Cold weather clothing in the Philippines?

It’s hardly ever parkas-and-scarves weather in this tropical country, where even in the cool  months of December to February, freezing temperatures only persist in offices, cinemas, air-conditioned buses, or mountain provinces.

 

And yet some foreign clothing brands that have set up shop in the Philippines continue to offer Fall/Winter collections that feature heavy fabrics and weather-resistant features more suited to cold climates.

 

One such brand is Japan-based UNIQLO, which launched their Fall/Winter collection last August 22.

 

According to UNIQLO Chief Operating Officer Katsumi Kubota, they had little hesitation about offering their Fall/Winter collection here because the clothes can be worn beyond their original intended use.

 

The collection included knit cardigans and long-sleeved tunics, quilted jackets, fleece ponchos, and shirts that have been engineered to maintain warmth.

 

“There are many different ways of enjoying our products even here… we don’t want to work under the perceptions,” Kubota told GMA News Online.

 

“For example the [ultra light down] jacket, it’s warm, but still very, very, very light. It weighs only 206 grams so when you travel a long distance bus where the aircon is very strong, you may want to have something, but you don’t want to bring a very heavy, bulky jacket,” he explained.

 

He also noted that Filipino shoppers like to try new things.  

 

“Filipinos are not very conservative, they are very dynamic,” Kubota said.

 

“Whatever we offer, we say this is something new for this country or for the Philippines, they always give a try and if they like it, they will continue trying,” he added.

 

However, Gio Ramon, who has bought Uniqlo clothes in the past, said that even though he finds the clothes nice, he wouldn’t wear jackets or vests from their Fall/Winter collection “because the material is way too hot.”

 

“Wool for the vest and thermal technology for the jackets is too much,” he told GMA News Online via Facebook chat.

 

“Other than that, sweaters are pretty normal here in the Philippines nowadays. Those, I would wear,” he added.

 

Uniqlo launched in the Philippines in June, with fans lining up as early as four a.m. to attend the store’s opening. 

 

According to Kubota, their sales for the first couple of months have exceeded expectations. 

 

"[The sales] are much much higher than we expected and that result is encouraging us to speed up our business expansion in the country," he said, adding that they are getting ready to open a branch in SM North EDSA in November. — ELR, GMA News Photos courtesy of UNIQLO