Uniqlo Dropped a Capsule Wardrobe of Designer-Blessed Basics

Clare Waight Keller’s spring-summer Uniqlo: C collection is for the streets—but not in the way the internet usually means the phrase. Instead, the British designer’s vision for her Uniqlo sub-label is quite literally made for the streets—e.g. the cities her target audience (including, say, me) calls home. Her latest collaboration with the Japanese retailer captures a sun-on-pavement feeling that gives me the hope I need to get through the remainder of winter (though I won’t turn off my SAD lamp just yet).

Aptly dubbed ‘Essentials for City Life’, the 32-piece collection is fuss-free in both name and nature. As per usual, the levity and elegance of Waight Keller’s designs work in concert with Uniqlo’s functional bent to elevate your sidewalk ensembles, a worthy mandate for a capital-D Designer of her pedigree.

Waight Keller’s resume is littered with stints at big-name houses like Chloé and Givenchy, but she can turn her eye to the high street with an almost frustrating ease. To wit: mixed in among Uniqlo’s ever-identifiable sharp silhouettes, clean lines, and hardy fabrics is a distinctly runway sensibility—wearable earthy tones, for example, are contrasted with rich burgundies and soft, icy blues.

For die hard fans of Keller’s previous work, though, the playful, sporty vibe present here might feel pleasantly novel. (Note the use of cool-to-the-touch nylon, and the aforementioned punctuations of color.) This time around, Keller delivered a slouchy sweatsuit and an equally slouchy suit suit, which mirror one another in shade and silhouette. Both feel simultaneously retro-indebted and street-ready, depending on how you style them.

In other words, if you’re looking to punch up your spring wardrobe on a budget, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better opportunity than this; the entire collection contains the multitudes we need to get us through the imminent transitional season. (It’s coming, we swear.) As for what you should buy, well, that’s easy: I cherry-picked my favorite pieces here, but head to Uniqlo’s site to browse the full assortment.

This story originally appeared on British GQ.