I friend of mine asked me yesterday where do I buy all my basics. Plain T shirts, leggings, sweatshirts, the things we all wear everyday.
She said “I’ve got all the big pieces, the things that make a statement, that amazing jacket or pair of flared jeans but nothing to go with them”
What about that cute T you are wearing I replied. It was 4 years old, she said didn’t fit properly and wasn’t the best quality when she bought it never mind now.
It got me thinking about how the choice for basics has shrunk, brands are making less anyway and finding decent staples has become a bit of a problem. H&M are losing money with a massive real estate portfolio, too many stores and not enough customers, priced higher than most fast fashion but customers don’t know anymore where they fit or who their customer is.
It’s not me. Zara are great at turnaround, small drops every two weeks create urgency for customers, they never really have overstock or sales so if you don’t buy when you see it you know it’ll be gone next week. These are usually the statement pieces my friend talked about though, Zara’s not that great for basics.
Marks and Spencer’s which used to be good I am told I would never shop in. When I think M&S I think my Nan, I don’t think my Mum even goes in there anymore. And All Saints the East London brand of my Generation that started life in Spitalfields seems to have lost traction and identity too. Resigned/confirmed to locations in big malls like Westfield in Hammersmith where even if I go I rarely step over the threshold anymore. I still have pieces in my wardrobe I wear but I am just not rushing to replace from there these days.
Which leaves us with Uniqlo. The Japanese creation of founder Tadashi Yanai. You might not have even heard of them. My friend hadn’t.
They are Japanese through and through embodying style and quality, the highest of standards in what they do. I guess that’s why they have carved a road to success in a difficult market and stolen customers away from more well known stores. If you are down with the kids and upwardly savvy men this is where you shop. They don’t have a shop on every high street but here in London we all live in the Uniqlo store when we need basic pieces, easy to style easy to wear.
Think Cos quality but younger and cheaper. Really good styles that incorporate brands within brands like Airism for their leggings and Heattech for their cashmere and thermal garments, great for layering, building outfits and comfortable active lifestyle. They are gender neutral so girls and guys shop here.
Uniqlo have definitely impressed Gen Z and Gen Alpha, the oldest now 15 into their shops and their clothes. Their profits up last quarter a staggering 29% when other high st brands are flagging.
I love Uniqlo too for every day. I want to wear brands like James Perse, American Vintage and Me and Em but the budget doesn’t always stretch that far. £100 for a T shirt is a bit excessive how ever nice they might look and feel.
Although I did recently stumble into the predominantly lingerie shop on Kensington High St, Intimissimi there’s a massive one on the corner of Regents St and Oxford St too. Don’t be put off thinking it’s all bras, knickers and suspenders belts, they make gorgeous athleisure pieces, exercise wear and brilliant staple T shirts too.
They have an interesting model, like Boots, buy 2 get the 3rd one free, buy 3 get the 4th one free which encourages bulk buying on things we need more than one of like pants.
But they also make amazing basic T shirts. Now they are not cheap. The long sleeve cashmere T shirts I bought were £40 but I bought 3 and I got a free one. Which brought the price down to £30 each. Much easier to stomach. And shopping with a friend, even better, two each and they come in a variety of colours including, black, white, off white, navy, so they’ve got all the basic colours covered.
On these T shirts feel incredible, sheer, clingy, but not too clingy and don’t ride up. They also wash amazingly well too and even though they have cashmere in them you don’t need to hand wash which can be a pain.
So this is my shopping for basics on a budget advice. First stop Uniqlo, think about really great quality basics on the scale of Primark except with Japanese precision and expectation of design and quality. If anyone has been to the Promod store in France it’s a bit like that. Simple stylish affordable quality.
And if you don’t find what you need in Uniqlo go to Intimissimi, Italian lingerie and basic under garments for layering brand. Good to add here a random small brand I discovered from a friend who works in fashion PR, check these out she said, the best black cotton leggings, I bought a pair and if you are on the search, they are made by a tiny British brand, Venus Cow. They are called The Perfect Black Leggings and you won’t find better for the £35 price tag. The quality is off the charts for the price.
Shop smart at Uniqlo and Intimissimi, take advantage of their BOGOF offers. The Italians and the Japanese love quality don’t you know.