I Love Ugly

Try as I might not to love this place, it does men’s fashion very well. Sporting a range if Anerican inspired basketball shirts, baseball caps and sneakers, my favorite thing about ILU is their pants. From slim fit casuals to low crotch Zespy pants and ever so comfy track pants in a range of colors, there’s something for everyone. Some of their t shirts and shirts are a bit garish and good for those who want to be more obvious with their labels. Recent additions include watches and fragrances. New stores have opened up in Melbourne and Sydney. I wouldn’t be surprised to hear about more further afield in due course.

Classy but very niche, some would describe this as «fast-​fashion».
Small store at the top of Mt Eden road, higher-​end fashion for the young New Zealand male.
I find the price a little high for the quality of the material. I guess it’s much more about the design as is a lot of other brands these days.

I love a guy in I love Ugly clothes. Their menswear range is impeccable.
From faded colours to floral and fauna prints to cigarette pants and cute buttoned detailing, this place really pushes the limits for mens fashion. And this quite refreshing to see in New Zealand. Definitely some great local talent here.
In saying that I do wish that they would realise their potential with a wider demographic becouse it can get a fair bit pricy considering the materials they use aren’t really that pricy. You can tell that you are paying for a design and a label here. Still some consider it worthwhile.
Definitely go here if you are after statement pieces.

They couldn’t have picked a better name for the I LOVE UGLY range. Skinny jeans and ambiguous floral print men’s shirts and horrible snapback hats in styled prints. There isn’t a huge range but what you will find there is definitely unique.
I had much more fun chatting with the hip UK staff member apparently does love UGLY and after a while I began to fathom why people wanted this «trendy» fashion-​wear. Now that fashion has looped back to effeminate designs of the 19^th century, all your money should be spent turning yourself into a eunuch. Basically this is a High Street store than got a little lost.

In a nutshell, I Love Ugly does on trend menswear at reasonably good prices. They’re branching out into higher end pieces with price tags to match, but you’re likely to find that most things have good price points.
I Love Ugly are known for their prints, 5-​panel caps and pants dubbed the ‘Zespy’. I’m not completely sold on the Zespy’s based on the fact they’re a relatively tight pant with a drop crotch and I just don’t see how that is a good idea for most men, but the people have spoken and disagree with me because I Love Ugly push insane amounts of those things — walk into the University of Auckland and literally 1 in 4 guys will have a pair. They’re killing it.
They do good shirting though, and have just done a pair of nice casual-​smart brogues. Basically, they’ve filled a gap in the market. Easily accessible, ‘cool’ menswear.

I Love Ugly, or ILU to those in the know, is one of the most fashionable and in-​demand brands in New Zealand. Created and designed by young local guys, this brand has taken off in the last few years.
Infamous for their busy prints, the average ILU garment is lined with paisley patterned fabric, while their shorts, shirts and caps are often covered in wee animals, plants, old school pipes or flowers.
For Christmas I bought my boyfriend a beautifully cut shirt with elephants and palm trees on it, and I must say it looks amazing, and can be paired with anything from shorts to jeans or dress pants. Currently I’m also eyeing up a navy blazer that has been designed to cut off higher than an average shirt, so if paired with one of ILU’s patterned creations, the print would stick out under the jacket and look pretty funky.
As well as stocking great long and short sleeve shirts, and lovely dress and casual pants, I Love Ugly also stock trackpants, tees, cardigans, jackets, boardshorts, bags, watches and shoes. Everything a well-​dressed young man could want can and will be found at I Love Ugly.

Really great menswear store that suits fashion forward style males. However their range of 5 panel caps is one of the best in Auckland, so if you are a female that has been searching for one (like me) this is where you need to come. When I was in their Mt Eden store, I had a look at their menswear range, the fabrics used felt amazing, really high quality. Their prices are a little steep, but if you enjoy wearing nice clothing, or only buy a few pieces a season, this is definitely the right place. Their website is great with free shipping worldwide so even if you can’t make it to their stores, their website is certainly something to check out.