Japanese fashion brand Uniqlo has risen as a popular major player in the fast fashion industry, offering basic yet high-quality essential items at an affordable price range. I personally was never a major fan of the brand until I joined the Korean military after my sophomore year and began using the brand’s HeatTech clothing for training during Korea’s cold winter days. Ranging from undershirts to leggings, Uniqlo’s HeatTech clothes are designed to feel light but offer extra warmth that feels comparable to wearing multiple layers of clothing underneath. Interestingly, HeatTech clothes are designed around Uniqlo’s proprietary technology that allows the fabric to trap kinetic energy from the moisture of the skin and convert it to insulated heat. HeatTech clothes are also more tightly knit than Uniqlo’s regular clothing line, offering greater heat retention. I don’ think I would have survived the extreme cold of the mountains of rural Korea without the extra warmth of Uniqlo’s seamless undershirts and leggings underneath my uniform. In all, Uniqlo’s HeatTech clothing line is a notable example of a basic product enhanced by user-focused technology and design.
