Uniqlo U remains one of menswear’s best cheat codes. Every season, designer Christophe Lemaire hops in the studio with his Uniqlo counterparts and cooks up hits, iterating on the house codes he’s honed over years of chart dominance. (In 2020, Sarah-Linh Tran, Lemaire’s partner at his own eponymous line, came on board as co-artistic director of his Uniqlo projects, too).
Each U drop is jam-packed with bangers, and the most recent fall collection is no exception. But when it hit the shelves this morning, our eyes immediately gravitated towards a handful of pieces with an unusual provenance, at least for a publication that calls itself Gentlemen’s Quarterly: the women’s section.
It’s not like we’re breaking new ground here. It’s 2024, folks: We’re no strangers to shopping across the aisle—or “borrowing” choice pieces from those who do. Frankly, this should kind of be old news to you. A big fit is a big fit, regardless of its constituent elements.
In case it’s not, though, take a look for yourself. As per usual, Uniqlo U’s womenswear is bathed in warm, dusty tones—accented by key hits of muted chartreuse—and features a slew of cozy knits and covetable jackets. The cropped Pufftech vest boasts all the hallmarks of a post-gorp classic, sans any of the overly-techy details that might prevent it from getting there. The half-zip blouse skews sporty in the most streamlined way possible, like the windbreaker a cool architect friend might wear to coach soccer.
The full-zip merino-blend jacket is so good it’d make even the most stylish geezer jealous—very Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood, if the neighborhood in question was the 3rd arrondissement in Paris. We’re also especially thrilled to see Lemaire’s signature barrel-shaped pants reinterpreted in a swishy rayon-nylon blend, and for a fraction of the usual price.
All we ask in exchange for the intel? Broaden your horizons (and, like, your search parameters) when you hightail it to the Uniqlo site—and don’t blame us when you, your mom, and your significant other show up to brunch wearing the same sweater.
