Why Uniqlo Is My Go-To Mall Store

Growing up, my family loved going to the mall together to shop for gifts, clothes, or just to kill time. So, I was exposed early on to all the big mall brands like H&M, Aeropostale, Hollister, Abercrombie, etc. Looking back, these clothes give me actual pain due to either poor quality, horrible designs, or the plastering of brand names over every single garment (looking at you, Hollister *spits*). Then one day, like an angel sent from the heavens to cleanse every mall rat, Uniqlo opened a location at my go-to mall. Uniqlo had already seen massive success in Asia and they finally set their sights on the Western market, and damn, did they do an amazing job.

Everyone knows Uniqlo for their amazing basics. You can walk into any Uniqlo store and pick out an unbranded, quality, and low cost tee in any color you’d like. Their sweatshirts, sweatpants, hoodies, etc. are all in the same boat. Each garment offers unbeatable quality for a very fair price. If you were to walk into the majority of other stores in the mall, you’d find shirts, pants, and even underwear that are either overpriced or have logos and words sprawled all over it. That’s not to say that I don’t like graphics or think that logos are a bad thing, it just kinda takes away from a store when all I can find are garments that look like my younger cousin took a stamp and went apeshit. There is a time and place for graphics. The beauty behind basics is their simplicity and versatility, and most outfits need basics to be cohesive. Not only are these basics a bang for your buck, but they also have a wide variety of styles for every occasion or need. You need an Oxford shirt for a big interview coming up? Bam! Second section on your left. Maybe you lost that one hoodie you always wear and need literally anything to cover your now-cold arms. Well, Tadashi Yanai’s got you covered, baby. And don’t get me started on the sale section. My god. I have literally found two dollar jeans in my size and various other sizes in the sale section. Are they my favorite pair of jeans? No. Are they the best jeans money can buy for two dollars? Fuck yes, they are!

Uniqlo also has a special spot in my heart for their god-like collaborations. Recently, they have collaborated with Engineered Garments on a collection starring military inspired fleeces. And as of now, Uniqlo announced another new collection with past collaborator, the British JW Anderson. Their collaborations feature characteristics of your favorite brands and designers at the reasonable Uniqlo price we know and love today. Uniqlo is also known for their popular and successful UT line of graphic tees which sport some pretty well known collaborators from the Keith Haring Foundation to Marvel and even the manga magazine known as Shonen Jump. These tees have always been gorgeous under the creative direction of Nigo, whom Uniqlo appointed as their first creative director of UT. The UT line also includes brands that cater to younger audiences such as Disney collaborations and Star Wars. UT has even put videogames such as Minecraft and Fortnite onto their tees. And the price points for these shirts are insane. A regular graphic tee of your favorite character from Mario might set you back 15-25 dollars and it’ll be printed on a Hanes tee. UT tees quality and comfort are unmatched, especially at a retail price of 15 dollars. That’s not all: UT tees are notorious for making their way into the sale section, and you can scoop up a few tees at 6 bucks a pop.

Another reason I love going to Uniqlo is the store layout itself. It’s honestly amazing. I swear, everytime I go there there’s never a single shirt out of place. The store itself is very minimalistic and basic, but it shines because of the organized towers of clothes covering the walls, creating an extremely aesthetically pleasing environment. I don’t know how to explain it, but when I walk into a Uniqlo store I feel focused. Compared to other stores like Hollister and Abercrombie, Uniqlo has order and doesn’t cover their store in tacky beach props and cologne.

Uniqlo was a brand that dominated the East and looked to lay siege in the West, and they honestly deserve to conquer the West too. Their stores are gorgeous, quality is great, prices are unbeatable, and variety is incredible. Uniqlo offers a little bit of everything for anyone, from an average Joe looking for some sweats or a new tee, to the guys who want to look nice for a date or an interview, and even the people who want to sport their favorite shows and artists on the street. Uniqlo has proven why it belongs here, and it’s here to stay.

Photos: Courtesy of Uniqlo