Gothamist: Uniqlo Settles Into Soho

Myszka

Wed, 20 Dec 2006 12:39:10 -0500

@ZB42: OK!

sean story

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 08:23:26 -0500

GQmodel

Sun, 19 Nov 2006 15:10:54 -0500

aaaaaaaahhhh is this thing on...check mic check...

whatev

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:53:08 -0500

wait, it's the "gap of japan"? why the hell are the japanese bringing us the gap??? we already have one on every other street corner! BUT... it *is* a japanese brand.. hmm... and it has that cool minimalist style (aka plain), so i think i will get a cheap cashmere sweater and some skinny jeans (salad all week!!!)... uniqlo rocks my world!

whatev

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 21:50:28 -0500

wait, it's the "gap of japan"? why are the japanese bringing us the gap? we already have one on every other street corner. oh well, but it is a japanese brand with a cool minimalist style (aka plain)... so i'm going to get me some uniqlo jeans too! i can't wait!

bob

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 18:26:58 -0500

That is not fat - check the normal height/weight range charts. 126 lbs? Eat a sandwich!

n

Sun, 12 Nov 2006 13:15:32 -0500

hey comment 22, as you say: 5'7, size 31 waist, about 150 lbs... this means that yes, in fact, you are one of the fat people.

elaine

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 21:16:12 -0500

Sizes in Uniqlo = same as sizes anywhere else, based on the jeans I bought.

apparently i'm one of the 'fat' people

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 19:44:42 -0500

i've shopped at uniqlo both in japan and in america (not in NYC at the moment to go to the new store though, can't comment on the stuff) and yes, the sizes are different. a medium polo i bought in japan is a small here. but for the people claiming the stuff is for 'fat' people - uhh, try average? i'm a 22 year old male, 5'7, size 31 waist, about 150 lbs...and uniqlo stuff fits just fine. perhaps you tiny little people need to go to and put some more meat on your frames?

em

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 15:43:04 -0500

My biggest comment is the cashiers suck. They are going to have to make a roped area and have people go one at a time instead of piling up like cattle. I was going to buy stuff but put it down and left.

hours

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 09:19:12 -0500

Uniqlo is for fat people. The clothes are HUGE!!! It's for people who wear kmart stuff.

Eman

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 07:36:38 -0500

Am I the only one who found there clothing cut a bit to big and baggy? There xs shirts can be like mediums at HM. and there jackets don't come in xs. Where are all these fat people in New York? I don't see it. Be it I'm male, 26, and 126 or so lbs, but am I the only one who finds there stuff cut huge? I never thought the Japanese were fat bunch. As for it being basics, yes to some degree, but there's some really nice, pretty designs they offer. Take a look at the lookbook at uniqlo.com - its. all very stylish. Just wish it fit. P.S. The Gap and Old Navy cut way too big as well.

iceagemeg

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 04:11:09 -0500

Good luck buying your clothes at the Salvation Army, uniqlo haters. If you're reading this site, you must be too poor to afford the 'in' fashions you speak of.

Jason

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 03:00:38 -0500

Uniqlo sucks. It'll be gone by next year.

kelly

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 01:26:33 -0500

Jammer, I agree. American Apparel clothes are really poor quality. Their basic tees are ok but if you feel any of their other pieces, the material is so thin you can almost see through it. I stopped by around 7 this evening. It was insane! The sales woman told me they sold over 1000 pieces of their cashmere sweaters.

uniqlo

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 01:21:38 -0500

Uniqlo has always made their branding strategy apparent. When they opened in Japan, their goal wasn't to be the next "trendy" store. They've always wanted to be the store where you can get the basics and use it with whatever "in" pieces of that season. When it opened in Japan, it was originally compared to being the "gap" of Japan. One thing that hasn't really followed with their move to the states are the prices. Uniqlo is slightly cheaper in Japan. Pants and jeans that retail here for 39 bucks cost 2,900 yen (which is about 32 bucks. Not that big of a difference. But when you compare the usual price for the cashmere (in Japan retails for 4,900-6,000 yen or 45-55 bucks) the regular price for these pieces will be 89.00. If you need good quality basics, I suggest Uniqlo. They're clothes are really good quality. Yes, most of their pieces are pretty boring and bland and you could probably find the same thing at Old Navy but trust me, Old Navy/H&M/American Apparel/Forever 21's quality is crap compared to Uniqlo quality.

kappu

Sat, 11 Nov 2006 00:44:12 -0500

Wow! The clothes were blah. You've seen the same thing at old navy. It's like old navy 1.5. so boring.

hom

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 22:22:15 -0500

the clothes are well made basics. But they are just basics. I already have basics. The next time I need socks and boxers I know I can shop at Uniqlo but they got 35,000 square feet of nothing else exciting.

j

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 22:20:51 -0500

oh and there is nothing COUTURE at h&m. if there were, you wouldn't see 15 girls wearing the same damned outfit. with chains like h&m, aa, and uniqlo, they are bringing back 90s utility with a vengeance. next thing you know, those weird one shouldered back packs will be back in style.

jammer

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 22:18:01 -0500

it was absolute mayhem at 1230, and the staff was less than knowledgeable about the whereabouts of some items. we can let them slide on that one. but i will say that qualitatively, it is BETTER made than american apparel. american apparel, from the top of the ceo's ratty hair down to the small type on their seedy little adverts, is garbage. there's no reason why a $60 hoodie should be separated, NOT SEPARATING, at the seams within 2 weeks of moderate wear. the fabric used for uniqlo clothing doesn't feel like the slime of rayon de rigeur at h&m. i dunno. i'm a sucker for bright lights and gleaming steel.

zb42

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:30:04 -0500

Don't miss out on the Uniqlo Money (3 coupons good till December 3, 2006.) on page 85 of the catalogues piled up at the entrances of the Soho Flagship store. You get $15 off purchases over $75. You're not supposed to be able to use these coupons with other offers, but this afternoon the cashiers in the lower level were letting customers combine the coupons with other discounts. Don't know for how much lower THAT will be going on. ( Note to Myszka: If you go to the lower level cashiers in the Soho store and they don't allow you combine offers, be easy on them. ) Didn't really have time to shop, but I just picked up a Uniqlo Gift Card for a friend. The card doesn't have the amount "shown" on it anywhere on the card, so when I give the Gift Card, I'll include the receipt. It'll make gift giving easy for me b/c it's too hard shopping for people.

smitty

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 21:08:43 -0500

There is virtually no difference between the type of cashmere in a $99 sweater versus that of a $200-300 sweater. It has to do with the purity and thickness of the cashmere fibers as well as the manufacturing quality of the fibre processing. It is only when you get to higher price points that you would be able to notice a distinct difference between expensive cashmere and the cheaper stuff, as all the cashmere on the low-end is of similar grade and manufacturing quality.

jajj

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 18:28:34 -0500

this place is crap. I went in to buy the red plaid flannel that terry richardson was sporting in the adverts but they didn't carry it. then I saw a guy rocking a black shiny tie in the posters around the store and in the catalog and I could not find it. I asked a store worker who got confused as to why it was in the ad and asked her boss and the guy said they didn't carry the tie or the plaid shirt and I said "why is it in all the pictures around here?" and he said it was just for decoration and to spruce up the real crap basic clothes.

American Apparel for life

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 18:12:30 -0500

It's alright. I'd personally shop at American Apparel for my basics cause I love the feel of their tshirts much better.

jojo

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 18:07:24 -0500

The good: the quality is like the Gap and American Apparel The Bad: the fit is like Old Navy and it's the same shit throughout the whole store. Prices are not that cheap. More expensive than old navy almost the same as the gap. the store is a bit deceptive cause they sell the same shit throughout the store. A shirt you see in one aisle will be repeated in another aisle maybe 5 feet away. The stuff is everyday crap and not very couture like H&M. Also they have fat American fits which is perfect for housewives but those who demand european cuts and form fitted shirts are shit out of luck. Bottom line is the store is nice but the clothes are just the same thing you've seen in Old navy and Gap countless times before.

ep

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 18:05:34 -0500

Where are there clothes made?

your sister's gay boyfriend

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:41:37 -0500

Dan, I've gone to Uniqlo in Japan on my past trips there because I like their t-shirt designs. I can tell you that the shit is quality. The prices are somewhere between Old Navy and the Gap, but they use decent fabric and I like the jeans there.

sam

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:38:32 -0500

i've been a huge fan of uniqlo for a while. i work in soho and for almost a year they've had mini stores open in the hood. i've definitely gotten a lot of great basics (tanks and tees) there and i have a pair of jeans that i really love. unlike h&m, the japanese seem to be able to make clothes that actually fit an american woman's body...

Dan

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 17:02:50 -0500

So, the million dollar question is: is this shit any better then any of the other shit? yea or nay!

elaine

Fri, 10 Nov 2006 16:42:10 -0500

I did indeed go today, and was almost ran over by cameramen multiple times. Bought a pair of jeans which they apparently can hem for free. It was a pleasant surprise.