Beijing Uniqlo Shirt Sparks Retro Photo Check-In Craze
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A blue-grey work shirt sold by Uniqlo has become an unexpected social-media hit in mainland China after online users styled it into a nostalgic, revolutionary-era look. The trend has moved from platforms such as Xiaohongshu into physical stores, where groups of young shoppers have been trying on the outfit and taking themed photos.
Key Points
- The item at the centre of the trend is a blue-grey work shirt priced at 199 yuan, described as a simple autumn commuter top in Uniqlo's value selection range
- Both reports say the look took off after shoppers paired the shirt with a same-tone canvas cap and a green crossbody canvas bag sold in store.
- The shirt has a square, neat cut with two symmetrical chest pockets and no visible logo or print, giving it a plain utilitarian appearance.
- SingTao said its reporter visited a Uniqlo branch in Beijing's Haidian district on October 24 and found the shirt still on display, with staff not stopping photography
- On.cc reported that large numbers of young people and university students in Beijing's Haidian district and other branches went in groups, saluted mirrors, shook hands and posed for photos
- Online joke captions included lines about "meeting revolutionary comrades at Uniqlo", while some users said the Japanese fast-fashion brand had turned from "Japanese style" into an "anti-Japanese style" meme.
- SingTao also linked the craze to a similar social-media episode last year, when a Muji autumn jacket was styled into a 1970s-1980s state-supply-store look
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the episode shows how a basic mass-market clothing item can be rapidly recast through mainland social-media humour and nostalgia, then drive foot traffic into physical shops. It also underlines how cross-border retail brands can become part of wider online meme culture without any formal marketing campaign being reported.