Uniqlo @ Vice & Menlo Park, NJ

[TrappedInDC]

Ok, so as the name says, I'm trapped here in DC. But, I've been looking forward to the US opening of Uniqlo, which as the Uniqlo-USA site says starts today.

Is anyone making the journey to their special setup at Vice? If so, I'm just looking for a quick report on what's in store. Are the Dry Selvage jeans all that I've read them to be? What's the quality of the other merchandise like? If you had to compare it to another designer/retailer, who would it be?

I'm looking forward to a road trip later in the month and some Uniqlo drys would be perfect to beat up this fall/winter.

Snagged from the NY Times Online

"Beginning Sept. 1 Uniqlo, a popular Japanese retailer, will introduce Americans to its casual fashions with a temporary shop, Uniqlo@Vice, in the Vice store at the intersection of SoHo and NoLIta. New Yorkers can stock up on the affordable merchandise there until Sept. 30. Beginning Sept. 15 Uniqlo will spread its wings by opening a stand-alone store in the Menlo Park Mall in Edison, N.J. Two more shops will open this fall in New Jersey, in Rockaway Townsquare and Freehold Raceway Mall. At 252 Lafayette Street, (212) 219-7788."

-trapped

[ringring]

Are the Dry Selvage jeans all that I've read them to be?

Depends on your expectations. For cheap selvedge jeans I'd say they are hard to beat.

What's the quality of the other merchandise like?

Pretty good. Well made (much of it sewn in the Hangzhou area of China). Good for plain jeans (raw or one-wash or with the lightest of handbrushing), plain sweatshirts, basic T's etc.

If you had to compare it to another designer/retailer, who would it be?

It's just really plain, basic goods at a decent quality and very cheap prices. You probably won't be blown away by the products, but their value-for-money is Uniqlo's USP.

[erl1580]

Hey trapped,

Any way you might be able to pick up an extra pair or two? I'm here in NOVA and don't think I'm goin up to NY anytime soon. I'll try to make it worth your while. Lemme know if you'd be cool with this. My email is [email protected]

[Phrederick]

They sound like they would be a good place to pick up some cheap tees for undershirts. I wish they weren't only in NJ, hopefully they'll expand more.

[Superdutch]

When I first came across UNIQLO whilst living in Japan I thought it was just a cheap nasty discount style store. But then realised that it is a great place for basics^and yes they are great for cheap tees, undershirts etc...

I got the feeling in Japan (especially amongst the kids) that it is not a cool place to shop as it is very cheap and unbranded. However they had good polos and even had some pretty cool Keith Haring Tees and cheap clothes in Japan is hard to come by.

I hope they come to Australia as cheap clothes here = bad quality which from what i have seen is the same in the US.

[darkanimal]

Walked in already at the Vice store, all the Men's jeans were baggy and wide legged. So I just tried a pair of women's black denim. I was looking for a skinny fit and it didn't disappoint me. The staff was a somewhat busy with setting up and so I didn't really hang out that long. I'm no expert to report about the quality I've seen there. But overall they were just too plain looking for me, but if that's what you're looking for then check it out.