How To Get Jil Sander For Uniqlo In Canada

+J, Jil Sander’s hot fashion for Japanese megabrand Uniqlo, is low-end couture at its finest. Pity these pieces aren’t easily available to Canadians—or are they?

CHIC + CHEAP | Fashion icon Jil Sander, referred to as the queen of minimalist fashion for her single-minded focus on understated elegance—picture the perfectly tailored pant, the precisely cut coat, the impeccably executed white blouse—will end her three year collaboration with Uniqlo, Japan’s inexpensive high-style-basics chain and Asia’s largest clothing retailer, with the launch of a final (fall/winter) collection on September 7.

Damn. I could never afford Jil Sander back in the early oughties when the maestro was designing under her own name (since 2004 the label has operated without Sander’s involvement). Now, unless I jet to New York next week and pop into Uniqlo’s only North American outpost in Manhattan (they do not ship to Canada), I’m going to miss out again—this time on the opportunity to own the last gorgeous, original keep-forever Jil Sander designs offered at a Uniqlo price.

Flying off to NYC just for Jil is pie in the sky, of course, but the idea got me thinking, which is how I came up with a viable Jil Sander for Uniqlo purchase plan.

My “Get +J to Canada” Plan

Shipping— It’s easy to buy Uniqlo merchandise over the phone and have it sent anywhere in the U.S. for as few as $7. I’ll have my Jil Sander sent to a friend in Washington, but you could have yours sent to a parcel receiving company at the U.S./ Canadian border (CLICK HERE is our story on how to do this), where you can pick it up, try it on and send it back immediately if you need to.

Size—Purchasing clothing you haven’t tried on is always risky. The staff at Uniqlo in Manhattan told me that +J is cut slim (all Jil Sander is cut this way) but true to North American sizes; If you normally wear a size eight, you should be an eight in +J.

Strategy—While I envisioned every piece of Uniqlo +J being gone within hours of the collection becoming available, the staff at the NYC shop told me that if you purchase +J within a day or two of the launch (and definitely before the first weekend), you should be able to find what you want.  Wait any longer than that and you could have trouble.—Annabel Lee

Visit www.uniqo.com to see Jil Sander’s +J Fall/Winter collection for Uniqlo.

Photos: courtesy Uniqlo