If you like stylish, smart casual, preppy style, you probably already know the Uniqlo brand. This label makes fashion for people of all ages who like casual, chic clothes that could easily transition from a casual day in, to a more dressy night out. Uniqlo and brands similar to Uniqlo will keep you in all the preppy fashion you could want. Start learning more about all of these brands and start working on all your different preppy looks.
What is Uniqlo?
Tadashi Yanai inherited a run-down clothes store from his father, a business that was hardly thriving. Less than 35 years later, there were more than 900 Uniqlo stores in Japan alone.
You could say the brand exploded. He met with the president of the Gap and was impressed by the business strategy used by the other brand. Yanai began using similar techniques to market Uniqlo and soon, the Japanese brand jumped to the European and then the U.S. market.
Today, Uniqlo has made its way to 16 countries around the world and it has become a super popular brand. The label is known for stylish, comfortable smart casual and semi-formal clothes that look good anywhere.
The brand makes clothing for men, women, children and babies, and they make a huge selection of fashion items that includes outerwear, underwear, accessories, dresses, loungewear, tops and bottoms. In other words, they’ve got all the clothes you want to wear and a selection so big, you’ll find lots of stuff you never knew you want to wear.
Finding Brands Similar to Uniqlo
You can find everything at Uniqlo and you can find it all in colorful, great-looking preppy designs. But Uniqlo is not a completely unique brand. There are brands similar to Uniqlo that have things in common with this fashion juggernaut. If you like Uniqlo, explore other similar brands that will help you expand your wardrobe and fill your closet with items you love.
AllSaints (More Expensive)
AllSaints makes clothing for both men and women and like Uniqlo, the styles here are a little more preppy. This is professional and smart casual wear with a definite hip look to it. There’s lots of leather and sheen to the designs here. AllSaints specializes in leatherwear, though the catalog has a wide range of fashions in a wide array of materials.
In addition to all the casual and smart casual clothing you could want, from dresses to nightwear, AllStains makes shoes, accessories, handbags and jewelry. You can find everything to wear here, whether you want a comfy hoodie or a killer little black dress. All the fashion here is made to fit well and feel good, so you will look even better in everything you wear.
AllSaints uses a lot of recycled materials and premium leather in its clothing, materials that are pricier than other popular clothing options out there. This causes AllSaints clothing to be more expensive than Uniqlo and several other brands you might shop with. However, you do get high-quality materials and clothing for the price. These clothes are made to last.
ChicMe (Less Expensive)
If it’s trendy and it’s cute, it’s at ChicMe. The clothes here are high in style and showcase all the latest looks in all the hot colors. You can find any item of casual fashion here, including shoes and accessories. ChicMe makes lingerie, dresses and everything in between.
Unlike Uniqlo, this brand makes only women’s clothing. However, it makes a ton of different styles in a huge catalog full of items to buy. ChicMe pricing is less expensive than Uniqlo. This is fast fashion, clothing that’s trendy right now. The catalog at ChicMe updates frequently with new styles so you can frequently update your own trendy look.
That’s why the clothes here are so affordable, as they’re designed to be worn briefly before you move on to newer fashions. Young, trendy shoppers know the ChicMe brand well.
Dynamite (More Expensive)
If your thing is cool, casual style, Dynamite is your brand. Dynamite makes only fashion for women and the brand has embraced all types of women’s fashion to provide an enormous selection of clothes. You can get everything you want here, including dresses and coats, T-shirts and blouses, sweaters and jeans, loungewear, lingerie, anything you want to wear.
The catalog here is full of casual and smart casual clothing that has a fashionable look to it. The brand has a huge range of accessories as well, including jewelry for all body parts, sunglasses, belts, hosiery and hats. You can find everything to wear here and you’ll find it all has a stylish, slightly preppy look to it.
Dynamite clothing is slightly more expensive, on average, than similar items you can find at Uniqlo. Both brands appeal to women of all ages who want to look fashionable and chic with a smart casual type of style.
Honest Basics (Similar Pricing)
When you need strictly casual style for everyday wear, Honest Basics has literally got you covered. This brand doesn’t focus on bright colors or flashy styles. In fact, the entire catalog is mostly made up of black, white, blue and green shades. The styles are traditional and simply elegant, made in comfortable designs and soft materials.
These are simple, casual, stylish clothes without a lot of flair and flash. And isn’t simple elegance what the preppy look is all about? Honest Basics carries casual clothing of all types for men and women. This includes underwear, jeans, T-shirts, dresses, knits, you can find it all here.
Pricing at Honest Basics is even more affordable than similar items you can find at Uniqlo. Use this brand whenever you need to round out your wardrobe with simple, casual fashion.
Mango (Similar Pricing)
Like Uniqlo, Mango makes a huge range of clothing for people of all ages. Literally all ages. Mango makes clothing for men, women, teens and younger kids. You can find all types of fashion here, from pajamas and underwear to jeans and coats. Dresses, sweatshirts, swimwear, everything is included in the Mango product catalog.
Chic, sophisticated smart casual fashion is what you’ll find at Manjo. There are lots of animal prints, lots of lush textures like velvet, form-fitting knits and all the sleek, professional styles you could want. Mango is preppy clothing with a bit of a high fashion edginess. This is preppy meets rock and roll. So if you want to add a little more leather and a little more attitude to your looks, shop at Mango.
The pricing here is similar to pricing you can find at Uniqlo, so you can spend the same amount across both brands.
Muji (Less Expensive)
Muji is a complete lifestyle brand that sells just about everything. This brand has health and beauty items, aromatherapy products, even food. You can get stationery, stuff for the home, items to assist with travel. But Muji also makes a huge line of clothing for men and women.
Muji makes dresses, outerwear, pajamas and a huge selection of casual fashion that includes accessories like shoes and belts. The catalog here is full of neutral, muted colors and traditional, classic silhouettes. The clothing is simple and casual with a preppy look that’s a lot like the fashion you can find at Uniqlo.
Both brands have similar pricing, so you won’t spend more by getting clothing from Muji.
Outerknown (More Expensive)
Outerknown makes clothing for men and women and they make a lot of it. You can find a huge selection of dresses, jeans, accessories, tops and whatever you want to wear here. Outerwear has everything from activewear to swimwear.
The clothes here have a bit of a rugged, outdoorsy look. There’s a lot of flannel, a lot of Earth tones and a lot of fashion to fall in love with here. The clothing is elegant but tough, ready for whatever the day might bring.
Prices at Outerwear are higher, on average, than similar items you can find at Uniqlo. That’s because Outerknown’s fashion is fair trade certified and the company is working toward becoming fully circular and highly sustainable by 2030. This requires extra time and effort, which adds extra money to the price of items.
Pull&Bear (Similar Pricing)
If you like your fashion to be edgy and to look like designer fashion, there’s a lot you’re going to like about Pull&Bear. Buy all the fashion you want here, from cute puffer coats and overalls to T-shirts and sweatsuits and bodysuits. Jeans, T-shirts, dresses, blouses, skirts. Pull&Bear maintains a huge catalog of items, which have a distinct high-fashion gloss to them.
If you like your preppy clothes to have a high-fashion look and a sophisticated gleam, you want to shop at Pull&Bear. The pricing here is similar to the prices you find at Uniqlo. Pull&Bear mixes and matches beautifully with fashion from Uniqlo.
Rosegal (Less Expensive)
Rosegal specializes in plus-sized fashion, something that really sets this brand apart from the other options out there. Rosegal makes a lot of retro and vintage fashion that has classic good looks with bold colors and design elements that are on trend with modern fashion looks. If you want hot leather pants, cute flared blouses, vintage-style dresses, you want to shop at Rosegal.
This brand makes clothing and accessories for women, all with a cool, vintage vibe. Rosegal also makes a big line of accessories to go with all your outfits. Try adding some cool vintage-style Rosegal pieces to your wardrobe. The pricing here is more affordable than Uniqlo, so you can buy more with the same money when you shop here.
RW&CO (Similar Pricing)
When you need stylish, work-ready smart casual clothing that looks beautiful and professional, you want RW&CO. This brand makes clothes for both men and women and they make all the stuff you might wear to the office, including dresses, blazers, polos, even accessories like pocket squares and tie bars. From comfy loungewear to stunning workwear, RW&CO has the stuff you’re going to wear.
And the stuff here has a distinct, definite preppy look to it. These clothes are chic, sophisticated and they definitely have that preppy look to them thanks to classic silhouettes and traditional designs. The clothes are made jn office-friendly colors and designs, so you look sharp and professional and well-dressed no matter where you go.
The pricing at RW&CO is similar to what you’ll find at Uniqlo, so feel free to shop around here and start adding RW&CO pieces to all your outfits.
Tory Burch (More Expensive)
Tory Burch is a designer brand with a clear preppy style to it. Whether it’s a dress, a trench coat, a skirt or a pair of jeans, the clothes here definitely evoke a sophisticated, preppy look. Tory Burch uses eye-catching color combinations and classic silhouettes to create a catalog of sophisticated smart casual wear that will look amazing in the office or on date night.
Tory Burch also makes a huge selection of handbags, shoes, accessories and jewelry. Because this is a designer brand, the pricing here is more expensive, by far, than the prices you can find at Uniqlo. However, the prices here are comparable to other designer brands of the same quality.
Tory Burch offers high-quality materials and clothing-making techniques. These clothes are designed to last, so you can wear them over and over again. Designer clothing is a bit of an investment.
Get some pieces of Tory Burch that you can wear again and again to mix and match with your Uniqlo clothing to give all of your outfits a little bit of designer flair.
Zaful (Less Expensive)
What kind of fashion tone do you want to strike today? Casual? Glamorous? Boho chic? Zaful carries a huge selection of fashion in a wide range of great styles and colors. Many items here are available in multiple colors and just about every item you could wear is part of the Zaful catalog.
This brand makes clothes for men and women, along with shoes and accessories of all kinds, including jewelry and wigs. You can even get beauty items here. Zaful also carries an entire line of curvy and plus-size clothing, something that sets this brand apart from many others.
The prices at Zaful are even more affordable than the prices you can find at Uniqlo, so you can shop here pretty guilt-free.
Wearing Brands Similar to Uniqlo
Uniqlo has some unique qualities and the fashions here are made to stand out. But there are some brands similar to Uniqlo that also offer great fashion, great prices and the other features you like about the Uniqlo brand. Explore more fashion options to wear more great fashion looks with clothing from brands you already like, in styles that suit your taste.
Experts say you should only keep items in your home that “spark joy.” Well, fashion should also spark joy. Explore brands that are similar to brands you like and get clothing, accessories and shoes in the styles you like.
FAQs
You’re more familiar with the Uniqlo brand and brands similar to Uniqlo. But you might still have questions about this brand. We searched online for the most frequently asked questions about Uniqlo and got the answers, so you can settle your lingering questions about this fashion brand.
What does Uniqlo stand for?
In 1984, a clothing company opened “Unique Clothing Warehouse” in Japan. The brand was going to be registered as “Uni-Clo” as a result. But in 1988, someone made a mistake. Instead of writing “Uni-Clo,” they wrote “Uni-Qlo.” It was all a mistake…and yet, it was brilliant.
The name of the store was officially changed to Uniqlo and the rest is fashion history.
Where is Uniqlo clothing made?
Uniqlo works with factories all over the world to produce clothing for its ever-growing customer base. The company uses factories in China, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Indonesia and Turkey to create clothing and accessories.
What is Uniqlo’s return policy?
Uniqlo accepts returns of brand-new, unwashed items that have the tags still attached. It is okay if the packaging has been opened but the tags must still be in place. Underwear cannot be exchanged at all. Items can be exchanged for the same or different items or the price of the returned item can be reimbursed.
Sources:
The Business of Business – A brief history of Uniqlo, the clothing company that’s changing everything