favorite fashion retail store: uniqlo

i was overwhelmed when i got to visit their store in ginza. it was 7 floors store with lots of collection from men, women and children. when we were there, i was still pregnant, and unfortunately, they didn't have any maternity line at that time. but considering that i had small bump despite the pregnancy age, i still could buy a pant bigger than my usual size and keep using it until now. and now, since they have opened their store in a shopping mall near my house, you can count me as frequent visitor. 

i know uniqlo is not super ethical brand. i've heard rumors about them paying workers under moderate wage. so if you have concern about it, then you might want to skip the brand. if you're asking me why i like it, it's because of their styles. you can definitely see that uniqlo is about basic stuff. it has clean cut and style. their pieces are suitable for everyday use. up until lately, they don't have super trendy stuff or bright colors. if you've ever gone to japan, you'd notice that people there only wear basic color, nothing too flashy. usually white, nude, light blue, navy, black and sometimes camel. you'd spotted immediately if you wear something bright like red or orange or yellow there. that's the same with uniqlo's products. their stuff are usually only have similar color, only lately i can see brighter colors in their collaboration like darker green, orange and now even lilac. 

other things that make me amazed by their products are their quality. i bought their shirt and it was different than my usual shirt. their materials are soft and comfortable to use. no problem with ironing as well. usually most of their stuff are made of cotton, but lately they've used rayon and linen too. their rayon is different as well. though it's still thin, it's more soft to the skin and feels cooler than other rayon clothes that i have. i can't say anything about their linens though. 

i could go on and on about them, but i bet you must be wondering, what to buy from uniqlo? well, let's get on to that.

- heattech: when we were about to go to melbourne to visit my brother, i bought their heattech stuff. it's like heat protection underwear. at that time, there's only one option when i bought it in singapore. but in melbourne, there are the extra warm and ultra warm option. the extra warm gives 1,5 more heat protection than the regular one. while the ultra warm gives 2,5 more. you'd be surprised that it is thin but can keep you warm enough. i only had the regular one and the extra warm, and it could help me during winter in melbourne. i'm someone who can't stand in cold, so their product must be working as i wasn't freezing there.

- ultra light down: i bought this together with the heattech. i have an outerwear that's heavier than this, but it's not warmer. this outerwear though. it's puffy and super light, but it's super warm. you can even fold it and put it in a small pouch. you'd be surprised how small it can be considering that it's super puffy.

- ultra stretch denim legging: my husband bought me one of their legging in houndstooth pattern back when i was just giving birth. and it was a dream. it has stretchy waist and the whole fabric is soft and stretchy as well. then, as like other mothers, obviously it's difficult to get our pre-baby back. so, usually we couldn't fit into your previous clothes. me included. so this legging denim is a life saver. in fact, i tossed away all my jeans and just use this legging denim now. i have three of them now. one in light blue, and in dark blue and one in black. 

- airism and dry-ex: this is their newer line. my husband loves their dry-ex line. he has several of their polo shirt from this line. the fabric is really thin and flimsy. to the touch it feels like polyester. my husband said that the fabric is thin and breathable. it allows all of his sweat dry in seconds. since his sweat dry instantly, his clothes doesn't get smelly as it used to be. i read in their website that it's supposed to be an active wear, but my husband wore it daily. i guess you could as well if your work allows casual wear. while their airism is newer than dry ex. dry ex was meant to be an active wear, while airism is about loungewear. i guess they release airism right on time. the tagline of airism is wicks moisture, releases heat and absorbs sweat to keep you dry and comfortable all day. and it delivers the promise. they have several products in this line, from underwear, inner wear, active wear, outer and loungewear. my husband has their airism underwear and let me tell you, i never see anything like it. the fabric is very thin and soft, i wonder if it would hold well since it's so thin. but turns out it still wearable even though my husband has used it frequently. it's more durable than i thought it would be. my husband also has the loungewear set. the shorts are similar to regular cotton shorts, but the top is really soft to the touch. my husband loves it so much that he wears it regularly. 

i guess that should be enough. another product that i love from them is their relaco pants, especially the one that's made from rayon. if basics are not your alley, they have several quirky collaboration as well as numerous UT t-shirts. mostly it has famous characters like sanrio or snoopy and other characters as well. their sizing is not vary from among the products. i can easily buy their shirts and pants without trying them on even though it was different type. you can also download their apps so you can check your buying history. unfortunately, you can't buy their products online through the apps. you have to add their LINE account to make the purchase.