Have you ever thought about building your wardrobe with repeating shirts and pants in pure Simpson style? Zahran Mamdani, the new mayor of New York, admitted this little wish a few months ago in an interview with GQ magazine: “I have become… paternal uncle, My dream is to open the closet and find ten identical shirts, ten identical pants, and think: “Great, I’m ready.” “paternal uncle” It can be translated as “uncle” in the familiar sense, and in internet culture refers to a classic, somewhat older man, with a certain taste: Technology uncles They dress like engineers and Uncles sneaker They are obsessed with sneakers.
He is the man of the moment. At 34, he will become the city’s youngest-ever mayor, the first of South Asian descent and also the first to declare himself Muslim. He built his campaign on the idea of making New York affordable, trying to distinguish himself from political elites and appear closer to the average New Yorker. These ideals, and the breath of fresh air that his victory represents, are consistent with his easy, non-extravagant style. In the same interview, Mamdani declared himself “Uncle of Uniqlo” and admitted that this Japanese clothing brand had his complete trust.
But after this small confession from the politician, a global phenomenon ensues: thousands of men around the world have surrendered to the simple, practical, affordable and timeless promise of the fast fashion brand, which has practically become the uniform of modern men.
“I like their simple designs and loose clothing without being too casual, but above all, the materials and comfort, and having everyday wear is much more comfortable than other modern-style brands,” admits Mario Vivancos, a 40-year-old customer from Malaga who takes advantage of his trips to Madrid or Barcelona (the only cities with physical stores in Spain) “to have a look.” “I also usually buy connected “Some basic items or items I’ve already tried,” he explains.
“For me, the very comforting thing about Uniqlo is that there are certain clothes that you know you’ll find every season, regardless of the fashion. That is, if I have a cream-colored, merino wool crew-neck sweater I love, I know that if it breaks or becomes unusable, I can go to the store in five or 10 years and I’ll find the same sweater,” says Diego Casado, a 46-year-old regular customer.
“For those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s, brands were everything, and status was measured by wearing an Air Jordan or by the look of a pair of Bonaventure jeans. I didn’t like any of that, but the alternative outside the big capitals was to wear clothes bought from Pryca. Now things have changed and it’s possible to dress well without wearing those very popular brands or spending a fortune,” explains Casado, who highlights the decline in quality at Uniqlo in recent years: “I attribute this to “The huge jump in sales around the world, especially after the pandemic.”
After this little confession from the politician, a global phenomenon boils down to it: thousands of men around the world have surrendered to the simple, practical, affordable and timeless promise of the fast fashion brand.
The absence of logos on most clothing is the element that defines the brand’s strategy, enhancing its sobriety and… Made for everyone (He was created for everyone) defends. All customers consulted on the value of wearing reliable basic clothing, without the fuss or fuss.
“I think Uniqlo has been able to be a global brand and appeal to a Western audience precisely because of simplicity,” says Sylvia Gomez, fashion journalist at Esquire. “It’s a non-trend that is very much associated with men, who tend to prioritize quality and timeless clothes that serve as a wardrobe staple. Their creative director, Clare Waight Keller, has helped a lot with this, as she focuses on bringing good design to even the simplest garment like a jacket or a shirt, and then infuses it with technologies like HEATtech or AIRism so that she sees it as functional, which is something that is very important in minimalism.”
The brand began its journey in Hiroshima, in 1984, under the name Unique Clothing Warehouse, after its founder Tadashi Yanai became president of the tailoring chain he inherited from his father. In less than two decades since jumping into the international market, with its first successful opening in New York in 2006, Uniqlo has been shaped into a multi-million dollar empire of so-called LifeWear, everyday clothing.
Currently, the brand, which is listed on Fast Retailing, has nearly 2,500 stores in 25 different countries and has become the largest fashion chain in Asia, with more than 800 stores in Japan alone. Tadashi Yanai and his family are ranked 32nd richest in the world by Forbes and first in Japan, with a current net worth of $52.5 billion.
Uniqlo’s arrival in Spain is relatively recent, in 2017 in Barcelona and later in Madrid, with a total of seven stores today, organized in a purely Japanese style. Even with this limited physical presence, the brand has managed to consolidate itself and has growth prospects in the Spanish market, although the price range in Europe is much higher than in its country of origin. “The same clothes that are worth 100 euros here are worth 50 or 60 euros in Japan,” says Diego Casado, who has visited several of the brand’s stores in Japan. “In fact, in Japan they are in a price range closer to what a Primark store would be than a Zara store in Spain.”
The same clothes that are worth 100 euros here are worth 50 or 60 euros in Japan. In fact, in Japan they are in a price range closer to what Primark would be than Zara in Spain.
Diego Casado
On some occasions, when he has been cited as “Japan’s Amancio Ortega”, Tadashi Yanai has expressed to the media his desire to surpass the numbers of Inditex, whose founder is currently ranked 12th on the global list of billionaires. However, the strategies of one of the two companies are at odds: Zara follows the latest trends with new launches every week, while Uniqlo focuses above all on timelessness. This difference lies part of her success among men.
“What I like is how simple they are to make for you, they give you a wide catalog of colors and clothes that anyone could buy, but they also get creative in applying different types of fabrics that make the material cooler or warmer while maintaining comfort and fit,” says Ruben Pelaez, a 31-year-old from Madrid, who believes that investing time every day in choosing what clothes to wear can be tedious.
It’s no coincidence that Uniqlo’s wardrobe is reminiscent of those of Silicon Valley gurus. Years ago, Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg were betting on wearing the same clothes every day as a form of leverage: saving time and gaining visual coherence. The spirit of “less decisions, more efficiency” fits with Japanese culture.
Swiss tennis player Roger Federer, the brand ambassador and dubbed by many as “the most stylish man in tennis,” was one of the first people to wear Uniqlo clothing globally. In fact, the Swiss was named the most stylish man of the decade in 2019 by men’s fashion magazine GQ. Federer surprised in 2018 at the Wimbledon Championship by wearing the Japanese brand for the first time after more than 20 years of his association with Nike, and since then, thanks to a contract worth one million dollars, he has not stopped wearing it. “I may stop playing tennis at some point, but I’m not retiring from life. Being associated with LifeWear is great because it shows that Uniqlo sees me as more than just a tennis player,” he said.
“Uncle Uniqlo,” according to fashion journalist Silvia Gomez, “knows the trends, he pays attention to what children wear, what is in the stores, but he is clear about his image and does not give in to any garment that becomes a fad.” “He wants to look fashionable and modern, he generally lives in medium or large cities and prioritizes quality and practicality in clothes,” explains the expert.
“For me, the brand has consolidated and will continue to grow, especially in the Spanish market. This year they opened their third store in Madrid and at Esquire we have noticed that it is generating more and more interest,” says Gomez. “She is widely known and praised among Generation Z millennial generation, But it still has room to grow among a more mature audience like the Generation leapIt is clear.
The collections are completely unisex, and this helps younger men or men with a more modern concept of masculinity identify with themselves in their clothing.
Sylvia Gomez
— Fashion journalist
“I think Uniqlo is for men who want to maintain a modern but simple and clean style, without leaving comfort and quality behind but without having to choose the more expensive brands,” says Mario Vivancos. “I try to dress modestly without breaking my head too much and without making marks all over the place, or making bold statements,” says Diego Casado. For his part, Ruben Pelaez believes that “dressing simply is probably the most elegant way to do it.”
In an era Silent luxury And the aspirational naturalist, who seeks a subtle yet unostentatious style, Uniqlo’s basics arguably scream without having to speak. In a parody collaboration with the brand on TikTok, a network on which it has a high profile, Canadian actor and comedian Jack Inanen includes the brand’s clothing in his bag of “performative male stuff,” in which he talks about feminism, drinks matcha tea, wears wired headphones or comments on the films of Sofia Coppola and Luca Guadagnino.
In any simple search for men’s trends, it’s easy to find Pedro Pascal, Jacob Elordi, or Paul Mescal, fashion actors who are models of the new masculinity, but who also have the keys to dressing like they “only wear Uniqlo.” During his election campaign, Mamdani also advocated empathetic masculinity that neither imposes itself nor is harsh on others.
“The interesting thing is that, in addition to being simple, the Uniqlo collections are completely unisex and in the same way worn by both men and women, and this helps younger men or men with a more modern concept of masculinity to recognize themselves in their clothes,” emphasizes Gomez. “They also have basic but diverse versions of trends, like jeans carpenter, Technical raincoats or tops, but in sober colors and simple designs. This means that 40 or 50 year old men in particular can wear the clothes they do without feeling like an old man.
Perhaps one of the keys to the success of Uniqlo’s formula for the modern man, whether he’s a New York politician, a Swiss tennis player or a Barcelona professional looking for durable, practical clothing, is simplifying a world full of choices.
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