An Unexpectedly Good Uniqlo Haul

Looking for Modernity in Everyone's Favorite Affordable Brand

My relationship with Uniqlo fluctuates between love and “meh.” I typically fall in love with things I see on their website: upcoming collaborations, plenty of rich, interesting, non-color colors, and, of course, the price/quality ratio, endorsed even by the critical eye of Andrea Choeng. Occasionally, they produce pieces with real fashion credibility, such as this bag styled here by the Unruly Style.

However, the level of love decreases a bit once I hit the store. The fits are often not too oversized, and, dare I say, a bit basic? Still, just based on the vast choice of options, I can usually find good pieces. Uniqlo clothes are not like Tibi, which come “pre-styled” where you just pick three items and immediately have an outfit. With Uniqlo, you need styling skills to make sure they work. Sometimes, I loved the pieces only to see some basic details from the brand that detour the whole look.

Then, once I buy them or order them online, I find that only a minority of them fit me and look not too conservative or high-quality enough. The subdued colors and rather inexpensive materials can bring a level of “dirtiness” to the clothes which is fine but not something I wish for in all cases. So over time, my expectations for Uniqlo have settled at a moderate level, which is fine, considering the affordability of the brand.

Recently, I ordered a few pieces for the summer, and surprisingly, it was much better than I thought. Here’s what I got.

Sleeveless Satin Dress

Uniqlo dress, Arket shirt, Flattered bag and shoes

I added this dress to my cart in a bit of a panic to have a backup dress in case the tight dress I planned to wear to my friend's big birthday party didn’t fit. I also decided to waive my plan not to show my arms, as it has been so hot recently. I fell in love with this dress immediately when it arrived. It can be worn casually or as occasion wear, does not wrinkle, and the color is very rich. Yes, it is polyester, but I wore it in the heat and loved it. I also used the Tibi shirt tied at the waist over the dress below to try out a recently intriguing combination of green and blue.