Uniqlo Thank You Festival in Seoul: I Went for One Thing and Bought Another (No Regrets)

The ads were everywhere. But honestly? I’d been waiting for this long before the commercials started. If you’ve been anywhere near a Korean TV screen or social media feed this week, you already know what’s happening. The Uniqlo Thank You Festival Korea — known locally as the 감사제 (Gamsaje) — kicked off today, May 29th, and runs all the way until June 4th. But I didn’t need the ads to remind me. I had this date circled in my head for weeks.

The Backstory: A Blazer I Almost Bought

If you read my Dundun Dongdaemun Shopping Guide, you already know I have a soft spot for Uniqlo’s clean, functional aesthetic. And for the past few weeks, I had my eye firmly locked on one specific item: the Gamtan Jacket (감탄 재킷). Lightweight, stretchy, quick-dry — the kind of blazer that looks sharp enough for the office but breathes like sportswear. I was literally reaching for my wallet when someone mentioned the Gamsaje was just around the corner. I put it back. Waited. And the moment the festival dropped today, I sprinted over on my lunch break.

Inside the Uniqlo Thank You Festival: A Men’s Section Tour

I’ll skip the fine print — that’s what the website is for. What I can give you is the real on-the-ground feel of what the men’s section looks like right now.

The stretch trouser section was one of the first things to catch my eye. LIMITED OFFER tags everywhere, prices slashed from ₩49,900 down to ₩39,900. Clean cuts, multiple colorways — not flashy, but the kind of thing you actually wear every week.

And there they were — the Gamtan Pants (감탄 팬츠). Same technology family as my original target: lightweight, stretchy, quick-dry, with that refined feel the Gamtan line is known for. On sale at ₩39,900 from ₩49,900. I held them for a moment. Put them down. Kept moving.

And here it is. The one I came for. The Gamtan Jacket. Navy and light grey, hanging there looking impossibly polished. Marked down to ₩79,900 from ₩99,900. I tried it on. It fit perfectly. I put it back on the rack. Reader, I did not buy it.

The Unexpected Purchase: A JW Anderson Collab I Didn’t See Coming

I had zero intention of looking at the blouson section. And yet. The jacket hanging on that rack is part of the ongoing Uniqlo × JW Anderson collaboration — and if that name doesn’t immediately ring a bell, here’s the context worth knowing. Jonathan Anderson is a Northern Irish designer who founded the London-based label JW Anderson in 2008.

What started as an accessories collection quickly earned critical acclaim on the London Fashion Week schedule, and the brand has since grown into one of the most celebrated names in contemporary British fashion. In 2023 alone, Anderson took home the CFDA International Designer of the Year Award and was named Designer of the Year by the British Fashion Council — the fashion world equivalent of a double gold medal.

The ongoing partnership with Uniqlo, which launched back in 2017, has become something of a fashion industry benchmark: genuinely thoughtful design at prices that don’t make you wince.

This particular blouson draws inspiration from vintage workwear aesthetics — which explains the relaxed collar, the clean zipper line, and the slightly oversized structure that somehow manages to look intentional rather than sloppy. It came in beige and olive green. I tried both. The olive won without contest.

I had left the house that morning without a jacket on purpose — fully planning to walk out of Uniqlo wearing my new Gamtan Jacket. Instead I’m standing in a changing room mirror, olive blouson on, tags still attached, thinking: yeah, this is the one.

What I Actually Paid

Yes — an AIRism Cotton Oversized T-Shirt also quietly slipped into the basket. In my defense, it paired perfectly with the blouson right there in the fitting room, and at ₩14,900 on limited sale pricing, the argument against buying it was extremely thin. Grand total: ₩74,800.

The walk back took about fifteen minutes. Giant red-logo bag, held outward the entire way. I was essentially a walking promotional campaign for their sale. Uniqlo, you’re welcome.