July 1, 2024
SINGAPORE – Fashion retailer Uniqlo appears to be embracing its role as the default dresser of the Singaporean male, and has rolled out a palette of Singapore-exclusive colours for its lightweight Airism tops that it is branding the “SG uniform”.
The three new Singapore-exclusive colours for its oversized half-sleeve shirts – orange, red and dark green – were made available in stores and online from June 10. The signage above them declared: “The SG uniform”.
This is not the first time that Uniqlo has done a Singapore-focused release. In March, it partnered the National Library Board to launch exclusive T-shirt designs inspired by Singaporean literature.
With 31 stores across the island, Singapore is the market with the highest density of Uniqlo stores per capita outside of Japan, surpassing other markets such as Hong Kong and Taiwan.
There is around one Uniqlo store for every 180,000 people in Singapore, compared with one for every 155,000 people in Japan, and one for every 220,000 people in Hong Kong.
Uniqlo’s popularity, particularly among young Singaporean men, has sparked a wave of online memes and commentary about “The SG uniform”.
TikTok videos mocking the ubiquity of Uniqlo here have amassed hundreds of thousands of views. One viral video by user Sherrgoh, captioned “SG boys shopping for their uniform in new colours”, has garnered more than 1.6 million views and depicts a man grabbing different shades of the same Uniqlo shirt off the shelf.
When asked about the stereotype, Mr Samuel Tan, a 37-year-old human resources consultant, defends the brand’s dominance in Singapore men’s fashion.
“Social media perpetuates this idea that the whole Uniqlo uniform by Singaporean men is not desirable at all. But is it really? What’s wrong with a sartorial selection criteria that consists of well-made basics that can stand the test of time?
“I love that it says the SG uniform,” says Mr Tan, referring to the new Singapore-exclusive colours for the Airism T-shirt. “Although they look like past colours. And yes, I have 10 of those, that’s why I know.”
Other Singaporean men who spoke to The Straits Times, like Mr Raffli Noor, 39, acknowledge the “SG uniform” stereotype as generally accurate, and are unfazed by online mockery.
“I think that there are many other brands on the market that are of a similar price bracket and quality, like Muji, but Uniqlo makes it convenient to get the same piece of clothing that you know fits you well repeatedly or in different colours,” says the lawyer, who wears Uniqlo to work almost every day.
“It’s definitely the convenience that appeals to a large portion of Singaporeans,” he adds.
Mr Lau Kang, 26, who spoke to ST while dressed entirely in Uniqlo, says not standing out is part of the point of packing his wardrobe with the brand.
“It suits bars, restaurants, beach days and casual wear. And not standing out means less glares in public,” he says. “All in all, Uniqlo hits the mark in every aspect of what I want in menswear.”
However, he adds that he is unlikely to pick up the new Singapore-exclusive shades of the oversized T-shirt. “I’m not that obsessed,” he says.