My Top Picks from Uniqlo’s LifeWear Collection
A peak inside the event that introduced the collection, and a comprehensive look at the most unexpected and innovative pieces.
Uniqlo partnered with The Nature Conservancy for the event. We were given succulents to take home and I named my Thatcher. Yes, after Thatcher Grey.
Last week I received a surprising and exciting invitation to Uniqlo’s spring/summer 2024 LifeWear collection preview. When I told my brother I was going he asked an excellent question: What is it about Uniqlo that makes it that one fast-fashion brand we can all kind of stand behind?
Well, off I went! Maybe by the end of the night I would have the answer to my brother’s question.
FYI—This is a coat from Japanese brand Kapital. Crafted to perfection! I bought it second-hand and it’s still in great shape! It’s pretty thin, which I don’t mind because it is ideal for layering. Loafers are from Tod’s.
Upon arrival a security guard asked me if I was working the event. Turns out I was the first guest there and I was one minute early. Slightly lame, yes, but this gave me the chance to talk to the person who invited me! This was a work event, after all.
The spring/summer color scheme was splashed around every room.
Cocktails included!
Here are my favorite pieces from the collection that centers around lifestyle, texture and function (men’s included!).
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Dresses
Was it a little cruel of them to show us these dresses in the dead of winter? Maybe.
Very frolic-worthy. Not on their website yet, but here is a link to the dresses they do have.
Am I now doing the same thing to you? Yes.
I saw some unexpected designs at the SS24 preview.
Wear for instant “I tried” energy. The ties add character and create a feminine shape, which often gets lost in a dress this length.
Outerwear
It’s refreshing to see such thoughtful colors on a parka. The springy pastels enliven an otherwise standard coat. These are by far my favorites from the women’s outerwear:
These parkas are gorgeous. I love the cool tone.
Again. The color!
Still, I think the men’s outerwear won out this time, though Uniqlo does a good job of being relatively genderless, making these two jacket suitable for anyone:
Truly obsessed with these utility jackets.
Check out the corduroy collar here. The three buttons are also a fine detail.
These have a similar style and structure to what you would see from, say, Alex Mill but at a more accessible price point without sacrificing quality. It’s hard to go wrong with 100% cotton, which the grey jacket is!
Bottoms
Starting with men’s, the bottoms consisted of everything from shorts, trousers and jeans, but my favorites were the cargos. Remember when we all thought cargo pants were dorky?! This trend took over about a year ago and hasn’t let up since.
Creamy cargo pants.
These geared shorts have a great belt detail.
Gorgeous shade here.
For the women, I want to highlight jeans.
Our jeans do not have to be from Khaite or Interior to achieve that perfect slouchy look. I’m often afraid to buy new jeans because I am convinced I’ll have to spend at least $200 to get something worthwhile. It’s not true!
These wide straight jeans will be mine. For $49.90 that’s a steal!
These draped pleated ones are kinda cool! Have you seen pleated jeans before? Because I have not!
And here’s a cargo option, of course.
Easy cargo pants. Their wide straight cargo pants are also nice.
Tops
You might see the pictures below and think—It’s a cropped T-shirt Kyoko, big whoop, relax. The “aggregated, ultra-fine fibers” and breathable, quick-drying fabric set this one apart.
The shirt currently comes in white, black, beige, brown, navy and purple colorways.
I snapped this picture of someone testing out how the shirt absorbs water. As someone who would normally be terrified of breaking a sweat with such clingy material under my arms, this was exciting.
Uniqlo also included UV protection in their collection. Even for all-day pieces like cardigans:
This UV protection crew cardigan shows you don’t have to sacrifice look for sun protection, or vice versa. Uniqlo boasts materials that block over 90% of UV rays. Also this blue!
Baby pink among the men’s tops dominated. It’s just the right shade. Not quite salmon, and not Barbie pink. It’s kind of soothing, isn’t it?
A great shade of pink for this knit crew sweater.
And on this U AIRism crew neck.
Linen
Personally, linen is not my favorite fabric. There are many, many fabrics I would choose to dress in before linen, but that doesn’t mean good linen pieces don’t exist. Especially when blended properly.
100% linen striped top here for all you linen lovers.
These linen cotton tapered pants have such a nice feel. They’re heavier than typical linen pants, no doubt because of the 50% cotton.
Linen blend easy pants. Casual but can certainly be dressed up enough to wear to brunch.
One of the many racks that night. This one featuring lots of linen, of course.
Bra Tops
Queue shirts you never have the right bra for. I’ll be honest, I used to hate bra tops. They’re like a spork—They should be a game-changer, but they just aren’t. It’s too bad.
But times could be changing? These bra tops from Uniqlo are meant to be supportive without being restrictive, and can be worn on their own or layered.
An AIRism cropped bra tube top. Currently sold out, but might come back here.
The top features removable straps.
A secure bra top (in place of a bra) under a looser shirt can provide a lot of comfort, and maybe a little extra style. Though this may not be sufficient support for those with a fuller bust.
Another AIRism bra top here. Sizes currently range from XS to XL online.
The sort of top you don’t want bra straps peaking out of. Uniqlo’s ribbed cropped sleeveless bra top.
These half-bra camisoles can be worn sporty, or with trousers and a blazer.
Seamless half bra camisole here.
It currently comes in five colorways.
AirSense
With the collection’s emphasis on function, Uniqlo’s AirSense pieces are intentionally crafted to feel light, stretchy and quick to dry. These are my favorites. Both are technically men’s, but you might catch me in one soon. AirSense also offers trousers, jackets and shorts.
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As the evening came to a close I took one last dramatic look at the space, trying to soak up each little bit I may have missed…
My final look at the event before making my exit—THIS is why I arrived first.
After the event I was wiped, but I left with a few parting gifts.
We were sent home with a black bucket hat and an AIRism tank top, along with our sweet succulents.
They did not miss a detail—right down to the blacked-out price.
So, what is it exactly that makes Uniqlo that one fast fashion brand we all actually like (unless you don’t, of course)? To me, it’s that it not only provides me with all my socks, underwear and white T-shirts, but it also surprises me with fresh takes on things like fabrics and colorways.
The fast fashion part is harder. I think most of us associate fast fashion with low quality, cheap clothing produced at obscene levels. So when we think of fast fashion we don’t think Uniqlo. The quality and price points they offer are generally respectable, and the mass production is simply supplying a demand, right? Maybe that’s a topic for another day.
With that, I hope you have a magnificent and stylish rest of your day. New York Fashion Week is officially here, and I can’t wait to tell you about it next week! Until then…
Yours Truly,
Kyoko
I am not compensated for the features listed in AYS. My sincerest thank you to Uniqlo for participating in the creation of this post.
