If you’re into preposterously well-priced, deviously well-executed wardrobe staples, we have great news: Uniqlo just dropped a new collaboration with the legendary Japanese brand Needles. And if you’re into preposterously well-priced collaborations from IKYK labels that usually do serious damage to your wallet, we repeat—we have great news: Uniqlo just dropped a new collaboration with the legendary Japanese brand Needles.
For the uninitiated: Needles has long been a signifier of clued-in taste. Its the oldest brand under the Nepenthes umbrella, the parent collective behind a handful of cult-classic brands, including Engineered Garments and South2 West8. Founded in 1997 as an in-house label for the original Nepenthes store in Japan, it’s since evolved into one of the most interesting interpreters of classic Americana. It’s almost famously not cheap. Or it wasn’t, until today.
Despite clocking in at a tight four styles in a few different canonically-Needles colorways, it might be the coziest collab of the year. Not a single piece will run you more than $60, which should be of note for anyone with even a passing awareness of Needles’ usual prices.
Now you can snag a bonkers-good fleece that is unmistakably Needles—the funnel neck is a dead giveaway, the silhouette is the second calling card, and the slanted chest zip pocket is for the real heads (me)—at a price that is firmly in the Uniqlo range. Or, if you still haven’t snagged a pair of sweats for the season, check out the Fleece Wide Pants, which take every ounce of comfort normally reserved for your torso and transfer it down south.
The real standout, however, is the very pettable Fleece Cardigan—striped or unstriped, take your pick—a slightly-tweaked version of one of Needles’ perennial hitters. Under normal circumstances, the tweaks would presumptively dull the original down a bit, but in this case, the changes might actually be an upgrade. Hear me out: Not only are the arms a little more tapered, which creates a less jarring silhouette, but they’ve added some hand-warmer pockets just to really drive the point home.
The thing about a great Uniqlo collab, however, is that they absolutely fly—like a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it situation. But (BUT!) considering you could get the entire collection for $220, you don’t need to think about anything too hard. So go ahead, be a little impulsive and a lot cozy. It’ll be ok.
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