Mott & Bow: Your New Favorite Jeans
With cold weather again upon us, jeans will again become the go-to pant for guys and gals alike. New jeans can be an incredibly tricky buy for even those with robust wardrobes; cut, weight, color and dye, denim quality, stitching and design are all equally important to consider in the jean buying process. And let’s not forget price. A $200 difference is quite obvious when buying, say, a jacket or pair of shoes. But how do you eyeball this when staring at a stack of denim?
Without being a denim pro, there are two easy things each consumer can easily consider in the jean try-on process: fit and value. We’ve seen it in menswear across the board for a few years now: American clothes are finally slimming down to actually fit dudes. The same goes for jeans. While you don’t want to be swimming in an oversized pair of blue jeans, you also don’t need to be showing off any moose knuckle. No one needs that. From a value standpoint, it’s hard to argue against direct-to-consumer brands, given they cut out the middle man markup, which more than doubles the price you pay at checkout. It’s 2015, fuck a middleman.
Our favorite jean company right now, Mott & Bow, nails both fit and value.
As is standard for every e-commerce retailer, they offer free shipping/returns/exchanges. In addition, they offer a try-on program in which you have the option of trying two waist sizes. You send back the pair that doesn't fit. We suggest trying a waist size down, if in doubt. Getting the appropriate waist size for pants is not only important to keep them from falling to your ankles, but it makes sure the outseam hugs your thighs right and doesn't bow out, giving you that dad-jean look. No one needs that. Secondly, they offer a nicely curated selection of fit: Skinny, Slim and Straight. Wear your jeans like another skin? You’re a Skinny. Want that tailored pant look? Check the Slim. Knocking out errands at Home Depot and meeting the guys to catch some football? Straight all day.
What about value? Oh, they got that in spades. Mott & Bow is vertically integrated, own their own manufacturing, which has been pumping out denim for over 30 years. 30 years?, you’re probably asking, Why haven’t I heard about them? The youngest in the family, Alejandro Chanin, saw where the market was going, and decided to launch his own direct-to-consumer brand, backed firmly by his family’s denim expertise. Very, very few direct-to-consumer brands in any sector can say they own their manufacturer, giving Mott & Bow a serious leg up (tons of intent with that pun). Expertise is critical in this arena to compete with the big boys. I mean, just look at all the work that goes into making a quality pair of jeans on their Denim Science page.
Let’s not forget the most important part here: their jeans look amazing. Mott & Bow pretty much owns the medium blue spectrum for any day or night look you are going for, and offers a must-have mix of black, dark grey and khaki denim that will expand your ability to compliment different looks and colors in your outfit. Without the showy back pocket of many jean companies, people will inquire, Who makes those jeans?
What’s all that going to run you? Try under $100 for most of their selection. That’s called “playing with house money”. Once you find you size and fit, you will keep going back. We guarantee it.
We own nearly every pair between us, but our picks right now are the slim Hester, which offers 4-way stretch for active wear, and the slim Mercer in khaki, a work-man look with a tailored cut.
