Universal Works
Didn't see a thread for them, but they just released their new FW23. Curious to hear everyone's experience with their garments. https://universalworks.co.uk/
Universal Works
Universal Works | Contemporary Clothing
Universal Works is an independent contemporary clothing brand based out of Nottingham, England that champions skilled, small-scale production. Shop our selection of real, honest clothing made with peace, love and soul.
52 Replies
UW is a brand I love in theory and styling. But every time I buy something that isnt pants I find myself a little whelmed. It could just be that their tops are just not meant for my body. Tried 4-5 different pieces over the years and every time they are just wildly slim in the shoulders and dont really embody the "boxy" vibe I associate with them.
Perhaps I just need to size up twice all the way to XXL
But their pants rule
Inconsistent fit. Mediocre fabrics/construction at retail price. Some stuff is very good. Some great deals in sales.
They'd do well to have a smaller range of better things imo.
I also wish their pants had longer inseams.
I agree. I think they would greatly benefit from doing more focused seasonal drops
But they seem to be heading the opposite direction as of late
Huge releases, big sale seasons
They have a sample sale in london at the Box from thursday FYI
also echo good trousers, weirdly small shoulders on the tops
its weird that so many people struggle with their top sizing when they really try to brand themselves as a boxy relaxed vibe brand
It's wild, I have 2 bakers jackets, one is tagged S fits m, the other is tagged M fits S. I agree their pants are great tho, and the Kyoto jackets ime are pretty consistent
They really don't need two dozen different pants fits though
They most be more popular over in the UK to support their growing product line
But I cant help but wish they would kinda go back to where they were 5-6 years ago
I want more collabs with uncle otis
The uncle otis quilted liner is one of my grails
Big fan of theirs and seem to have a lot of their stuff - can’t say I’ve had any issues around fit consistency but maybe I’ve been lucky.
Their cord overshirts are lovely.
(And I got a pair of their fatigues recently and have found myself wearing them a lot)
Had a few sample sale stuff and jackets. Small armholes made layering annoying for their a/w stuff. Eventually sold them all minus 1 jacket.
Imo Albam is better for core s/s collections. UW is better for on trend stuff. Even if I do think cord fabric in summer is a bit dumb.
Yeah I did notice this tbh.
Spot on with their tops. I'm XL in just about everything. But with UW, sizing is definitely inconsistent. I'm an XL in their Bakers Jackets but a XXL in gilets, liners and button downs. Still one of my favorite brands but I tend to purchase their items from their Canadian stocklists or other retailers like End. It seems like the prices on the UW website are higher than their stocklists.
Yeah I noticed that their prices kinda skyrocketed as soon as they added other currencies besides GBP to their site
UW good
Some of their pant fits kick ass
I used to have a wool fleece cardigan but now that their sizing is a little wider I might reup
Their double pleats rock 🪨 but I’ve ended up reselling every top I’ve gotten from them.
Did anyone get the Sailor Pants they had a while back?
They are quite big. Trying to wear them more
I want them to do a black pair of the loose cargos
but UW more than any other brand is the one I buy things on a whim from and then have to re-sell later
The swing coats this season look amazing
I have a few pieces I really love. Looking at another fleece cardigan for the fall. Relatively easy to find at retail in Canada which is nice and often on sale.
I was browsing through their recent pants release and almost fell out of my chair when I saw the prices they wanted. $400 for plastic buttons I've had break in the wash? I love their fits dearly, but holy hell Monitaly is in a different league entirely with fabric and build quality and they charge less or the same than UW does for a pair of pants, it's wild.
which pants are $400?
https://universalworks.co.uk/products/universal-works-loose-cargo-pant-in-lovat-lightweight-moleskin
Universal Works
Universal Works Loose Cargo Pant in Lovat Lightweight Moleskin
A twist on our previous 'Cargo Pant,' a UW take on a classic military tapered fit. This new version has added drawcords at the trouser hem, alongside updated pocket details.
Super soft lightweight moleskin. Luxurious and comfortable to wear.
• Product Code: 29148.
• Loose and comfortable fit.
• Large cargo pockets on the side.
• Two large re...
Oh damn. $391 Canadian. But it’s UW, they’ll be $150 in two months.
Hah, true. I should also probably say that for the $, their regular twill pants are really nice. Fabric holds up well and fades slow, and their fits are awesome.
But holy hell do their retail prices make no sense on some of their offerings. Maybe they're using the model of sell a few at that insane price then offload the rest on sale?
Second hand prices on this brand are great, at least in the UK
Tbf Lovat is a really well regard fabric mill in the UK, so with this you are paying a bit for the fabric I would imagine
That's not my real gripe so much as that their buttons are complete trash for that $, I know it's a small thing but for $400 I should be getting a better material than nondescript plastic. Pet peeve of mine, when little things like buttons are $60 quality on $400 pants.
right 400 CAD makes more sense. 400 USD for a universeal works pants woulda been wild
FWIW, check out Cultizm for UW stuff, they list stuff fairly cheap to begin with, and regularly have sales and they deduct VAT also
Good advice, thanks!
I’ve seen a bunch of their stuff on Vinted, but any other places you’d recommend for second-hand?
Ebay, but I mostly shop on vinted as well
Anyone know when they changed up their branding ever so slightly?
E.g when it used to be on one line as opposed to the current two lines?
I found a cool looking shirt on eBay that I have on the way, and it’s got the “old” branding - just curious as to how old it might be!
c2016 IIRC
you could probably look at the wayback machine on archive.org to get a pretty good idea
Good shout - will give that a try!
Anybody have the photographers gilet, and could tell me the general fitting?
Your normal size should be fine. It's a little bit standard fitting. I normally wear XL in their loose gilets & waistcoats, but I ordered a 2XL for a looser fit. The photographers gilet also has fasteners so you can tighten the waist if you want.
Johnny Marr's new video
Cool jacket and catchy song. Off to buy his new record. Which is mostly old since it’s a best of.
Man I ordered a suit and went by the listed measurements, ended up being a size too large on the trousers
Ya all their pants tend to fit a size bigger I find
Has anyone checked out their tweed 'over jacket'?
https://universalworks.co.uk/products/universal-works-easy-over-jacket-in-grey-harris-tweed
Want to get an idea of how thick/warm it is
Universal Works
Universal Works Easy Over Jacket in Grey Harris Tweed
The new Jacket version of our popular 'Easy Overshirt.' Soft and unstructured, with a simple design and square cut clean look, perfect thrown over a shirt or a sweatshirt for great winter layering. This is the newest Jacket to our roster and the easiest! It has a simple great fit with two front patch pockets. It's easy, it works!
Harris Tweed ...
Their Harris Tweed has generally been pretty good, suiting weight normally. But I find their jackets fit really weird.
is it the sleeves? i find their sleeves are usually long
Small waist and chest, big shoulders, long sleeves, cropped length IME.
Their jackets tend to fit me quite well - although sleeve length varies, some seem spot on for my liking, others (like the London) I’ve had to have shortened
I defo need to wear the London more tho
But good to know re their tweed!
I have two of their Harris tweed jackets. Love them both.
Here's one pic. It's the classic baker jacket. It's toasty and I've been wearing it a lot in NYC lately. Just wish it was a little roomier.
The Easy Overshirt is lighter, roomier, and drapy-er. I like it a lot but have enough light jackets already.
oo that does look nice - thanks!
Does anybody have experience with their manor jacket? How's the fit?
If anyones keen on buying a black jacket + trouser in XL let me know
Runs a bit large on me
i think i'm gonna get one of the tweed baker jackets - although i saw some more images of the easy overshirt/jacket and it was thicker than i thought
but i also have lots of lighter jackets