Dapper Style: Captain Dapper Hearts Muji

Captain Dapper loves discovering new brands. 

OK, Muji isn't exactly a new brand. The Japanese retailer has been around since 1980 and they opened their first US store in New York in 2007. Still, they're new to me so they were one of my must-see stores while I was in New York last week. 

I first learned about Muji when I was searching for a small love seat for Captain Dapper HQ back when I was an editor at Apartment Therapy. I never pulled the trigger on buying the little love seat because I wanted to experience it in person before buying. Now that I have seen it in person, it's not available online. You snooze you lose, I guess.

The thing I find most interesting about Muji is their broad mix of merchandise. In addition to clothing and other soft goods, Muji stocks a few furniture pieces, cosmetics and home organization tools. Each category of merchandise has just a few items in it, all with a very minimal design aesthetic. From what I've read around the web, Muji offers an even more diverse line-up of merchandise overseas. Here in the US, their inventory is a little more limited.

As they say on their website, Muji is all about simplicity in design and that's definitely reflected in their merchandise and packaging. I love the shrink wrap T-shirt, which is packaged in a little cube that's small enough to fit in a hand. In addition to their minimal aesthetic, Muji also focuses on eco-consciousness. My favorite of their eco items has to be the colorful recycled yarn socks. I'm currently experiencing great remorse for not buying the socks while I was there.

So far there are only a few US Muji locations - three in New York and a couple in California. (Please come to Chicago soon, Muji!) However, they do have a fairly extensive online store, with shipping available nationwide.

If you're lucky enough to find yourself in the vicinity of a Muji store, you should definitely check it out. I found the clothing to be a little boxy for my tastes but I adore many of their home items.

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Images: Jason Loper