Recession Survivors

Japanese fast-fashion retailer Uniqlo took off even as many were suffering in recent years. The Associated Foreign Press reported that Uniqlo’s parent company Fast Retailing said its net profit jumped more than 50 percent in the fourth quarter of 2009. Inexpensive, of-the-moment clothing is no doubt a safe bet during belt-tightening times, but why has Uniqlo in particular been so successful? Credit the basics: Uniqlo specializes in simple fashions—blue jeans, trench coats, cashmere sweaters and a range of great fitting tees--that make for investment pieces in tough times, especially as they generally hit beneath the $60 mark. The chain retailer managed to wrangle Jil Sander--one of fashion's most revered minimalist designers--out of retirement for a designer collaboration this past fall. The first installation of +J hit store racks in October and subsequently sold out in just a few hours.