Highstreet watch - Uniqlo and Jil Sander

Jil Sander's Spring collaboration with Uniqlo, is now available in the shops. With a slight improvement on the weather front, I went to have a look at the collection. I liked it. The billboards show the usual 20 year olds, looking intense and broody in black and white but I think that the clothes can also work on happy, active and relaxed 40+. Jil Sander's influence is obvious in the limited and chic colour palette, the streamlined and androgynous look but the starkness of the winter collection is softened in the Spring by lighter shades and supple fabrics.   In her own words: "In textiles, I looked for fluid behaviour that doesn't so much sculpt as underline movement." (Evening Standard, 5 January 2010).

I particularly like the "Short Tailored Blazer" in 100% polyester, which come in nice shiny colours - caramel and navy blue in particular. Polyester used to come with a health warning but I imagine this version is breathable. The same cut also exists in"tech-satin", a soft blend of cotton and a synthetic fiber, which might be less of a risk for hot-weather stewing.

Her Macs also look very good.  For those who have managed to resist the Mac craze until now, the "Double-breasted Long Trench Coat" is a good buy at £99.99.

The "Bonding stand collar coat" shown below also makes a very attractive light coat at £89.99.

I have not yet tried any of the trousers or T-shirts. I'll return for another trip with a bit more time and fewer layers to take off!

Here is Uniqlo's website for more details:
http://www.uniqlo.co.uk/catalogue/women/j

No puffa for Mama!

With real winter showing signs of coming, the need for a warm winter coat resurfaces. For years now I have been struggling with the impossible search for the perfect winter coat:

• incredibly warm but also amazingly light on the shoulders; 
• great quality without costing an arm and a leg; 
• rainproof but also elegant; 
• suitable for cycling whilst feminine; 
• sharply tailored and able to accommodate a jacket underneath; 
• interesting but timeless (coats are expensive and need to last beyond one season). 

Needless to say I have not and will never find the ideal candidate. Resigned to the realisation that no single coat can fulfill so many different uses and requirements, I have decided to take a portfolio approach and look for different coats for different functions. I felt inspired by recent articles on the fashion revival of down jackets, from weekend newspapers to fashion magazines.

Down jackets featured in French Elle Magazine (20 November 2009)

I have also noticed very cheerful  brightly coloured mini Michelin women in my neighbourhood, visibly basking in the delicious warmth of their quilted jackets whilst I shiver .  A trip to my old friend Uniqlo seemed to be the answer.

The shop did not disappoint and offered a great choice of quilted jackets. I enthusiastically picked up a couple of long coats and jackets from the rails, strode to the thankfully deserted fitting rooms and tried them on. The "premium down coat" priced £69.99 felt light and warm, a good length for cycling with an attractive, slightly metallic colour.

One small problem: it made me look like a barrel shaped sausage - not a look I try to cultivate.  I moved on to the shorter and possibly more flattering "Down jacket" (£59.99) in a beautiful cobalt blue (not shown on the picture below but I like the purple too).

Putting it on felt like wrapping a deliciously light and comforting pillow around my shoulders. I zipped it up, put my hands in the cleverly slanted pockets and felt good. I took a good look at myself in the mirror and my resolve started to falter slightly. It looked good but quite bright. On the other hand, bright is important in the winter: we need a bit of colour to lighten up the short and gloomy days. It definitely looked good but also quite shiny. Again, shiny can be good: after 40 we should stay away from drab colours that drain often tired faces and bring the mood down. Basically, whist the jacket looked and felt good, it might not be entirely right for me and might go into dangerously "mutton dressed as lamb" territory. I felt I should ask for feedback from trusted sources: my daughters.

On the way to school, I casually broached the subject of quilted jackets. I let it slip that a Uniqlo cobalt blue model seemed a good answer to the sudden cold, something that could even be shared with daughters, especially the middle one who does not own anything comparable and that it would easily fit - she is very tall. I thought the offer of sharing might elicit sympathetic comments. The answer burst out from categorical elder daughter: "You can't do that! The whole school has got that jacket - it is completely wrong for you. It is absolutely targeted at teenagers". Middle daughter feebly tried to interject that she  had actually not seen that many Uniqlo jackets around - I think she liked the idea of sharing the jacket with me. I decided to bite to bullet and accept the unpleasant reality: the well-priced, deliciously comfortable Uniqlo down jacket might just not be for me,  stuck as I am under the scrutiny of dictatorial daughters.

If you are braver than me - or don't have a daughter quite as strict as mine, check out those recommendations from The Times on the best quilted jackets:
The Times on Line
You might also want to try out the Uniqlo jackets for yourself and decide that it actually works for you: Uniqlo website

Uniqlo, king of basics.

We all need basics, the clothes we throw on in the morning when there is nothing special ahead, but also the bits which can be paired up with more interesting pieces and complement an outfit. I find that Uniqlo makes those to perfection: www.uniqlo.co.uk. The parent company, Fast Retailing, owners of Theory, Comptoir des Cotonniers and Princesse Tamtam amongst others, established the brand in Japan and Asia, then moved to the New York and London and is now opening its new flagship store in Paris to compete with other global high street fashion brands such as Zara or H&M. When they opened their first shop in London in 2001, I must admit that I did not see the point of it: another retailer of cheap boring clothes. From the shop window, I thought the shop and the line looked shabby and completely uninteresting. I did not even set foot in the shop. A few years later, my opinion was completely changed!

Despite Uniqlo's advertising and "style book" featuring the usual barely adult models, at least, they reflect a range of ethnicity. In fact, whilst I don't feel they are targeting my age group, I don't mind as Uniqlo make the kind of simple, well-cut and well-priced clothes that make your life easy. Their range of colours is not for the fainthearted and tends to favour bright tones but, to be fair, they also carry neutrals. You feel like a bit of canary yellow would brighten your day, here is it: the V-neck jumper that you can wear with jeans as well as with a black slacks. At the moment they are hawking their Extra Fine Merino sweaters which look good with a smart T-shirt underneath or a white shirt. Their winter cashmere sweaters, just under £50 also work a treat. Their HeatTech line is excellent too - fun thermal underwear if that can be imagined. www.uniqlo.co.uk/catalogue/women/heattech

 Another good find this season is their flannel shirts which come in quite a range of colours and tartan patterns. They can work really well with jeans and boots for a grown-up cowgirl look, perfect for the weekend.

I also find their light cotton T-shirts very good value, excellent quality as shape, colour and softness don't change after multiple washes.

Quality seems to be taken very seriously by Uniqlo as I understand they have strict quality control throughout all the stages of production. They also take Corporate Social Responsibility matters very seriously http://www.fastretailing.com/eng/csr/ Whilst I am always suspicious of great CSR announcements and glossy brochures designed for PR purposes, Fast Retailing seem to have a well-thought through and sophisticated approach. If it is anything to go by, their staff are efficient and helpful, generally with a smile.  By the way, I don't have any connections with Uniqlo or own any Fast Retailing shares, this article only reflects my personal opinion!