Imagine a down jacket. Now remove the grimace of disgust from your face and re-imagine a down jacket, but different: thin, weightless, without a hood with fur. We are not being sarcastic, they really exist, however, you know this without us. They were invented by brands specializing in clothing from the “outdoor” category, called ultra-light down jackets and offered to be worn under outerwear, solely for the sake of not freezing when, for example, climbing the mountains or going for a long walk in the forest. Very soon, however, other brands saw the potential of specialized thin down jackets and began releasing their own versions on this theme. It’s clear that you need such an ultra-light down jacket, but it’s not clear which one: will a simple Uniqlo be enough or should you spend money on a sophisticated Moncler?
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Story
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Uniqlo
Although Uniqlo stores appeared here only a few years ago, the brand has a half-century history. Having opened an inexpensive men's clothing store in Japan back in 1949, by 1984 the company transformed into a network of mono-brand boutiques, Unique Clothing Warehouse, from whose name Uniqlo is formed. By the beginning of the third millennium, the company's management decided to adopt the strategy of the American clothing manufacturer GAP, when the brand creates products at minimal cost and only on its own. Therefore, all production is transferred to China in order to reduce the price of goods as much as possible. Achievements at home are pushing Uniqlo to enter the international market, and today you can find a little more than a thousand brand stores around the world. Other achievements of the company include uniforms for Japanese Olympic athletes and collaborations with designers from famous brands such as Alexander Wang and Jil Sander.
For the first time, light down jackets became a product not of specialized brands, but of the mass market in 2010, when Uniqlo launched its models on the market. The consumer fell in love with down jackets and quickly became a common element in the wardrobe of an ordinary city dweller. In December 2011, after a rally on Bolotnaya, where Oleg Kashin, a journalist and now the author of our “Politblog”, spoke among others, the name “Kashin’s down jacket” was attached to them (“2900 rubles, Uniklo. Five hours in the cold and not completely frozen, but from the outside it looks like a windbreaker. A brilliant down jacket!”).
Starting this year, Uniqlo declared their down jacket all-season, they say that in winter it can be worn under a coat as an additional insulating layer, and in summer you can take it with you on country trips or evening walks, however, we have not checked whether it is hot in summer, so that we are not in a hurry to draw conclusions.
Moncler
The founding date of Moncler is considered to be 1952. Rene Ramillon and Andre Vincent opened a company in the small town of Monestier-de-Clermont that produced sleeping bags and clothing for the highlands. Without attaching much significance to the brand name, Ramillon and Vincent simply added the first letters of the name of the city where they established production. Moncler became widely known when the then famous climber Lionel Terray paid attention to the quality of the products and began purchasing equipment only from them. Soon, most climbers, athletes and explorers become regular customers of the brand. Moncler gained worldwide fame during the Olympic Games in Grenoble in 1968, because it was they who created equipment for the French alpine skiing team. At the same time, the famous brand logo appears - the Gallic rooster, beloved by all the French, a kind of symbol of the country. Today, the basis of Moncler products are a variety of down jackets, not least of which are lightweight down jackets.
Light down jackets appeared in Moncler collections in 2012, but they became a significant part of the product only this season. Thanks to high-tech production, the down jacket weighs only 160 grams, not much more than an iPhone.
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Several benefits
Uniqlo men's down jackets have a number of advantages over traditional jackets. Firstly, the weight, which is only two hundred grams. Moreover, the down jacket can turn into a compact bag if you simply roll it up. This way you can take the jacket with you. It will not take up much space either in a suitcase or in a bag. Uniqlo down jackets feature a high collar that retains heat, eliminating the need for consumers to wrap a scarf around their neck. The pockets of the jackets of the Japanese brand are very spacious. And the most interesting thing is the price of the product. A down jacket can be bought for only 3 thousand rubles, which cannot but please an ordinary city dweller with a small income.
Production
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To produce their down jackets, Uniqlo and Moncler use ultra-thin nylon, lightweight and wear-resistant. As a rule, in traditional down jackets, the down is placed in special two-layer “packages” to ensure wearing comfort and prevent feathers from coming out on the front surface of the product. But the technology for producing lightweight down jackets is completely different: the outer and inner layers of the jackets are sintered, thereby compacting and locking the down between themselves. This method allows not only to significantly lighten the jacket, but also to increase the thermal insulation properties due to sintering of the fibers.
The insulation in these down jackets is measured by down density, and both Moncler and Uniqlo have a fill factor of 640 cubic inches per ounce. This indicator indicates the high quality of the product. However, despite the same down density, the Moncler down jacket is thinner than its counterpart presented in the Uniqlo line. Filled with 90% high-quality goose down, the thickness of one layer of the Moncler jacket, according to manufacturers, is only 3 millimeters in a horizontal position. We believe this result is due to the company’s half-century of experience working with down.
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Jeans, T-shirts, shirts
Uniqlo produces very practical jeans. On the covers of magazines you can often see new models from collections. Jeans from this brand have a fairly affordable price and good quality characteristics. The range of colors and models is very diverse. Japanese specialists use thick denim fabric for sewing, which holds its shape and does not fray or fade.
Using breathable materials, Japanese craftsmen sew comfortable linen and cotton shirts. They retain heat well and allow the body to breathe. Products are also produced with the addition of polyester, which do not wrinkle at all. The color palette and models of shirts are very different, characterized by simplicity and practicality. They do not have the property of stretching and fit well to the figure.
It’s also worth remembering Uniklo T-shirts. They are made from natural materials, so they are of good quality. T-shirts are distinguished by a simple cut, the absence of unnecessary decorative details, and high-quality tailoring. The shades of T-shirts are very different: there are calm pastels, and sometimes bright and flashy. The design of these products is also very original. There are models in the Gothic style, with inscriptions or images. These T-shirts are designed for positive youth, so they are quite individual.
Details
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One glance at Uniqlo and Moncler down jackets is enough to understand how manufacturers view their products: as an auxiliary item or as an independent wardrobe item.
Uniqlo with zipper, Moncler with buttons.
Uniqlo's sleeves are slightly longer, Moncler's are slightly shorter and fasten with a button.
The side pockets of both jackets are approximately the same size, but with different fastenings.
The Uniqlo down jacket, unlike Moncler, is one-sided. Moncler can be turned inside out, getting rid of the flowers.
Uniqlo has internal pockets. The pockets inside the Moncler serve as both internal and external pockets if you turn the jacket inside out.
The design of the Uniqlo down jacket is deliberately ascetic, it lacks eye-catching details, the most interesting thing about it is the color; each season there are more and more options to choose from: from black and gray to pastel shades.
The Moncler down jacket has a bright color that inevitably attracts attention and raises a lot of stupid questions like: “Isn’t it feminine?” What nonsense, of course not. Well, yes, everyone will stare at him, but many will not be without envy. While you're having fun, TSUM has already sold out a batch of these down jackets, despite the ambiguous flower coloring.
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An old, thick down jacket goes into the trash!
Often, when people use the word “down jacket,” they have associations with a huge and uncomfortable jacket. This picture evokes a grimace of disgust. Fortunately, these days you can forget about thick and bulky jackets with huge fur hoods. Uniqlo - down jackets that are designed specifically for consumer comfort.
Initially, ultra-thin jackets without hoods were developed by brands that specialized in outdoor clothing. It was assumed that they would be an auxiliary part of the wardrobe, that is, such jackets should be worn under outerwear. The initial purpose of such down jackets is to protect a person from frost while traveling to the mountains or long walks in the forest.
Weight
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Uniqlo 200 g
Moncler **160 g**
The Uniqlo down jacket, despite the fact that the inside is a different color, is one-sided. Moncler down jacket is reversible. Turn it inside out and you get a khaki jacket.
The obvious advantage of Uniqlo is its compact bag, which can accommodate a down jacket when folded. That is, you can easily take it with you; it will not take up much space in your suitcase, backpack or bag. Moncler does not provide such a container, but you can also fold the down jacket several times.
The Uniqlo jacket folds into a small bag.
The Moncler jacket is reversible and looks completely different when turned inside out.
Uniqlo fastens with a thin zipper. Moncler - on buttons. You can control lightning faster.
Uniqlo has a high collar, it helps keep you warm, and in this case there is no need to use a scarf. Moncler has a turn-down collar, like a shirt. Of course, it doesn’t warm you up at all, but it makes your down jacket look less and less like a jacket, which, you see, is not bad.
The Uniqlo down jacket has wide and roomy pockets on the sides, fastened with zippers. Moncler has a pair of pockets on the chest, fastened with buttons.
The high-tech Japanese nylon used in the Moncler jacket is more resistant to moisture than Uniqlo's factory-produced nylon in China.
To make sure you don't freeze, you can wear a light down jacket with an equally lightweight Uniqlo vest.
To make sure you don't freeze, you can wear a light down jacket with an equally lightweight Uniqlo vest.
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How to choose the size
The brand, like any Japanese companies, produces small models. It is recommended to buy not just clothes a size larger than usual, but it is also worth taking measurements of the old jacket to check the table on the seller’s website.
When purchasing a down jacket online, it is better to try it on in a store first if possible. This way the sizing fit can be optimally assessed. When choosing Uniqlo brand clothing (down jackets), reviews will become an additional incentive when making the final decision.
Care
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Due to the inherent characteristics of down filling, under the influence of static electricity and friction, down or feathers may come out of the seams. We wouldn't pull it out. Any loose fluff or feathers should be caught from the inside and pulled in; it’s not easy, but you can try. If you pull feathers out of a jacket, over time the hole will become larger, and fluff will be knocked out through it more and more often.
Manufacturers do not recommend washing down jackets outside of specialized dry cleaners, although it is quite possible to do this at home, using only cold water without using any products.
It is recommended to store thin down jackets rolled up, otherwise the down will settle down. Also, long-term storage in a case can cause wrinkles to appear, which can be easily smoothed out by briefly hanging the product on a hanger.
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Style and characteristics of "Uniclo"
Currently, the brand is busy producing clothes for daily use. These wonderful things are equal in price and quality. Any client can choose a suitable outfit from the collection: a light T-shirt, skinny jeans, a jacket or a light demi-season down jacket. This clothing has one original feature - it has no additional decor, which things can easily do without. This refers to additional buttons, all kinds of flowers, bows and other details that other manufacturers often decorate clothes with.
The cut of Uniqlo items is simple, without unnecessary details. In the stores of this brand you can find everything you need for the wardrobe of adults and children. The sizing chart for Uniklo clothing is quite extensive; here everyone will find the right item for themselves.
Latest collections of Japanese down jackets and coats
Reviews of Uniqlo seamless down jackets confirm that their collections are replenished with new models every year, because girls carefully follow the latest fashion trends. Here are the most common models of Uniclo down jackets and coats:
- Model with a stand-up collar. It features a classic fitted cut, making the girl's figure visually slender and impressive. The stand-up collar allows you to wear clothes of any style under the jacket.
- Down jackets with turn-down collars. The model is convenient because the collar can be put aside or zipped all the way to the top. If desired, such a down jacket can be decorated with a scarf.
- Winter style with fur collar. Most often, contrasting fur is used, adding piquancy to the product. Sometimes the fur is selected to match the product.
- Comfortable mid-thigh down jackets. Such a long jacket visually elongates the figure.
- Undiglo seamless down coat. Reviews indicate that they are designed for more severe frosts. Most often the kit includes a belt. Coat models have fur trim, pockets, and decorative elements.
Thermal underwear Uniqlo
Japanese manufacturers, when sewing linen, put warmth and comfort first, rather than beauty and brightness. Reviews of Uniqlo prove that thermal underwear is made from materials that guarantee natural penetration of air under them. This eliminates increased sweating and odors. When developing underwear models, experts take into account the difference between the physiology of men and women.
Reviews of Uniqlo thermal underwear are mostly positive, with users especially highlighting the AIRsm underwear collection. These things are very comfortable. For men, underwear is made from practical elastic fabric that stretches well. Although it fits tightly on the body, it does not rub, does not cause irritation or discomfort. You can move very easily in this underwear. Women's models are distinguished by an original and exotic palette. From reviews of Uniqlo, it becomes clear that the underwear is made of breathable material that is imperceptible on the skin. After washing it dries very quickly and does not fade.
Reviews of Japanese Uniqlo down jackets
If we analyze many reviews about the down products of the Japanese company, we can highlight some pros and cons. All models are very beautiful and light. Most often they have convenient pockets and a detachable hood. The texture of the fabric is very beautiful, the shades are very diverse. Suitable for windy weather because they are made of windproof and wear-resistant fabric.
Reviews of the Uniqlo seamless down jacket point out the disadvantage that puffs often appear on the fabric. In the rain, products get wet and absorb moisture. Some colors of down jackets may show streaks. Some girls note that the fluff does not come out after washing, while others, on the contrary, complain about it.
If you decide to purchase a winter down jacket, you should know that these products are designed for a maximum temperature of -10 °C. For Russian winter weather realities, these things are not entirely suitable. But for spring and autumn - just right. The cost of such a down coat is approximately 10,000 rubles, but at discounts it can be purchased for 4,000 rubles.
Reviews from Uniqlo employees
Employees advise purchasing ultra-light down jackets from Uniklo, as well as other products. It should be noted that the company, in addition to casual clothing, also produces accessories. Employees say the convenience of down jackets is that they can be rolled up into a small ball and placed in a special case, like an umbrella.
Reviews of Uniqlo Heattech prove that many clothing models are made from 100% American cotton, which allows them to maintain the brightness of color and shape. Employees especially note the special line for children, which contributes to their comfortable and cozy life. The collections include a wide range of products for both home and outdoor use.
Dresses
Japanese designers develop original light dresses for girls. The company produces elegant models, also for daily use. In the collection you can see dresses of various lengths. Dresses from Uniqlo with very bright patterns give a summer mood and positivity. They are distinguished by a simple cut, the absence of cheap details in the form of buttons and ruffles. The most common are linen, knitted and cotton models. In the new collections, light silk dresses have appeared, which can easily be paired with a vest or jacket.
