BEAMS PLUS is a little heritage, a little hip. It's not really a label you look towards to keep up with the times but there's always that bit of contemporary flair that keeps it from being stodgy. That's part of the appeal that's kept BEAMS PLUS around since 1999, one of BEAMS' oldest-remaining sub-labels.
It doesn't hurt that BEAMS PLUS is also pretty accessible — it's sold by Lost & Found, Totem, Canoe Club, Oi Polloi, and Gravity Pope, to name just a few international stockists — and hardly expensive.
Sure, BEAMS PLUS is pricier than, say, J.Crew or GAP, but it's generally a bit more stylistically directional, with garments more adventurous — in a literal and metaphorical sense — than other mall brands.
Yes, it's not unfair to describe BEAMS PLUS as a "mall brand," in the sense that BEAMS is a giant Japanese retailer with lots of outposts in domestic malls.
BEAMS PLUS isn't any more premium than the in-house lines sold by fellow chain stores like SHIPS, FREAKS STORE, Tomorrowland, or UNITED ARROWS, mind you.
Some of its clothing is made in Japan, other pieces in China, but all of it is reliably "okay," in that it won't knock your socks off nor fall apart with a bit of wear.
You don't buy BEAMS PLUS for the quality, anyways (or at least you probably shouldn't). Not that its clothes are cheap, obviously, but because the best reason to dig into BEAMS PLUS is the way it gently reframes menswear staples.
Peruse BEAMS PLUS' Fall/Winter 2022 collection, for instance, and you'll notice more than a few items borrowed from ye olde menswear catalogues: Polo Ralph Lauren-style patchwork, a puffy expedition jacket à la Eddie Bauer, plush cardigans in the vein of Patagonia, brushed loopback hoodies akin to Champion's signature layering pieces.
There's no shame in riffing on the classics, mind you, so long as the clothing isn't mere imitation.
BEAMS PLUS amps things up with trimmer fits, tweaked textiles, and fresh hues.
Nothing that's gonna stand out too much — BEAMS PLUS designs garments that fit seamlessly within any conventional wardrobe — but enough personality to distinguish a BEAMS PLUS guide shirt or pile fleece cardigan from its vintage inspiration.
It all goes so well with the countless BEAMS collaborations, as well. From Arc'teryx to ASICS, quietly stylish versatility's as important to these drops as it is to BEAMS PLUS.
