Not sure what to get for winter? Perhaps a graph may help you decide!

As temperatures in Japan dip, warm clothing is starting to be prominently showcased in fashion stores across the country in preparation for winter, including popular Japanese fashion chain Uniqlo.

Uniqlo stocks a dizzying array of casual winter wear that will keep wearers cozy yet stylish, but a recent survey of respondents aged between 10 and 70 has revealed that one particular type of clothing stands out among the rest.

▼ Heattech, the lightweight fabric technology that
effectively generates and maintains body warmth.

▼ 1,236 respondents were asked what they thought was the most popular line of Uniqlo winter
clothing in 2018, the results of which are shown in the reproduced graph below.

▼ When asked to rank their choices, each age bracket came to the same conclusion.

As an owner of two Heattech short-sleeve T-shirts, I can personally attest to the warmth and comfort that they provide in cold weather. Picking them up from a local Uniqlo store for only 990 yen (US$8.80) each, I certainly did not expect such reasonably-priced clothing to last me through three winters in Japan.

Heattech clothing has often been advertised as innerwear in Japan, but I have also noticed that the shirts are good enough without the need for a jacket in early autumn or late spring for a minimalistic look.

They do come in three flavors of normal, extra warm, and ultra warm. But as our Japanese language reporter Go Hattori proved earlier this year with a detailed comparison in the heart of winter, shoppers pondering which to buy can forego one of them and save themselves some money instead.

Source: Uniqlo via @Press
Top image: Flickr/MiNe
Insert image: @Press
[ Read in Japanese ]