I wouldn't call myself stylish. What I can say is that I love clothes and beautiful things (too much). So I spend quite a lot of time hunting for gorgeous pieces at a good price. My preferences have also increasingly shifted towards sustainable choices. Towards, among other things, items that are high quality and last a long time. Except that usually comes with a price tag. Items from Uniqlo also come with price tags, but ones that generally make it worth investing in their pieces. I'd love to introduce you all to Uniqlo. One of my current favourite clothing brands.
Below is a small sample from my collection.

Some background info

Uniqlo is a Japanese brand that's been around since 1975. From 2001 onwards, the brand slowly, finally started expanding into Europe. Uniqlo has only been active in the Netherlands since 2018, and has only had a webshop for the Netherlands since September 2023!
Right now you can find physical stores in the Netherlands in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. They'll be expanding to Amstelveen this year, 2025. Secretly I'm hoping they'll also come to Alkmaar or Haarlem!
Uniqlo produces LifeWear. Clothing made to be worn often, for a long time, and with love, but at a fair price. Think merino wool jumpers for 40 euros. If you put in the effort, you can even score them for half that in the sale. Or think simply designed t-shirts for 15 euros, but made from high-quality cotton with a really nice fit. Uniqlo likes to design clothing made to last, and as 'green' as possible.

Collections

Believe me, I'm hooked. Especially now that the winter sale is in full swing, I scroll through the sale at least twice a day for newly available sale items. Apparently I'm not the only one this excited, because the sale goes fast. Over the past week I've already had it happen several times that an item in my cart had already sold out before I got the chance to check out. That's also because they genuinely slash prices (75%) when they want to clear out the last items. That way it at least doesn't end up on those scandalous piles somewhere in Africa.
Anyways, Uniqlo always has various types of collections on offer. Sometimes they also collaborate with an artist or designer. Fairly recently, for example, they had a collaboration with the Louvre.
Not all clothing falls under a collection, that's then the regular Uniqlo collection. That's designed by Uniqlo's own design team, rather than by an outside designer.

Uniqlo U

A collection designed by Christophe Lemaire and his team, out of Paris. They design LifeWear essentials, and love creating layers with these essentials. Every season, a new collection launches within Uniqlo U. As far as I'm concerned, this is a collection within Uniqlo that genuinely designs really nice basics. Looking for the perfect white t-shirt? Go for it. They try to give everyday clothing a new twist and produce it in high-quality fabric.

Uniqlo : C

Uniqlo : C is designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller. She's known for her modern elegance, and tries to weave that into every Uniqlo collection too.
So what does the C actually stand for? Core. For now, Clare Waight Keller remains responsible for this core collection within Uniqlo. Why am I excited about it? She designs pieces that are elegant, but still modern, and, as far as I'm concerned, radiate a lot of class. All while still being practical to wear, thanks to the fabrics and silhouettes she uses. This season I really treated myself to the long skirts she designed. On top of that, in the sale, I managed to snag two cashmere cardigans for 20 euros each. Yay!

Uniqlo x Anya Hindmarch

It's not necessarily a permanent collaboration, but this season it was a recurring one. As the collection name gives away, this one is designed by the celebrated Anya Hindmarch, known for her luxurious yet practical pieces. She also makes a lot of use of her signature eye motif. This winter's (2024) collection is actually called; 'An Eye for Curiosity.' My first gorgeous Merino jumper is already sitting in my closet. This season it was a collection with relatively few items, though.

UNIQLO and PRINCESSE tam tam

Apparently PRINCESSE tam tam is a fairly well-known French lingerie brand, mainly focused on loungewear, underwear and swimwear. In their designs they focus on comfort, original prints, femininity and vibrant colours. Honestly? Every time I see this collection pop up, I just scroll past. They're probably really comfortable and beautiful pieces. I'm just not really the person who lounges around at home in flannel pyjamas with a plaid print. Are you, though? Then definitely go take a look at Uniqlo and PRINCESSE tam tam.

UNIQLO and COMPTOIR DES COTONNIERS

Comptoir des Cotonniers is a sister brand of Uniqlo, and, just like Uniqlo, falls under the Fast Retailing Group. It's a genuinely fruitful collaboration between Uniqlo and this brand, time and time again. The identity of this collection is, French. Remember the barbiecore era? I'd almost call this collection; French core. You can tell from the fit and the overall vibe. A luxurious yet simple look, with slim silhouettes. No fuss, just French classics, done in a modern way with fairly luxurious fabrics. This season they made heavy use of lambswool, satin and corduroy. Don't expect flashy colours.
Last season, spring/summer, they had a collection with a lot of linen pieces.

Uniqlo x Marimekko

As far as I'm concerned, the icing on the cake, the collaboration with Marimekko. Marimekko itself has been around since 1951, and is a Finnish design house that focuses on designing pieces with vibrant prints and timeless silhouettes. It genuinely has to be your thing, but I thought this was a really fun collection. The whole collection is coordinated, and I'm absolutely here for that. As soon as it dropped, I placed an order right away, and I never do that. The Heattech turtleneck especially worked really well for me. In the end all four variants ended up in my closet. On top of that, also two skirts, two jumpers, two pairs of socks and two dresses. The quality is high, the fit is great, and the prints are fantastic.

What else do they have?

It doesn't stop there. I'd love to mention two more lines Uniqlo makes within their regular collection. That's Heattech and AIRism. I've found out that they also make practical clothing, but with a stylish touch. Who doesn't want that?

Their Heattech line was specially developed to, you've probably already guessed, keep you warm. Within the Heattech line, they have three grades;
- Heattech; a light, thin base layer.
- Extra Warm; roughly 1.5x warmer than Heattech. Recommended for -5 to -15 degrees.
- And Ultra Warm; for -10 to -20 degrees, and about 2.5x warmer than the regular Heattech.
People, I recommend this so strongly. So far I've only worn a Heattech top occasionally. That already makes a genuine world of difference, warmth-wise. So, in my opinion, it's a great way to give practical clothing a nice vibe. They don't always have prints available, but they do have practical clothing with a great fit.

Then there's also AIRism. I discovered this line last summer. I don't have a huge number of pieces yet, but enough to know that this is also a really nice line from Uniqlo. The fabric is genuinely perfect for summer, or warm weather, since you feel so comfortable in it. It doesn't stick, it doesn't chafe, you barely feel it against your body, it moves with you, and it doesn't show sweat. The fit and the feel especially are incredibly nice. On top of that, they also have clothing with a built-in bra, and, not something I expected, but I've got a nice front view in that too.

Closing note for Uniqlo

Of course, you don't owe me anything, and I'm not trying to push anyone into anything, but I'm genuinely excited about Uniqlo. Do the traits above sound like you? Then maybe it's worth trying an item from Uniqlo. Not your thing at all? Then it's simply not your thing, and that's totally fine. It does take a bit of figuring out which size works well for which items, by the way. I personally shift a bit between S and XS. Have I kept everything I've ordered so far? No. It was mostly trousers I sent back, because of a fairly odd crotch fit, and some tops that also completely failed to meet my expectations. So yeah, that happened too. But for now, my fourth order within four weeks is on its way, including, among other things, even more Merino wool jumpers.

Source for all images: Uniqlo