Categories
Follow
Subscribe
Archives
Links
Popular Tags
Aspen Atomic Austria Bavaria BMA Bogner Burke Burton Canada Colorado FIS Alpine World Champs France Garmisch-Partenkirchen Germany Head Italy Jay Peak Julia Mancuso Kingdom Trails Lindsey Vonn Mikaela Shiffrin New Hampshire New York Norway Olympics Plaid POC Quebec Rossignol Schladming 2013 Sochi 2014 Spyder St. Moritz Stowe Stratton Sweater Switzerland Uniforms US Ski Team Utah Vermont Vintage Advertisement Vintage Photo Vintage Postcard Vintage Poster
Tag Archives: Uniqlo
Uniqlo: Down for Spring
x
Last fall, I made no secret my love of Uniqlo’s down program – and have since lived in the brand’s ultra light down vests all winter. And now – the warmth and comfort need not stop as the fast-fashion retailer is promoting down for the spring transition season. Yipee! New styles, new colors, once again starting at $49.95. Click to see women’s and men’s.
Stock up for summer. You heard right. I’m down with down year round. Try it. Shorts + t-shirt + down vest = cool coziness!
Uniqlo: Alpine Merchandising
x
x
x
x
Uniqlo is alpine-themed! All windows and displays in the 34th Street Manhattan store are outfitted with this mountaineering-inspired look to promote the Ultra Light Down and Fleece programs. Climbing rope, harnesses, sky-high heels and skateboard decks – somehow this mash-up works to merge outdoor with fast fashion.
Posted in Fashion, Lifestyle, Mountaineering, Outerwear, Shopping
Tagged NYC, Uniqlo
Leave a comment
Uniqlo: Ultra Light Down
x
x
x
x
My shopping advice to everyone is this — run, don’t walk to the nearest Uniqlo store (or computer for uniqlo.com) to scoop up some ultra light down. With prices of $49.90 for vests and $69.90 for jackets, it is all too easy to consider an assortment.
Last week, after five hours and as many hooded down vests later, I emerged from a Manhattan Uniqlo overwhelmed but hardly defeated by the excessive goodness in store. Sure, the down collection is nothing new – but the success has driven more selection in styles, colors and prints! To me, the prints are the real coup: polka dots, gingham, plaid and more for women; camouflage, houndstooth, denim and others for men. I was defenseless against the super-cute hooded vests with dots and checks!
The designs are simple and flattering – the women’s styles in particular benefit from this approach, as they are not overdone with excessive quilting and shaping. In terms of weight, these garments fall in the down “sweater” category, perfect as outerwear in cool (not cold) temps and excellent layering weight. As for quality, the fill is 90% down / 10% feather with downproof nylon shell fabric. Zippers are YKK. The included stuff sack is a reasonable size that makes for easy storage. The concept of the compact stuff sack is widely promoted as an integral part of this collection with instructional videos running throughout the store and down garments put into their pouches by sales clerks at checkout.
It is exciting to see performance apparel stories take root in mainstream fashion. Uniqlo has been effective in educating consumers about the benefits of down (light, warm, packable, versatile, comfortable, natural) and showing how to make it a part of everyday dress. (Another success is their Heattech program developed with leading technical fabric supplier, Toray.)
Personally, I have been a big fan of Uniqlo since the Japanese fast fashion retailer opened the SoHo store in 2006. Some of my most worn staples are Uniqlo, product quality is excellent and price can’t be beat. I expect the same of these down pieces and am thrilled to have added to my vest collection for daily uniform wear and broadened my on-hill layering options. And I can’t wait to layer a polka dotted hooded vest under a contrasting color technical shell!