The New Uniqlo x Clare Waight Keller Collab is Womenswear. It Looks Great on Men, too
Sometimes the most underrated thing in menswear is... womenswear
You may have heard: the concept of gendered clothing is breaking at the seams. For a long time now, women have been confidently exploring the menswear rails, having cottoned on to the appeal of masculine, boxy silhouettes. But modern men are looking in the other direction, too.
The movement started to make serious ground a while ago, pioneered by the experimental, feminine-leaning fits of Harry Styles and Timothée Chalamet during the pandemic years. It's arguably slowed down a bit – in 2024, we’ve reverted back to travelling without face masks and a more traditional menswear landscape. Grey suits are across the catwalks. Footballers are favouring flight jackets over edgy streetwear. Time-tested, conventional looks are back. But that doesn't mean that we shouldn't still be looking to our female counterparts for men's wardrobe staples – especially when they're from the latest Uniqlo: C collection.
The Japanese brand has long been touted for their everyday pieces, and this collaboration marks the second collection in partnership with Clare Waight Keller, the ex-creative director of Givenchy and Chloe, who’s known for making fuss-free, easily styled pieces for women who are too time-poor to think hard about what they want to wear. That’s the type of voice that pairs well with Uniqlo, and one that many men will align with, too.
Despite only designing womenswear for this season, the 53-year-old designer mentioned in a collection walkthrough how the “nylon belted coats, sneakers and knitted vests” were a hit with the opposite sex in just a few weeks of it being on the rails, and it’s understandable. The whole collection is machine washable – yes, including the suits – and has been designed to suit multiple climates. Silhouettes are billowy and oversized, despite a few designs that accentuate the waist with adjustable details, while the colour palette remains neutral with a few earthy tones.
And so there’s plenty of pieces to be adding to your wardrobe whatever chromosome pairing you have, and we’ve pulled an edit together to guide you in the process.
The waist-tabs on these cotton-twill trousers means you can cinch them for a tighter fit – or loosen them, if you've over indulged at lunch.
Summer is just round the corner! So prep your feet for the season with these sporty sandals.
If there was a category for basic bottoms that have a little bit of an edge, then these balloon-shape ones would be top of the list.
We know, do you really need another cotton tote bag? Well, this one comes with an outer and inner pocket, poppers to connect the sides for a streamlined shape, and best of all, a zip that encloses it all. So yes, you do.
Whatever your views on white trainers are, this pair is so inconspicuous that they'll go with just about anything.
If a knitted vest isn't already part of your sartorial arsenal, then this classic, ribbed design with a contrasting hem is great for layering.
Burberry's Novacheck, move over. There's a new right-angled print that's taken over the headwear department.
Classic, rain-resistant and the chosen uniform of well-informed private investigators; there's no good reason as to why you shouldn't have a trench coat. (It's less cinched-looking, IRL.)
Uniqlo Pleated Wide Leg Straight Trousers
Uniqlo Pleated Wide Leg Straight Trousers
As we mentioned, grey suits are back. So jump on the bandwagon with these grey suit trousers.
With its relaxed fit and wool-blend composition, expect this blazer to become a regular in your everyday outfits.
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