The pleated, wide-leg pant costs $148 a pop and is offered in a variety of colors, lengths, and materials. It has been touted on TikTok, with some users on the platform calling it "unmatched, and describing it as having a choke-hold on them.
Take, for example, Uniqlo's $36 pleated pants and $30 linen button-downs. That means that for the price of one Aritzia Effortless Pant, a Uniqlo shopper over in Asia can purchase an entire work outfit.
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In Singapore, particularly, the Uniqlo fit has been dubbed as the country's unofficial uniform or the "SG uniform."
The retailer has leaned into the Uniqlo-mania, turning it into a brand strategy.
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It even used the term "SG uniform" on its Instagram, in a video that is captioned: "Styling the SG Uniform: Our AIRism Cotton Oversized Crew Neck tee is the essential T-shirt redefined."
Other popular pieces from the brand also include its various Bra Tops, which essentially are tanks and tube tops with padded underwear built into them.
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Young corporate women are seeking out work uniforms, and brands are answering the call
There is a reason why women are adopting work uniforms, experts say.
Richard Thompson Ford, a Stanford professor and author of "Dress Codes: How the Laws of Fashion Made History," told the Wall Street Journal that the Effortless Pant is like a female equivalent of the 'Midtown uniform' for men, consisting of slacks, button-downs and fleece vests.
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Additionally, the comfort that the wide-leg pant offers is what makes it appealing as workwear. After years of remote work in activewear and pajamas, the idea of constricting oneself in tight skinny jeans or tailored trousers isn't all that appealing to the Gen Z office worker.
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But there is one common denominator in Uniqlo and the Effortless Pant's success — that they create a timeless, classic silhouette, and lean into the simplicity the quiet luxury trend has made popular.
Of course, not all Asian Gen Zers have embraced quiet luxury and minimalism.
Young office workers in China, for instance, are ditching the work uniform entirely to rebel against low pay and grueling working hours. The trend — which surfaced on Chinese social media under the hashtag "gross outfits at work" — involved young Chinese workers recording their fits for the day, which ranged from shabby loungewear to oversized puffer jackets and fluffy slippers.
Representatives for Uniqlo and Aritzia didn't immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
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