What's In The Shops: UNIQLO

Getting all sweaty in the changing rooms, so you don't have to...

UNIQLO fascinates me. It had been a while since I’d rooted around in-store, and the flagship at 311 Oxford Street was just as teaming with 17-year-olds as it was with 67-year-olds. The appeal is vast (paging

Sarah Shapiro

for a deep dive ASAP!). And I get it: quality, functional basics at a reasonable price. Plus, with the recent acquisition of Clare Waight Keller at the Creative Director helm, there’s now a distinct style edge that had been previously lacking. They are just getting started.

Here’s the thing. There’s A LOT to pick from. The flagship has five floors, and if I’m honest, I didn’t even make it all the way to the top. The website isn’t the easiest to navigate either, so I hope with this post, I can serve you an edit of the best of the best and save you the steps or the scroll. In my eyes, there are two categories they do very well: warm stuff and knitwear. Case in point: the three items that have been in my wardrobe for almost 10 years at this point and are some of my longest-standing pieces:

• HEATTECH Scoop Neck Top* (I have a S, but would buy it now in an M, their HEATTECH range runs true to size) - I don’t love this as a top on its own, but as a layering piece ,it’s great. The scoop neck means that it doesn’t interfere with whatever neckline you wear over it.

• HEATTECH Roll-Neck Top* (I wear an M) - I never really feel the need to invest in another roll-necks because I have this. And it’s very, very warm! The Toteme AW24 Lookbook featured roll-neck layering galore - just grab this instead.

• PUFFERTECH Compact Jacket* (I previously had the Ultra Light Down Jacket in a S - now discontinued, so I recently picked this up in a M) - Want a way to eke out wearing your lighter autumn jackets into the cooler months? Well, this a need. A light but mighty layer that stuffs into a tiny compact bag that, thanks to little snaps around the collar, tucks neatly under jackets without you even knowing that it’s there.

Want to see them on? Here’s a Reel that I haven’t uploaded to Instagram yet…

UNIQLO Men’s Cashmere Crew Neck Jumper* - £89.90 - I wear an M for a slightly relaxed fit (for size reference, I’m a U.K 12 across the board)

Before we jump into what made it into the changing room with me, I have to give a nod to what has been my most-worn UNIQLO purchase - the menswear cashmere jumper. Last winter, I picked up four colours - ivory, camel, brown and navy and my Indyx tells me I’ve worn them collectively 64 times. I’m a fan!! They are as soft as a baby’s bum, and they’ve washed well in the machine (handwash setting on a cool wash, then I air-dry afterwards) with little to no pilling. I like the slightly more eased-out fit of the men’s version, as the women’s felt too snug, even when I sized up.

UNIQLO Men’s Wool-Blend Coat* - £109.90 - I tried on an M

Ok, into the changing room we go! Given the above, I had to have a browse around the men’s section, and this wool-blend coat caught my eye (I liked the look of the grey version, too). If you’re looking for a car coat style in a heavier fabrication then this is worth trying on. Note that there’s no lining on the main body of the coat, and the wool composition is 33%, but the fit was nicely oversized if you stuck to your usual size, and I feel like this mole colour would be a nice addition if your wardrobe looked anything like mine colour-wise.

UNIQLO Corduroy Jacket* - £49.50 - I tried on an XL because that’s all they had in stock. I think an L would have been better, so I’d suggest going up one size for a slightly more relaxed fit.

They had a nice range of corduroy in-store (including some trousers too*). I have a theory that suede is the easier to care for sister of suede, that still gives the same textured effect but without the £70+ dry cleaning bill. So with that in mind I had to try on this jacket. Note the sizing info above, as I think this suits a more relaxed and oversized look, and I’d pick out either this cream or the navy as my top colour choices. It could do with being a little thicker, so I was happy to leave it behind.

UNIQLO Merino Crew Neck Cardigan* - £34.90 - I tried on an M - I loved the fit.

Oh hello Reformation Clara Cardigan* dupe for like 1/8th of the price! No this doesn’t have a fluffy cashmere finish, but if you like the crew-neck button-up cardigan look and something that’s slightly easier to care for, then this the one to buy. If I didn’t already have two grey cardigans in my wardrobe at home then this one would have come home with me. I loved that it wasn’t too clingy around the tops of my arms.

UNIQLO Merino Crew Neck Jumper* - £29.50 - I tried on the M and loved the fit.

Merino wool is a really good one to seek out if you want that knitted look, but find other fabrics too heavy or itchy (there’s a good article on that here). It’s great at temperature regulation, so if you’re a hot girl/sweaty girl like me, then it’s worth scouting out. I really liked the fit of this one and they do it in 628618 colours (ok 13). It reminded me of the men’s ARKET one I have, but for like half the price.

UNIQLO Cashmere V-Neck Jumper* - £79.90 - This is the M and I love it. I also tried on the grey in a S because that’s all that had and it felt too snug, so this one runs true to size.

One piece of cashmere from the women’s section that I do like though is this v-neck style. I don’t think there’s better out there for this price-point, unless you’re going to go down the secondhand route. And once again there’s a good colour selection, with some nice earthy rich tones that you don’t see in the women’s section all that often. I’ve added this one to my wishlist because I was *very* tempted.

So there you go! The crème de la crème of UNIQLO - I hope that was helpful. Even if it’s just a reminder of things that you have in your wardrobe that you want to dust off, or gives you some ideas for new outfit formulas. Where shall I head to next?

Anna x