love it, and their white canvas shoes are my favorite.
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.
Uniqlo is ridiculously huge in Malaysia. Take a walk around the offices and malls and almost everyone is wearing something of Uniqlo
@@moonflowerkei Same in Hong Kong!
@@moonflowerkei Exactly. I have so many from their Airism line 😭
I found out about this brand when I was in Japan many years ago. It was the best find.
I bought my tshirt at the pasar malam. 10RM. it has been 7 years and it look brand new... what's your point?
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
I was literally about to say something about that, they continue to make claims publicly but in reality they don't follow through...
This is tea. Thank you for sharing
Most companies do this. My favorite is Apple. Who (and this is my favorite and newest extreme example) ship their apple watches in a box in 2x1 layers, cardstock between each layer, in a box, that box surrounded by a bunch of more cardboard cushioning, inside another box. (so...the watches are in two VERY overbuilt boxes, plus the retail packaging)
@@CaptainMauzer This is 100 % true. I got my first Apple Watch a few months ago, and I was shocked at how much packaging there was for a little watch. Absolutely absurd! I typically save packaging for resale later on, but this all just went in the recycling bin- it was too much to keep.
RIGHT. There's so much plastic waste. Sad tbh, as I joined thinking it was a more sustainable company...
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.
Oh yeah man I live in SE asia. I wear H&M and take the trash out, sweat marks and the shirt is ruined for the day.
Uniqlo, no worries. Do whatever outside the shirt sorts it out.
I thought u meant u lived in the sea ⛵ for 20 years 😭 sorry
@@Tiffany-ov2jf South East Asia
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!
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.
Their airism shirts don't smell as quickly, so you can wear them multiple times before they start smelling and save on laundries and detergent. Wool might be more sustainable though.
Yeah exactly, some of my tshirts and Jackets from Uniqlo are 5+ years old. Still very usable, unfaded and not damaged. People are quick to state its a fast fashion brand as they are cheapish and have factories in china. And for them expensive is always sustainable. What a lot of these people do not know if their sustainable brand also have manufaturing roots in china. No average selling expensive brand will handmake their stuff to justify the price tag.
True I had a old pair of UNIQLO jeans that I can definitely be sure I’ve used at least 500 times before I let it go.(travelling excess weight)
Had it for at least 10 years
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.
Here's hoping they focus on manufacturing and worker's rights moving forward!! 🤞 Thanks for taking the time to share with us and tune in!!
This is the first time I’ve heard about the negative aspects of the brand. I can see similarities between them and how H&M operates. I think somehow they flew under the radar of companies that get criticized for their business practices at least in the US.
So besides Uniqlo, do you have any affordable Japanese brands?
MUJI is another good affordable Japanese brand available in the North America and Europe 🤗
So like Bezos and Amazon?
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.
Exactly! And I don't know why the speaker said something bad about the quality! The quality is really great from what I have seen. Every single item from Uniqlo is still in really nice condition! They make beautiful things that last long, quality is comparable to some much more expensive brands!!!
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😆
My relatives from Canada visited us in Asia once, and they went all out in the Uniqlo here. I'm talking a whole new luggage worth of clothes. Apparently it's that hard for Asians to get appropriately sized clothing in the West. Or at least it was years ago.
Exactly!!
also from Taiwan, when the first Uniqlo hit Melbourne I was like oh yes!!!!!! finally!
And your shoes from LaNew ? 😅
I'm not a flashy person so when I visited Tokyo for the first time 8 years ago, I fell in love. Since they opened in Toronto I shop almost exclusively there. 90% of my clothes are now Uniqlo.
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.
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.
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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
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.
Happy to hear their items have lasted you as long as they have! There's definitely a need for affordable basics at a higher quality standard so we'll just have to see if the ethics improve over time 🙏
I think that's beginning to change tbh. I stored away some of my Uniqlo things when the lockdowns started and just recently brought them out again. Compared to the new items (same model, diff color), the old ones feel much higher quality. I'm afraid even Uniqlo's quality is starting to suffer, which is made all the more worse by the huge increases in prices. I was even told by my batchmate who works there now that they were instructed to tell customers that the price increases are due to "new technologies and materials", but we all know that's bullshit lol. The price increases make Philippine prices on par with international Uniqlo prices, I guess the margins here became too small for comfort for them.
I used to love going to Uniqlo, but these days I just feel bittersweet when I pass by.
Same here in Thailand too. The obsess level of uniqlo on Thais middle class are still strong event 11 years gone by.
@@spartanB0292 you’re not wrong. I still feel that they are fairly “unique” in their pricepoint, offering a much higher quality than the rest of fast fashion/mall fashion (and I’m not sure they qualify as fast fashion, because the definition of that is very high turnover of styles and trends and expedited methods of product design, manufacture, and transport to achieve it, and Uniqlo’s product selection updates at a more traditional seasonal pace). What they offer is basics that suit a range of personal styles and ages/contexts, and I still look there when shopping for specific things and find some quality. But when I first became interested in Uniqlo, they had a whole range of silk that is long gone. There was far more wool and cashmere used. I don’t know that their materials were any more sustainable or responsible, but they had a great selection of quality fibers and fabrics with their clothes. At that time, I felt like they were doing what The Gap had been purporting to do, but better. But now, I do feel that I need to pay more attention to quality if I shop there. I tend to buy most clothes secondhand now anyway, if I can, and almost everything I’ve bought at Uniqlo has held up very well (exception being a merino wool ribbed turtleneck that didn’t survive one winter in the drawer), so they are definitely one of the brands I look for in thrift stores or follow on Poshmark. Their ultralight down topped with one of their light raincoats is my go-to winter coat and was great in a frigid, damp London during a January trip, too!
Nung nasa japan pa ako di kami bumibili ng uniqlo kasi namamahalan kami compared kung mag ukay kami. Tapos dun kami sa GU na sister company nya bumibili kasi mas mura lalo na pag magpapalit na ng season.
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.
I agree Uniqlo clothes are well designed
Bought my 1st 2 Uniqlo fleece tops in nyc in 2012. They are still going
strong. Have no qualms buying their stuff. Wish there was Uniqlo in South Africa.
Yeah as a short guy Uniqlo is a godsend. Makes me actually feel like a normally proportioned guy lmfao
I've never been to their store but always wanted to because I've always preferred natural fibers to synthetics. I don't think it's a popular brand where I live in the US (not where I'm from). I figure if it's Japanese, then the clothing is made for rectangular-shaped bodies like most Asians have. I'm a size 4 short/S/XS, but have curves. It's enough of an issue with American brands, who use the same rectangular model for women's apparel. I'm tired of spending $25 to take the waist in on jeans and pants because the designers only make clothing for one body type. It wasn't like that even 20 years ago. I don't know where to shop anymore and totally dread it.
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.
Uniqlo would do so well here in NZ!
As a fellow kiwi I don't want it to come here why cos we would end up getting ripped off on pricing as a high end import retail just cos that's the bs New Zealand in general has become good affordable products become luxury or not what it's original intention was and price and quality become irrelevant
Cheap?
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.
I heard fabric softeners are actually bad for your clothes!
You can use a little big of vinegar as fabric softener. I have allergies too and this works well for me. Especially for towels and sheets. :)
@@Toorn215 Thanks, I'll give it a try!
Isn't Zara a little more expensive than Uniqlo though?
i have to say the quality of H&M and Zara is much worse than Uniqlo. I have clear all my Zara and H&M from closet FOREVER.
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.
Hopefully, instead of venturing further into fast fashion, they meet the demand for affordable goods produced ethically and find a middle-ground - but realistically this doesn't usually happen when brands grow! Fingers crossed for the future 🤞🤞
I think they're definitely getting there, with how many collabs they do. Back then, collabs meant higher quality clothing. Now they mean fashion forward items (aka us normies would never wear them) that rot in the sale section until I assume they are thrown out.
Worst offender is their graphic tees, Jesus some of them are so ugly or poor quality, you have to wonder why Uniqlo would think anyone would buy them.
@@spartanB0292 at least graphic tee not uniqlo's main selling garments. I've seen far worse ones.
@@spartanB0292 there are uniqlos that have these "archived" sections made for collabs from the past that didnt get sold.
yes, I've definitely found that the last few seasons I've looked at most items and thought "I don't like the silhouette". My husband has found this is especially true with the men's clothes.
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!
Japanese people definitely impress with their cars! I was in Ginza, Tokyo last week and there was about 50 decked out lambos on the street all covered in lights and revving their engines. Having a Toyota Century is the ultimate flex because that's what the emperor drives in, but I saw plenty of Rolls-Royces as well
Yeah Japanese clothing is extremely expensive, only tacky designer stuff like Gucci, Versace, YSL, etc. are more expensive.
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.
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."
There should be a 4th one: You can have it ethically. Because apparently Uniqlo does it fast, quality, and cheap but not ethically.
@@vashsunglasses Cheapness came at an ethical cost.
I forbid myself from buying anything fast fashion and decided to only buy basic clothes from UNIQLO as a weird minimalist decision. All of my Uniqlo clothes are still here and apart from repairing the jeans I never had any issues. Their clothes can go well with more expensive stuff or more basic things. Very versatile :)
Agree. I do the same. They are good quality and versatile.
I live in Japan and love Uniqlo. They have “heat tech” for the winter and it actually is pretty freaking hot, keeps me warm. Uniqlo makes perfect clothes to pair with other stylish things. I vote YES for Uniqlo always.
When Uniqlo Soho NYC opened over 15yrs ago, their cashmere sweaters and selvedge denim at insanely low pricing was something nobody had seen in the US. I still have some of those sweaters and jeans and they’re in great shape after all these years.
Sorry 💔
I’ve been aggressively championing Uniqlo since high school when they opened a store in my city (I’m now 24). I have a hard time wearing pants from anywhere else, and I dig a lot of the random collabs they’ve done for graphic tees over the years. Classically problematic from an ethical standpoint, but a staple for me as a broke young people
A few years ago, I decided to go minimalist (although not in an extreme way), I gravitated to clothing that doesn't have designs on it or prints. Most of my wardrobe pieces are from Uniqlo and Muji. I only have 3 dresses in print, and I love this lifestyle so far. It made my "getting ready with me" a lot easier because I didn't have a hard time deciding on what to wear. For some, it may look boring, but it gives me actually real happiness to have a few pieces that I actually wear all the time.
Second-hand shops in Vietnam carry a lot of Uniqlo. Their clothes generally appear high-quality and have a simple, vintage style. A lot of the shirts in my wardrobe are Uniqlo now because of those qualities.
I often buy my dress clothes from UNIQLO here in Japan. Their shirts and pants are excellent, with some people saying they look like items worth 2 or 3 times their price. Been wearing the same shirts for 3 years and running, and they still look and feel like new!
Ever since i became aware of fast fashion, it was surprisingly not that difficult for me to stay away from brands like H&M.
But Uniqlo? That one’s hard. I still walk into their shops and hope to come out with a purchased item (which rarely happens because I usually don’t have money).
They just have so many affordable quality essentials
How the heck have you not heard of Uniqlo are you living under a ROCK SIR? Absolute best for basics for the price
I've been buying Uniqlo for almost 15 years now. I have Heat-tec undershirts that I bought in 2008, back when it was still pretty new in Europe and the only place I could buy it was London because they didn't ship to Poland, and they still look and behave as new, despite being washed hundreds of times. Their bra shirts allowed me to get rid of almost all of my bras and I've never been more comfy. Their Supina t-shirts are invincible. The only reason I binned my black skinny jeans was because they had frayed between the legs from years of constant wear. I've never had a bad quality item from them and I have items in, I think, every clothing category (except coats). Now that I've learned their practices suck I'll be cutting back unless I actually need something, but if you're looking for quality that will last you many, many years of wearing and washing, Uniqlo are the answer.
“I’m appalled that this fast fashion exploits workers in China!”
Later…
“I can’t wait for my new Air Jordan’s to arrive in the mail!” 😂
Cool capitalism american clowns
Well shit u can’t expect no one to shop at any companies who exploit people or else…yuno… we’d all be naked.
and iphone
@@fiiroze then dont complain
@@fiiroze yeah and then people would exploit us >_
Remember that time in Japanese Uni, when Uniqlo had their line of clothes with the print "Same is Lame" and virtually everyone was wearing those.
Uniqlo has really simple design and I find it really good for someone like me who has no fashion sense. Like half of my clothing are from Uniqlo
Definitely solid basic pieces that won't go out of style any time soon - that's a plus in my book!
exactly, Uniqlo makes billions from people with no fashion sense.
I initially found Uniqlo back in like 2018, and I actually still wear tons of the clothes I bought back then (outerwear, sweaters, shirts, jeans, underwear… you name it, I probably have something from them that I use regularly). They hold up fine over years of use and reasonable/normal clothing care. I think the only thing I have from them that deteriorated was a black cashmere sweater, but that’s bc I put it in the washing machine and didn’t dry clean it like you’re supposed to.
The reason why I have so many clothes from them is.. well, frankly, being a short man (5’2”) living in the united states of gigantic people, literally no other brands carried menswear that were even close to my size. I always looked like a teenager who borrowed his dad’s clothes to wear to prom. My only alternatives were women’s clothing (which are fine for tshirts and stuff but formalwear was impossible to find) or kid’s clothing (no thanks) or buying online (still not ideal bc I prefer being able to try stuff on before buying if it’s not something I’ve bought before).
I know they have a lot of problems, and they’re only a little better than places like gap or yesstyle or whatever, but I’m a student and I don’t have the money to shell out for clothing from expensive brands, and on top of that, I wouldn’t even know what to look for in the more expensive places. Uniqlo just happens to fit me, both physically and financially, and their clothes are plain but not ugly while also being comfortable and reasonably durable. Plus, their clothes will never go out of style, at least not until they just aren’t wearable anymore. All of that makes their clothes really valuable to me as a university student.
They’ll also tailor your pants for free in store, which I think is really cool-but yeah, they’re horrible on the workers rights front.
In store tailoring has definitely fallen out in the last decade or so, so it's good to hear they're still on that!
the store tailoring also never was when you bought the item, it was always done for pickup the next day or a couple days after
@@PinguTurtle I've seen both. I got 3 trousers done for an hour later and another time one pair done for the next day. Both seemed to be instore in different locations.
Too bad most of the (women's) trousers are very short 😅 that's a difficult fix. They're releasing "long" styles now but those are still often ankle length. Saving on fabric I guess.
@@PinguTurtle they’ll do it within an hour in Malaysia or Singapore if they’re available, otherwise it’s next day pick up like what you said 😊
as a child who grown up in a not so wealthy family in vietnam, i used to wearing clothes that costs like 4 - 5 dollar each imported from china. Seeing people saying uniqlo's clothes are cheap is kinda strange to me 😭 nowadays, uniqlo's clothes becoming more and more affordable for my family, still i dont think the price is cheap at all. Me and my family really enjoy the simple design and the quality they offer, I know they do have shady problems like any other brands, but it's kinda the best clothes at that price range we have 🙌
I own a few of their knitwear products and a linen blend dress and I've worn them non-stop for years. they've been holding up really well. Sure, at the end of the day they're not the most sustainable option, but at least for me finding a good basic that means I don't need to buy any more clothing for years it's a win
What are the most sustainable options?
I think people who cannot afford in this world economy to move away from fast fashion to partake in wearing clothes they like, should definitely have you mindset. I have this too. I've worn a lot of my fast fashion items for years upon years. I try and buy the higher quality items within fast fashion (stay away from flimsy items) and I always have them last. I sometimes wonder how ppl care for their clothes in general....for them not to be able to wear some clothing items for some time. Yeah there's some lower quality items but even mid and up...can last. I've had some clothes for like 10 years...and they are still ok. I'm older now so I get some higher tier brands with actual quality products sometimes, but I like affordable basics.
@@rhynochi absolutely!! I still have some H&M t-shirts I bought in high school and I'm now in my 30s. nowadays I mostly try to buy second hand, but to me it's important to wear natural fiber clothes (both because of the comfort level but also not to shed microplastics in the laundry) and at least where I live it's not that easy to find 100% wool jumpers in the charity shops.
@@olamideolayinka4130 that is a very complicated question!! there's so many aspects to consider. I personally try to avoid synthetic materials as much as possible, and buy second hand or handmade things on etsy or something like that. But at the end of the day the most sustainable option is not buying anything at all! so I always ask myself if I really need a piece, if I'm going to get a lot of wear out of it, and if the answer is yes, that I make sure to take care of it properly so that it can last me for years :) That's what works for me within my budget, though, everyone is different!
I really think the biggest problem with fast fashion is buying many pieces of clothing in just one month. Sadly even many eco friendly brands rely on monthly collections to drive their sales.
So to me this is a welcome shift in culture.
Uniqlo always meant two things to me: consistency and continuous improvement.
I didn't even bother trying on things in Uniqlo anymore, I knew what my sizes were and I was confident that as long as the item was labelled a size, it would fit.
And if I found an excellent item, I could expect that next year, not only would that item still be there, it would have been improved in some way. Maybe it looks better, maybe with better materials.
But these past few years, they've been stumbling in these two areas.
I've gotten a bunch of shirts that should have fit me but didn't. Hell, I even brought it back to the store, held up a shirt against the same model in a different color but same size, and showed the staff that what I bought was almost an inch smaller. They couldn't give me an explanation.
Speaking of shirts, they completely massacred the legendary Uniqlo U shirt. It feels worse, fits worse, and doesn't last as long. The most recent one I bought already has holes, whereas the ones I've bought literally 4 years ago are fine.
The worst part of all this is I have no idea what I could possibly replace Uniqlo with. I'm not exaggerating when I say my closet is 98% Uniqlo. I don't live in country where it's easy to pay higher for better quality products, fast fashion has a huge stranglehold here. Sigh. Hopefully all this is just being caused by the recent poor economy and they can get back on the right track soon, but I have my doubts.
As someone from the US, for the past 10 years or so I probably have bought a few hundred Uniqlo items, and I’d say 95% of them held up well for long term use. The balance between price and quality has been pretty solid with this brand. A step up in quality for me would be the brand everlane, but for the amount of things I buy I think Uniqlo is the best choice for my budget.
Tou should really think of lowering your consumption...
100’s?
How did you end up with HUNDREDS of clothes in just a few years??????????
Ok maybe I overestimated, maybe it was like 70-80 different items? Not sure lol
I resonate with you so much, when did being a millennial turn from being a clueless kid to being a clueless adult as seen by other generations.
100% how it is 😥😅
i dont i am going to be fine when i grow up due to my excessive coolness and swag
It's also a kind of Gorilla marketing. Linked with the lack of back story, their is arequirement on the client to ask themselves the question; 'Why don't I know who this is?'
Cause the adults themselves are clueless when it comes to raising kids.
Not you specifically, but millennials are definitely seen as a generation that blames everyone else for their problems. Student loans... I had no idea that a $80,000 in loans for a history degree was a bad idea. Also a generation that is struggling to accomplished anything, unlike gen z who just changed all the social rules. It's a generation that is largely seen as quiet quitting, yet complains there are no advancement opportunities. A generation that says home ownership was a bad idea and they want to rent, and then when rent went up they complained they cant afford a house. Not to compare too much to gen z, but gen z is able to hustle and figure out their own income where millennials seem to struggle and complain. When millennials turn 65 i really wonder how if they will be the worse off generation ever for retirement. No shade, you did ask.
I've been slowly replacing a lot of my small simple wardrobe of clothes with Uniqlo lately and I love it. I've been pretty much living in their black sweatpants for the past month
As a long-term resident of Japan, Uniqlo is very good quality for the price. I used to by $60 shirts in the US whose buttons would fall off within two weeks, compared to $20 Uniqlo shirts I've been wearing for 8 years with hardly any signs of wear.
Uniqlo is the brand to go. The quality is incomparably better than H&M
Uniqlo, whatever people may say, has been a savior for someone like me. I can find basics that I need without pouring my guts out price wise as a college student, and most stuff I bought was of good quality :) just wore a uniqlo skirt today and even got compliments. So honestly they’re a good brand. But better treatment of employees and better environmentally friendly procedures is always an improvement
2:07 you missed the point: that's the MAJOR DIFFERENCE between US companies and Asian ones: the first has this URGE to brag and pretend about whatever they do, while the other just DOESN'T need to.
I’m in my 40s and I’ve been shopping in uniqlo for more than 10 years. Quality is definitely amazing. I have simple dresses that I’ve had for more than 8 years. And because of their minimalist aesthetic their stuff never goes out of style.
Unlike GAP which plasters it's brand on many of their product, Uniqlo has a very minimalist look that I love. Many of their products are nothing fancy but they fit pretty well and most stores (at least here in Japan) will do minor corrections//fitting in-store for very reasonable price!
Coming from Indonesia, it breaks my heart that Uniqlo failed to pay (and still hasn‘t) the wages of garment workers. I used to shop a lot at Uniqlo when I started building my wardrobe. I found many of the clothing items stand the test of time & I wear them often throughout the years. Nowadays I mainly thrift for clothes, sometimes I can find decent Uniqlo pieces there. What I still like about Uniqlo is that they always have dresses & skirts with reasonably-sized pockets!
Misleading. It was the supplier's responsibility to pay those workers, UNIQLO already did their part by paying the supplier appropriately. UNIQLO doesn't have neither right and obligation to have a finger in the pie on this matter. It is the supplier's duty to pay the workers. You can literally find this news online, not everything from TH-cam is 100% accurate especially if it's talking about Asian companies that are starting to take over their Western competitors.
Additional info: UNIQLO was this supplier's (Jaba Garmindo) main client since 2012 iirc. Everything worked wonders until there was this issue of Jaba's labors not getting paid as they should and how they overworked a lot. Anyone that understands supply chain and business will clearly see whose fault is this. UNIQLO has always paid Jaba appropriately because if they didn't, Jaba wouldn't be fabricating their products. It was Jaba, being an Indonesian company as we all know, who did not obey the rules by forcing the labors to overwork without paying them the right amount.
Everyone was talking about how UNIQLO demands for such high quality and standard for their products from Jaba. These ignorant ppl somehow made a correlation between this high standard and the labors' overwork. Anyone with at least one single brain cell working should know who to blame. It was Jaba's fault once again, for taking the offer by UNIQLO despite knowing that they need more labors to fulfill the target quality and standards demanded by their client.
UNIQLO had paid them fully based on the agreement and in business ethics UNIQLO had no right whatsoever to intervene on Jaba's labors. Long story short, because UNIQLO values humans rights so much, I suppose that was the reason why they cut their contract with Jaba. And ofc, with the main client stopping the contract, Jaba was suffering (financially) and the problem of unpaid labors rose even higher. Once again, UNIQLO is clearly not the one to blame. The moment they heard that their supplier was being unethical to the labors, they stopped the contract. Because clearly it doesn't align with UNIQLO'a value of humans rights. The fact that Jaba was eventually collapsing without being able to pay their labors is none of UNIQLO's problems. I stress this once again, UNIQLO has paid their duty to Jaba exactly as they demanded. The deal was made between the two. Overworked and unpaid workers should have complained to Jaba instead of UNIQLO. But again, Jaba is more likely nowhere to be found since UNIQLO left them, so these workers had no other to go. But answer this question, do you really think UNIQLO has to pay these labors rights? Despite the facts thay UNIQLO has paid for them based on the agreement with Jaba appropriately? Use your common sense and you will know the one to blame.
@@farisrafimeitaputra9178 omg thank you for this! I remember reading an article about this back then and always wondered why did the workers go after Uniqlo instead of JABA management/owner since JABA WAS their employer and Uniqlo did paid all the bills to JABA when they ended the contract relationship. Of course they ✨disappeared✨ after declaring bankruptcy 😅😭
@@MelisaSJ Exactly, I'm glad someone else is having this awareness
Honestly, the best clothing brand. Actually quality clothes for cheap.
No logo or branding.
A good three quarters of my wardrobe is from Uniqlo. Not the best quality, but miles ahead of H&M.
Exactly how we see it, just a step above!
What are their sizing like compared to H&M? Never ordered stuff because I hate returning lol
@@FutureProofTV He said it was miles ahead, not a step above. You are in over your head with your snarky attitude. Uniqlo's quality compares very well against clothes that cost significantly more.
That Prius line didn’t age well
Love this brand! The quality is just up there. But hearing people I know who work in the backend office talk about how they're always stressed.
That's rough, not super aware of retail store working conditions but if they're anything like the back end of things 🤷♂️
i can attest-it was stressful working there last summer, and it was at a US location. I cant imagine how the strict the japanese locations are
@@PinguTurtle I think that's actually the problem, they bring the Japanese workplace culture into even their international locations. And that culture is known to be toxic as hell.
My friend who just started working there told us that a bunch of Japanese top brass is visiting their branch soon, which means they all get to stay until late at night for a 10+ hour shift to make sure everything is spic and span for inspection.
i've always been pretty ambivalent towards uniqlo. i love that they have classic, minimal, and better quality clothes than most fashion brands at a decent price range but at the end of the day, they *are* a fast fashion brand using unethical manufacturing processes. the only way i can make it more sustainable is by taking care of the items that i already own and resisting the urge to constantly go in the shop and buy more items.
not buying new clothes is always the most sustainable option, even if you were buying extra sustainable stuff! You're doing great
Your last point is what everyone should aims for. The only way to be sustainable is to reduce the amount of clothing we buy, and take care of the clothes we already have no matter of its price tag. There are $10-$20 clothes which I hand-wash because they are of delicate material or have embroidery/fake pearls on them. I never put on high heat when I dry my clothes, or put on high spin cycle that will put more tear on the clothes when I wash them.
You'd be surprised to know that they do actually care about workers' working condition at the sewing line, been there seen that
i shop at uniqlo bc as an adult man who is 4ft11 most american clothing brands do not fit me in adult sizes. at uniqlo i can at least find clothing that fits me
Same here, I'm a 5'4 guy and it's nice to have clothing that just fits me without alterations
I've been wearing some uniqlo tees for 2 years and they haven't changed at all. They still feel brand new. I feel like the quality they offer at the price, is unmatchable.
I love Uniqlo for their anime attire as much as all the other reasons mentioned in this video: HEATTECH, Airism, and affordable prices without being cheap.
I had no idea about the UNIQLO repair studio! I am living in Berlin, Germany so I searched for it and lo and behold found one IN MY AREA -- only a 20 minute walk to my local Uniqlo store. Thanks for the tip!
i like that the designs of uniqlo clothes are pretty timeless ! i have clothes from uniqlo i got 5 years ago and they're still going strong
I have a trouser from Uniqlo since 2017 and have been wearing it consistently since them. The colour is still vibrant and the trouser in one piece.
i love uniqlo, and their thermals + tees have lasted me a while ^_^ i’ve always assumed their manufacturing is as bad as other affordable brands, but in my experience they take the longest to fall to bits, so i feel a bit less bad shopping there :^) even better when i find their stuff in op shops!
I remembered someone in the factory for making the clothes wrote about making clothes for these brands, which outsourced the manufacturing to third parties. Uniqlo supposedly have the highest expectations for quality. Vs Zara and others. They actually pay more for third party manufacturers to make better clothes. Gap was like that before, but no longer.
I’ve bought two T-shirts from Uniqlo in Taiwan back in 2013. It’s 2022, I keep wearing them regularly. You would not notice.
I have a soft spot for Uniqlo as their heattech line (and merino wool!) helped me, a California girl, survive winter in NYC. Since then, i've just loved a lot of their products and dont plan on getting rid of them unless theyre destroyed
As someone who was a fan of Uniqlo before I started working there (no longer do) and also someone who’s really into textile and design this was hard to watch, but very accurate 😂
I don't understand why Uniqlo is considered low priced when it's not? In London, Copenhagen and Tokyo stores most basic items start from 30 euros and over, the average price point is between 50-100 euros, which I wouldn't call it low.
As a Canadian, when their flannel shirts went on sale I went ham and bought 7 different styles for all 7 days of the week.
Did you put maple syrup on that ham?
I'm fed up with trends. I wish to be able to go back to a shop and be able to shop the same product I like
love uniqlo, can't complain about that brand
Glad they work well for ya!
Exactly, what the summary. Can't expect CHEAP with QUALITY at same time.
If you want less plastic in the clothes, read the materials of the clothes. In my country, the clothes are not packaged in plastic. You can opts for your own carrier as well.
Not mentioned in the video, but UNIQLO also has a recycle program called Re.UNIQLO, where you can bring in used clothes and they'll send them to people in need, use the materials to make other garments, or use the materials for other purposes. Pretty cool!
Uniqlo has served me well except for rain jackets. The interior of the jacket deteriorates after a year or two.
We used to love Uniqlo when they came to Canada. They still have decent times like airism and kids clothes. For me, it’s hit and how long clothes will last. Some Cotton based flannel or other shirts items have lasted more than few years while most wrinkle too easily. I’d rather spend more money on quality items. Also, their sizing is horrible recently, seems everything seems bigger/baggier.
I'm personally offended cause of the Prius line in the intro 😂
I have a ton of Uniqlo and just one of many things I appreciate is its colour palette. It's crazy easy to mix and match.
I think the largest difference is Uniqlo founder Tadashi Yanai borrowing from kimono artisans for stitching. Japanese stitching is an art that was taught to the Chinese manufacturers to distinguish from other cheap makers. Kimonos are extremely expensive materials and stitching designed to last a life time. That's why H&M and Forever 21 just breaks up in the washer after a couple of washes.
Uniqlo fills a lot of people requirements. Simple design, we don't aim for the best quality but just a good quality for a reasonable price.
I remember there was a time maybe 10 years ago when a basic plain white t shirt is just 10 dollars but now i am seeing them go for 50-60 dollars is insane.
Its soo minimalistic that the price doesn't suit it.
I'm too embarrassed to buy merchandise stuff from the hobby shops so having Uniqlo work with the manga publishers to produce anime-centric shirts was quite a nice opened option for people like me.
I've been wearing dark cotton shirts under my work clothes for the past 12 years only from uniqlo and they are amazing how they hold up, no bacon action around the neck and no stretches. and I paid $10 for them. literally a few of the shirts are 12 years old.
Bacon action is such a precise word 🤣 I literally have that happen to me in one of the shirt from Polo Ralph Lauren, granted its 4 years but i never heard this before
I think it'd be very good to look into how lowering prices for "luxury" fabrics such as cashmere is very detrimental to our environment. While cashmere is a natural fabric it is a very environmentally intensive material (cashmere goats are very small, and each goat doesn't produce a lot of material per year). The cashmere used by uniqlo is very low cost and low quality cashmere, and it's perpetuating some very bad agricultural practices in the countries that produce it in order to meet growing demand, which is having severe environmental consequences!
I’ve been wearing Uniqlo the last 4 years since I’ve found it. I still wear the same hoodie 4 years later that I bought on my first purchase and I wear it every weekend. I’m a carpenter and wear their shorts and socks for work and they last ages. Longer than clothes from work clothing stores that are meant to be for the trades. Can’t recommend them enough. It’s great stuff and super well priced.
I literally skipped an interview to work at UNIQLO the other day. For some context I'm Australian, which is very opposite to Japanese work culture.
I was so excited to start working at a clothing brand I use and like, but when I was looking at their profile on the site I was using to schedule my interview, I noticed a 2.8 star review. Immediately I was concerned and decided to look into it. Everyone was talking about the bias of management, blatant favouritism, measuring success on the retail level by selling a certain amount of boxes an hour, unreasonable work hours, high staff turnover, crippling Japanese-style work culture, minimum wage, unrealistic standards for their workers.
Australian work culture swings to the opposite end of the scale from Japan in retail: working at minimum wage is rare (even if it's $1 extra) because it's culturally rude here (on top of one of the highest minimum wages in the world). Other retail jobs I've worked at also focus strongly on the wellbeing of their workers and try to avoid burning through staff. There's a strong sense of community in most Australian suburbs, and burning through workers makes people want to shop there less because they don't connect with the workers. Australian's are also much more laid back, and measure success based on customer satisfaction not selling a certain amount of products at a time. The stark difference I realised about UNIQLO made me doubtful of working there and I decided not to, and that I would be looking elsewhere for work.
Not sure how accurately you can evaluate the work environment of a company that you’ve actually never worked at even a single day.
I love Uniqlo but it can be hit and miss. Some seasons I don't like the silhouettes and/or the colours but when you find something you like, it's amazing. I went on a very small shopping spree when I came into a very small amount of inheritance about 7 years ago and the only thing I'm still wearing are the Uniqlo tops. I often buy the same dress or top in 2 or 3 different colours. My main problem with them is, as a vegan, I can't buy any of their knitwear or puffer jackets as they're made with animal products.
Search more carefully you can knit with a cotton yarn
I´m a fulltime traveller since 2018 and I have some of those heattech pieces and they are still going strong...at the end its still a brand that produces under bad conditions but at least it lasts longer than H&M and since everything is so minimalistic it doesnt really go out of style, so you can buy less clothes...
I love uniqlo. Quality clothing that alot of brands used to be. If you want casual comfy clothing it is the go to brand.
just starting to watch, dont you dare tear down my airism t shirts 🤞🏼
Hahaha ooops!
Ever since Uniqlo opened their first store in my city, my wardrobe has been increasing stocked with Uniqlo clothes.
I like the versatility and the quality of a lot of the garments and it's usually the first place I go to when looking for basics.
I'm currently wearing all Uniqlo as I typed this. Lol.
I've been wearing Uniqlo for a few years now. About 90% of my wardrobe is Uniqlo now, lol. The quality, especially of their Supima tees, has decreased noticeably, but they're still the best option in this price range and still hold up great!
their supima t shirs are getting thinner and thinner. next year they will be see through. prices went up too. the Muji cotton Ts are now better quality than Uniqlos supima
@@stefpix I've tried MUJI a few times. I like their non-clothing stuff, like the wax candles, but their clothes are an awful fit for me. The oxford shirts are too small in the chest and in sleeve length, their pants also come too short. Didn't try their cotton tees, but from my experience this brand is directed towards Asians (so about 5'6 height and rather skinny build) rather than the typical European build. I guess contrary to Uniqlo they haven't adapted their clothes to the EU and US market.
@@Wolfnacht I find muji and Uniqlo t shirts and some tops a bit too short in the torso. I bought some adidas t shirts at the outlet, definitely a little longer at the same size. I got Muji in S, but should have bought in M. Their cotton feels premium and nicer compared to Uniqlo supima. Some adidas t shirts, with a small logo on the chest l seem to have a more flattering cut on me.
The only reason why i love uniqlo is because of their anime collaborations. Plus their jeans are so comfy
As i live in Japan ☺️ I'm very happy to shop in Uniqlo. The quality of clothes is much better than h&m . Closer to Zara but in minimalist style. Also they have a lot of collaboration with artists from around the world. They have ♻️bin . Only one thing is it's for shorter people(sleeves and pants are usually too short for many people, I'm short so Im ok with that)
Also they have dranch GU, it is more of fast fashion for young people and cheaper like h&m.
I am appreciative of the many choices at Uniquo. Just need to be more discerning with the material used. For example, for clothings I primarily stick with 100% cotton and Marino pieces. Works well for me.
My wardrobe used to be full of Uniqlo but I've switched over to actual outdoors brands like Fjallraven, Patagonia and a few other lesser brands like the North Face.
I find Uniqlo's heat tech to actually work really well. It's about 60% of the performance of a quality brand like Patagonia.
Comparing my Uniqlo extra warm heat tech long sleeve base layer to my Patagonia Capiline mid weight base layer I can definitely say on the warmth department they're about the same. The difference comes in actual quality. The Patagonia one is ever so slightly warmer while being lighter due to their technical material that has raised bits to act as air chambers to retain your heat where the Uniqlo extra warm heat tech is simply thicker material without adding any technologies.
The Patagonia one looks nicer, feels more premium, but most importantly: Better quality clothes will WEAR better. With the heat tech base layers I found it hard to actually put a sweater over it on a cold day where the Patagonia ones just slide right under the sweater with ease.
Also don't shop at Uniqlo and other places that doesn't support fair trade labour!
9:10, actually in 2013, Uniqlo shifted their production to Vietnam due to cheaper labour costs
As long as their prices and quality stays the same and they arnt hurting rhe environment, I'm sticking with them forever
Erm they do since way less then ZARA and H&M due to less number of pieces in their collection but they do. Since in general production of clothes on mass scale indicates lots of pollution the least wasteful is linien and hemp as they don't recquire lots of pesticides and water. Also they make soil more fertile. But synthetic dyes are a source of pollution. But you can dye your clothes with natural dyes like indigo plant, side or kosheline red. They are perfectly safe for environment
Uniqlo is so much better than other fast fashion brands though... I literally bought clothes there when I was in Japan in 2019, I still have those shirts and pants, they are so good I even regretted not buying more. I went to Japan again earlier this year, and went straight to Uniqlo.
recently been wearing a lot some more uniclothes and it's been so worth it, the quality is so good for the price
Hahaha love "uniclothes"
At first I was like “who hasn’t heard of Uniqlo??”” And quickly remembered you’re Canadian. Here in the US I’ve had to rely on these budget garments aside from thrifting. They do last and appreciate that the majority of natural fabrics like cotton and linen. Anyway new sub here. Great videos.
I worked at a uniqlo for about 6 months and it was crazy how fast some of their pieces would sell out. Those teddy bear fleece items Flew off the shelves and I didn't really get the hype. I don't think I ever even used my employee discount except to buy small gifts around the holidays. It's definitely a brand meant for families rather than youth culture lol.
fr I rarely see their newer items in the store for that long
@@zhisu2665 Secret for you: Unless you're shopping in a flagship location (aka a really big Uniqlo) you're better off looking for anything more than bare basics online. They rarely keep collaboration items or special collections in-store for more than a week.
Airism is my summer must have Uniqlo shirt, and I highly recommend it to make you feel less humid compared to cotton