bmthom.gis

Has anyone worn any of their clothing? This week they have some wind proof pants on sale
https://www.uniqlo.com/us/en/men-blo...kly-promotions

They also have fleece lined ones.

I'm intrigued! Would be interested in thoughts and opinions from anyone who has bought clothes from them before

ussprinceton

I'd like to try UniqLo out

lostarchitect 

I have tons of UniQlo stuff, I'm wearing a Uniqlo shirt and T-shirt right now, and probably undies too.

IMO, they are best for basic stuff like T-shirts. I have some more elaborate items from them, like a denim jacket and some snow pants type-things, and that stuff is just OK. I have had some jeans from them and they didn't last all that long. I'm phasing out buying stuff like that from them.

Also of note, I think a lot of their stuff, especially shirts, runs just a little small. I normally wear a large shirt, but theirs are a bit tight on me. However the extra large is too big, so it's kind of annoying.

My advice about them is try stuff on if possible, and really look it over to see if it will last or it's somewhat disposable.

bmthom.gis

Thanks! Unfortunately I don't have a brick and mortar for them anywhere around me. They seem to have pretty good price points and I like their style.
The wind blocking chinos sound great, in theory.

wisened_mule

Partially seconded on this.

I have a lot of underwear and undershirts from them, as well as a few button up shirts. The casual button ups seem to run true-to-size for me, I'm 6'2" and I wear a large. The undershirts can run weirdly big, I have a few small (!) undershirts that fit me properly.

A lot of Uniqlo's seasonal or limited time stuff can have, in my opinion, odd stylistic choices, while their standard lines are inexpensive basics. You get what you pay for, usually, doesn't last forever, but wont fall apart in a month.

Their best bargins IMO are their "heattech" line of long underwear, especially if its on sale. I have nice long underwear I use for backpacking etc. that I don't want to wear out by wearing too much, and their long underwear is warm, cheap, and well suited for daily wear in the winter. You can even get it with oh-so-fashionable stripes if you want to look like a russian sailor.

noglider 

I bought a dress shirt there and one of their so-called Heattech t-shirts. The dress shirt is great, and I'm slim, so it's good for me. Probably not so great for typical Americans.

The heattech shirt is pretty lousy, even though I'm wearing it today. I figured it would be one of those high tech synthetics that mimic the behavior of wool. But it gets stinky after one wearing. This is remarkable, because even cotton shirts don't get stinky on me except in the summer. I can wear a wool t-shirt for over a week, but not this.

Overall, the company seems to offer a terrific value. I plan to go back as soon as I can find the time. I need a lot of patience, too, because their stores are really crowded.

lostarchitect 

I agree with Tom about the Heattech stuff. I also bought a couple items, and they just make me sweaty and get smelly really fast.

Come to think of it I should just throw that stuff away. It just sits in a drawer.

But as I said, I do like their basics. I think at this point all of my T-shirts and most of my underwear are from there.

wisened_mule

This is an unfortunate characteristic of all polyester (and other synthetic) thermals, some are less bad (like polypropylene) but all synthetics stink compared to natural fibres. Synthetic also breathes less and sweats more, which compounds the problem.

The redeeming feature of the heattech stuff IMO is that is so cheap that you can afford to have a week's worth of fresh thermals without breaking the bank.

noglider 

@wisened_mule, I've been wearing some synthetics, and I'm impressed with how well they breathe and wick sweat. They act almost exactly like wool. You can't tell by the label, though, since nearly everything is called polyester. What matters, as far as I understand, is the shape of the fiber at a microscopic level, and those are trade secrets. I was hoping Heattech would be like merino wool, but it is far from it.

I also can't see Heattech as cheap. I get so many cotton t-shirts for free that I always have a surplus.

acidfast7

I bought a fair bit UNIQLO stuff before they left Japan, usually while visiting. I can't comment if they adjust for US size. They have a large shop in London, similar in size to the one in NYC, IIRC.

In the EU, the sizes seem about the size as in Japan. I'm 6'2" (188cm) and about 75kg (165#) and slim-framed and their stuff is a little tight by EU standards.

If you've never owned anything from UNIQLO, the quality is OK (think IKEA) and price is good. I wouldn't trust and sport stuff from them, it's probably just unbreathable stuff that's in fashion for university-level gals/guys and not for real exercise. Also, be ready to return it if you muscular and/or not slim.

tdonline

How is their Airism stuff in terms of odor control?

Asking for a friend....

wesmamyke

I have some of the airism t-shirt/undershirts from a few seasons ago. Not really better or worse than other straight synthetic stuff, gets smelly pretty fast. Do have the advantage that they are crazy thin, much lighter weight than any other tech t-shirt I've come across.

tdonline

Ok, thanks. Looks like it's natural fibers for me for summer riding. Or for my friend...

smoothness 

uniqlo is what gap used to be in terms of clothing quality. it's not great, but it's better than average. all synthetics will smell; the good thing is that they are simple to wash. make sure you use the right kind of detergent.

tdonline

My bike tops are about a generation old since I now usually wear civilian clothes whilst biking. But I hear about the new synthetics that have been treated for odor control. Do they not work? I have never had any problems with washing the stink out of my synthetics. My concern is odor control while the clothes are on me. Don't want to be smelly while out in public and social gatherings.

noglider 

I'm not sure, but you could wear a thin wool t-shirt under your bike clothes or street clothes if that's a big concern. My thin wool shirt is by Smart Wool. It was $60 which is a lot, but I'll get my money's worth out of it. I can wear it for a week or two without needing to wash it. I also have a Woolrich wool t-shirt which is heavier and doesn't fit as nicely, but it's also extremely useful and seems durable. I don't remember, but I think I paid between $20 and $40, and it was totally worth it. It also needs infrequent washing. It's better for when I need more warmth. I got it at Sierra Trading Post which is worth watching. Just don't believe you're getting a too-good-to-be-true value. You get solid value.

tdonline

Yes, I became a big merino wool convert last year--mainly due to posts here at BF. So I'm sure I was influenced by your previous posts about the wonders of wool. One poster stood out with advice to pick up merino wool sweaters cheap at thrift stores. I now have a wardrobe of merino wool tops costing $3-6. Summer merino wool wear is harder to come by at thrift stores. So I bought a couple of summer/warm weather shirts online. They're great but I can't wear them when it's 90F plus and super humid, which is half our summer here. I'm aware there is some super lightweight stuff out there, but they are pricey. I do monitor for sales. My concern is if I can wear them in hot and humid weather. So that's why I'm interested in if the new generation of synthetics were any better with odor control. If so, I would consider them since they are generally cheaper than the premium feather light wool tops.

This past summer, I made do with linen and ramie shirts. Nowhere as good as merino wool for odor control but much better than cotton. And also better than both cotton and wool for super hot humid weather.

noglider 

Oh, that's nice to hear. I say get a Smartwool shirt if it's the only expensive thing you get. You won't regret it. And while synthetics can be cooler than wool in the summer, I don't expect they'll be stinkier than wool. So if you want to ride two or three days in a row, you can use one wool jersey or two or three synthetic jerseys. In that light, wool may be a better value. Or you could do a wash every night, but that doesn't sound smart or economical.

noglider 

I rode hard on the way home Thursday evening. I was wearing a heattech t-shirt and a dress shirt and a jacket. I got hot and sweaty. I didn't mind. Then I went to a meeting in a church where the heat has failed, so it was cold inside. I got clammy and uncomfortable. This shows the wisdom of not wearing cotton on the bike. I wished I had worn wool.

tdonline

I have one Icebreaker t-shirt. One no name brand long sleeve tee that is 150gm weight. And one elbow length button Ibex shirt which I think is 135gm weight. I prefer long sleeves for sun protection. All three are fine for warm spring and summer days, but not for hot humid days.

Yep, I always amazed by how many times I can wear a wool top inbetween washings.

acidfast7

As a microbiologist, I find that hard to believe. Most of the "stink" is from bacterial metabolism rather than anything else. That's why freezing clothes is often better than a hot wash ... better in terms of maintaining the fabric, not requiring and water and eliminating the odour-producing bacteria. As an extension, the sweat produced by one's body doesn't have any smell on it's own. However, one could argue for washing out "salt stains," which would be produced by the body.

When I lived in Stockholm, Levi's ran a huge campaign about freezing denim instead of washing, which made a lot of sense to conserve washer and almost no individual owned their own washer/dryer, so it limited having to register for the communal system.

noglider 

Wow, I never heard of that. I might try freezing my clothes. This will reduce the need for washing but not eliminate it, correct?

tdonline

Which part is hard to believe? That my synthetics do not stink after laundering? I have tops in my closet that have been laundered and they have been sitting in there for years and seldom worn. They don't stink. If they did, they wouldn't be sitting in my closet. That's my anecdotal experience. They do stink after mild to moderate exertion. This is from the highly unscientific whiff test.

JustinNori

Their boxer briefs are the business. Most comfortable ones I own.

noglider 

Betabrand is having a sale.