Why This Uniqlo T-Shirt Is The Only One You’ll Wear For All Occasions

We’ve long admired, and praised, the humble t-shirt. Firstly, no one can say they don’t own a t-shirt. The ubiquitous garment has to be the number one item everyone has in their closets, whether you dress like an avant-garde fashion student, or the heartland uncle who sits at the kopitiam all day. And then, not only is it extremely comfortable when worn, due to the usually breathable fabric most t-shirts come in, it’s also incredibly easy to pull off no matter your body type, and even easier to style. Jeans, skirts, shorts, or a jacket, the underrated beauty manages to pull all sorts of eclectic looks together.

So, we’re talking a simple piece of clothing that’s both universal and versatile — correct us if we’re wrong, but that happens to be one of the most well-loved hallmarks of Japanese brand Uniqlo. We can’t count the number of times we’ve randomly wandered into a Uniqlo store, only to come out slightly poorer thanks to our impulsive splurging on any number of fashionable basics. “This goes with everything!” we proclaim, and it’s true; we lovingly wear every item we buy from then on.

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Women’s DRY-EX T-Shirts

What most people might not immediately notice though is that the brand’s clothing often combines fashion and function in the most effortless way possible. Of course, this concept applies to Uniqlo’s DRY-EX T-Shirt, also known as our current everyday essential. Here are a couple of reasons why we love it:

It’s a simple, clean design. 
At first glance, the t-shirt looks deceptively normal — simple, in a clean design, and fitting, it’s everything you want in a casual t-shirt, and you might even be prompted to get the basic wear in a couple of different colours. Seriously, it’s just $19.90!

It’s more functional than you think. 
We all know what it’s like to live with our constantly hot and humid weather, so being comfortable in what we wear is often a high consideration for many of us. Here’s where the DRY-EX T-Shirt is particularly ingenious. It’s made from a fast-drying fabric that wicks away perspiration, in order to keep you dry throughout the day, while the t-shirt features a smooth and seamless construction — and an increased stretchability — that’s designed to make you feel comfortable while moving.

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It’s suitable for sports. 
The above properties make the DRY-EX T-Shirt an appropriate activewear garment for sports. And no wonder it’s trusted by top athletes — the material’s actually jointly developed with Toray Industries, and sees a special arched structure that dries faster than other ordinary dry-function material. You definitely won’t miss the humid, sticky feeling that usually comes after a gym session, post-running, or yoga.

Added properties include a raised structure that suits strenuous movements, and a highly-breathable mesh for areas that tend to accumulate sweat, in order to help prevent overheating.

Men’s DRY-EX T-Shirts

But it’s also super versatile. 
This has gotta be our favourite point. As much as it seems that the t-shirt’s just tailored for sports, you can actually wear it across many, many occasions, no matter your lifestyle. Ah, the beauty of the versatile t-shirt, right? Really, you don’t have to be a star athlete to don the t-shirt, you can just as easily pair them with your jeans and high-tops if you’re headed to school, or with flared pants and underneath a blazer if you’re part of the working world.

While clocking your steps on a weekend hike, or getting your 10k steps all the same in a marathon shopping session. While doing yoga on your balcony, or lounging around your home. While running, or running errands. You get the drift! It’s also a great transition piece if you happen to have two “clashing” activities on the same day — say, a rock climbing session with your pals after a luxurious brunch, or to work and then straight to spin class after.

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With all this in mind, we took up the challenge: can you wear the Uniqlo DRY-EX t-shirt for all occasions? Our answer’s actually an annoying rhetorical question — why not? Over here, we’ve styled the t-shirt in various ways — dressy, casual or sporty — for both guys and girls, so you can really see what we’re talking about. Here goes!

 


For Women

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For the ladies, we picked a poppin’ shade of pink to play around with, but you can easily go with a plain white or cool black. To dress up the t-shirt, we love ourselves some high-waisted wide leg jeans for the effortless style, and to stand out in a sea of skinny jeans, while you can also throw on a sleek scarf or bomber jacket to accessorise the look. Perfect for a weekend out town or even your next holiday OOTD! Then, switch it up with a functional (and utterly vibrant) neon green hoodie, leggings, and sports shoes should you be on your way to the gym or a squash game with your buddies.

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WOMEN DRY-EX Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt in Pink, $19.90Floral Sleeky Scarf in Navy, $9.90. WOMEN Bomber Jacket in Olive, $39.90. WOMEN High Waist Wide Leg Pants in Blue, $39.90.

 

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WOMEN DRY-EX Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt in Pink, $19.90. WOMEN AIRism UV Cut Long Sleeve Mesh Hoodie in COL52 Green, $29.90. WOMEN AIRism Ankle Length Leggings Pants in Black, $29.90.

 

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Start your day bright and early with some healthy yoga to get your body at its best condition — of course, the DRY-EX t-shirt makes this activity as comfortable as can be, thanks to its fast-drying and highly-breathable properties. If you’ve still got errands to run or a quick lunch to grab after, just pull on some shorts and tie a flannel shirt around your waist, then you’re good to leave the house in style.

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WOMEN DRY-EX Crew Neck Short Sleeve T-Shirt in Pink, $19.90. Teardrop Sunglasses in Yellow, $19.90. WOMEN Premium Linen Check Long Sleeve Shirt in Blue, $29.90. WOMEN Belted Shorts in Navy, $29.90.

 


For Men

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T-shirts are kinda mainstays in most guys’ wardrobe, so really, our challenge was taking it beyond just a t-shirt and jeans kinda look. That’s where outerwear comes in. We picked a slate blue tee that has a subtly mottled effect for our base, and worked with a military jacket and dark wash jeans for something that’s wonderfully off-duty model (that we used one doesn’t count!). Wear this to impress a date, for a round of beers with the boys, or at your next outdoor gig. At the same time, you can incorporate the same t-shirt into more athletic wear for your weekly run or crossfit session — a pair of performance tights helps with the workout, as do lightweight shorts that provide easy movement. Also good to know: the men’s DRY-EX styles have added anti-odour properties.

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MEN DRY-EX Crew Neck Short Sleeve Shirt in COL64 Blue, $19.90. MEN Military Jacket in Beige, $49.90. MEN Ultra Stretch Skinny Fit Jeans in COL68 Blue, $59.90.

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MEN DRY-EX Crew Neck Short Sleeve Shirt in COL64 Blue, $19.90. Cotton Twill Cap in Navy, $29.90MEN DRY-EX Knee Length Pants in Black, $29.90. MEN SPRZ NY Performance Support Tights in Dark Grey, $29.90.

 

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The key here is how to rock the t-shirt with casual berms, but also making it look as stylish and put-together as possible. For that, a thing as simple as a belt does wonders. Try a striped fabric number that totally channels the casual vibes, with some eye-catching red and matching navy that’d look great with your tee slightly tucked in. Throw on a pair of shades to complete the look!

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MEN DRY-EX Crew Neck Short Sleeve Shirt in COL64 Blue, $19.90. Sports Wellington Sunglasses in Gray, $19.90. MEN Stretch Tape Belt in Blue, $29.90. MEN KANDO Shorts in Beige, $39.90.

 


DIRECTION & STYLING
Amelia Tan
PHOTOGRAPHY
Huang Ching
HAIR & MAKEUP
Grego Oh
MODELS
Hannah Cheng-Bradshaw (Basic Models) and Etienne Kugler (Now Models)