discoBrand profile
Jun Takahashi's Tokyo label, founded 1993, mixing punk, horror and art references with deconstructed tailoring in Paris-shown menswear and womenswear.
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UNDERCOVER is Jun Takahashi's Tokyo-based label, founded in 1993 and shown in Paris since 2002. It pairs deconstructed tailoring and patchwork knitwear with punk graphics, MA-1 bombers, leather jackets and nylon anoraks. Recent seasons draw on French plush artist Anne-Valérie Dupond, using wrinkled seams, inside-out fabrics and padded appliqués, and revisit Takahashi's 2004 collection for the label's 35th anniversary. Spring 2027 menswear references Belgian painter Michaël Borremans, adding cotton flak vests and primary-colour anoraks. Takahashi remains owner and designer, with no outside ownership changes reported.
The long-running Champion collaboration turns UNDERCOVER's punk graphics and cut-and-sew instincts into hoodies, sweatshirts and sweatpants that have become the label's most recognisable everyday staple.
Explore Champion Edition →Takahashi's Dickies capsule reworks classic workwear shirts, jackets and cargo trousers with UNDERCOVER's deconstructed, subverted detailing.
Explore Dickies Edition →MA-1 style bombers and technical jackets are core to UNDERCOVER's runway language, carrying the label's appliqués, patchwork and graphic statements.
Explore outerwear →Available atSSENSE
Overall fit
runs small
UNDERCOVER uses Japanese numeric sizing (typically 1–4) that generally measures smaller than equivalent US/EU labelling, so most shoppers report needing one size up, though individual runway and outerwear pieces are cut deliberately oversized.
Tip: Most non-Japanese shoppers size up one from their usual (e.g. a US medium generally lands on a size 3), and up two if you want a genuinely roomy fit.
Medium confidence · based on 14 sources
By category
| Category | Runs | Shape | Size advice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hoodies & sweatshirts | slightly small | relaxed but not tent-like; sleeves can feel snug for larger frames | Size up one if you plan to layer or want the fuller silhouette seen on the runway. |
| Jackets | mixed | deconstructed tailoring runs slim and narrow-shouldered while MA-1 bombers, leathers and anoraks are often cut boxy or oversized | Size up for tailored jackets, but stay true to size on the bombers and anoraks, which are already generous. |
| Jeans & denim | runs small | generally straight to slim, with occasional wide or worked-over conceptual pairs | Size up one from your usual denim waist, as Japanese sizing tends to measure lean. |
| Shirts & overshirts | runs small | slim through the chest with narrow shoulders, typical of Japanese pattern-making | Size up one, and up two if you have broad shoulders or a fuller chest. |
| T-shirts & graphic tees | runs small | fairly straight to slightly boxy, though shoulders sit close | Take one size up from your usual US size — most people land on a 3 or 4. |
| Trousers & pants | runs small | varies from slim tailored cuts to intentionally wide, pleated runway silhouettes | Check the waist measurement rather than the numeric size, and expect to go up one from your usual. |
Directional fit consensus summarized from public sources with AI — a starting point, not a guarantee. Confirm with the product's own measurements before buying.
88% matchPatchwork and spliced tailoring with a technical bent
What changes: More fabric-engineering and collab-driven, less horror/punk narrative
85% matchThe avant-garde Tokyo parent house Takahashi grew up beside
What changes: More conceptual pattern-cutting, less graphic subculture imagery
80% matchHybridized garment archetypes over subculture references
What changes: Cleaner, less narrative or punk-graphic
74% matchSame 90s Tokyo biker-punk-military lineage, streetwear-side
What changes: Casual branded gear, no runway tailoring
UNDERCOVER runs small. Most non-Japanese shoppers size up one from their usual (e.g. a US medium generally lands on a size 3), and up two if you want a genuinely roomy fit. UNDERCOVER uses Japanese numeric sizing (typically 1–4) that generally measures smaller than equivalent US/EU labelling, so most shoppers report needing one size up, though individual runway and outerwear pieces are cut deliberately oversized.
UNDERCOVER uses Japanese numeric sizing (typically 1–4) that generally measures smaller than equivalent US/EU labelling, so most shoppers report needing one size up, though individual runway and outerwear pieces are cut deliberately oversized. Overall shape: varies by piece — tailoring and shirting cut slim and narrow through the shoulder, while graphic tees, knitwear and outerwear skew boxy or intentionally oversized.
UNDERCOVER hoodies & sweatshirts fits slightly small. Size up one if you plan to layer or want the fuller silhouette seen on the runway. Shape: relaxed but not tent-like; sleeves can feel snug for larger frames.
UNDERCOVER jackets varies by piece. Size up for tailored jackets, but stay true to size on the bombers and anoraks, which are already generous. Shape: deconstructed tailoring runs slim and narrow-shouldered while MA-1 bombers, leathers and anoraks are often cut boxy or oversized.
UNDERCOVER jeans & denim runs small. Size up one from your usual denim waist, as Japanese sizing tends to measure lean. Shape: generally straight to slim, with occasional wide or worked-over conceptual pairs.