Remember the UNIQLO Shoulder Bag? She's Never Looked Better (or More Useful)
UNIQLO: C, overseen by former Givenchy creative director Clare Waight Keller, is a contender as the next great UNIQLO sub-label. Very much in the vein of Christophe Lemaire's UNIQLO U, UNIQLO: C is crisp, clean and responsible for some truly excellent bags.
Moving through UNIQLO: C's killer Fall/Winter 2024 collection, full of urbane wool sweaters and generous slacks, notice two nice new bags that may rival 2023's super-hot UNIQLO shoulder bag for daily driver excellence.
Now, I don't think the nylon shoulder bag ought to sweat its new rivals too much. UNIQLO's original design is perfect in its simplicity. These newcomers are a bit more advanced and therefore likely a tougher sell.
But somewhere between these three UNIQLO accessories is multifunctional shoulder bag nirvana.
UNIQLO: C FW24 introduces both a two-way helmet bag and miniature shoulder pouch, each made of identical water-repellent polyester and fitted with ample cargo pockets.
The ensuing designs have been compared to PORTER's signature Tanker series bags, which is fair. Shiny nylon is shiny nylon.
But, though the PORTER bags are almost assuredly nicer (and more substantial), they're also inspired by the same time-tested vintage militaria as Keller. Any design overlap is likely coincidental.
And Keller's UNIQLO: C bags are almost equally useful, what with all the pockets, adjustable straps, pull-close tops, and zippers. Plus, at ¥3,990 (approximately $27.50) for the larger tote and ¥1,990 (approximately $13 [!]) for the smaller style, that's a lotta bang per buck.
The PORTER bag is a tougher customer, to be sure, and it's well-made in Japan at PORTER's factories, but it also comes with a price tag of ¥39,050 (approximately $270) — even more if you buy it from an American store.
That's the price of quality.
Meanwhile, no one is positioning UNIQLO's marvelously simple shoulder bags as future heirlooms. But with bags this good, perhaps they ought to.
