1 Overall, what did you and your family think of the UNIQLO Undercover range? What did you like about it the most? Was there anything you didn't like?
Well we liked it in general although some were keener than others! We liked all of the colours - it was good to see something other than black and that the children's clothes didn't necessarily go along stereotypical lines (although there was a baby pink cord skirt and a purple frock!). Liked that particularly with the children's range some of the items were unisex, although the children generally gravitated to specifically own gender items.
The clothes were funky but particularly the children's clothes were quite expensive we thought. Would only pay those prices for 'high' end itemsregardless of how funky and cute they were!. Sorry, Uniqlo, but we would never pay £29.99 for a pair of girl's shorts
Also, despite being in one of the largest branches of Uniqlo, presumably in the UK, a lot of the children's clothes weren't available in the full range of sizes. Caused a bit of a hassle when trying to sort out funky outfits for the children in particular. In fact, DS is 11 but a smallish 11 but we ended up having to kit him out in XS adult male clothes as there were no appropriate and appealing kids clothes to fit him! And DD kept picking clothes that weren't available in her sizes either! Think that needs addressing. If you made a special trip up to the West End to buy the kids clothes, you would not be happy not to find the full size-range available.
2 Of everything you saw and/or tried on from the range, what was your favourite item? And what about your DP/DC?
DS liked the funky t-shirts and the caps. He was also keen on the biker jackets but sadly they didn't have a larger size than age 3- 4 which wasn't much use for an 11 year old ;-( . DD loved the cute bubble shorts and funky leggings with clashing stripey sleeved cardigans. DW did not really think the range suited her (she has an hour glass figure) and I would tend to agree. I liked the casual jackets, manga-t-shirts and trousers.
3 The inspiration behind the Undercover collection is the designer Jun Takahashi's message to the world, to encourage families to maintain a positive outlook as they face the trials and tribulations of modern life. Do you think the collection will help promote this ideal and set a positive example? If so, why? If not, why not?
Well the colours of the clothes, I think would fit in with that message. They have a fun side to them design-wise and they are functional and funky at the same time so I guess YES!
4 If you've bought clothes from UNIQLO before (either for you/DP or DCs), what is it that you liked about the clothes that made you buy them? Do you think you?d consider buying anything from the Undercover range in future? If so, what and why? If not, why not?
Well DW has bought quite a few things from Uniqlo and prefers it to The Gap and H&M for sure. She liked that the women's clothes can be a bit quirky, that the quality is generally better than other similarly priced makes and she likes that they recycle clothes, provide a turning up service for trousers and that generally the shops are spacious and rather zen. She also likes the promos on specific items. She is however a bit confused by the sizings. She has bought me fleeces which have been well-worn and much loved, by me anyway! Often buys things for friends and siblings as pressies too.
I would be encouraged to buy things from the Undercover range if the price was right as I think I looked good in them. DS would too but not at that price for a growing lad! Wouldn't buy them for DD as she is very tall, leggy and slimline and the girls' clothes seem to be made for more sturdy children generally..... the lovely cotton dress looked fab on the hanger but looked uninspiring on as the appropriate size one hung off her like a sack of potatoes. Ditto the cord skirts (she could have fitted two of her in the waist!). DW not keen on the range for herself as she didnt' really think they suited her figure although she loved the reds and blue hues.
5 If you've never bought anything from UNIQLO before, has attending this event changed your perception of the brand at all? If so, how? Having attended this event, do you think you?d be more likely to buy UNIQLO clothes in future? If so, why? If not, why not?
Well DW has bought things from Uniqlo before. Shopping at the Oxford Street branch was interesting - it reminded me of the Benetton ads of yesteryear: a very beautiful, multicultural, happy, helpful workforce who seemingly reflected the ethos of Uniqlo excellently.
I haven't knowingly ever been into Uniqlo so was very pleasantly surprised (as a man who hates shopping) by the fun clothes and particularly liked the manga-inspired t-shirts, so I would probably make an effort to look in our local one if were are out shopping en famille.
Personally, we think there is a very much needed place for kids clothes in the Uniqlo range but we are not entirely sure that Undercover kids stuff delivered to full potential. As DW commented, DD who is usually a quirky dresser (although she played very safe on Saturday's trip), often works a similar trend to the outfit she wore for the Uniqlo photoshoot, but with a mixture of Primark, M&S, H&M, Zara and TK Maxx for possibly 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost. I think DS, as he becomes more fashion-forward (he is but a tween at the moment), will truly appreciate Uniqlo's clothes, particularly the quirky t-shirts and trousers!
Really enjoyed the opportunity to have a bit of fun and have some lovely shots of self with the kids. They also loved the Japanese sweets and doing the origami. It livened up a bit of an otherwise grim Saturday and the children particularly loved the whole thing so thank you!