Mott & Bow Review 2024 (Premium Affordable Basics)

Mott & Bow is a direct-to-consumer brand known for their premium denim. Self-described as the “naysayers of $200 jeans,” they now offer an expanded collection of tees, chinos, polos, sweats, underwear and sweaters.

Many online brands today try to cater to everyone, but Mott & Bow started with a specific goal in mind — offer high-quality jeans at an affordable price. They stuck with denim for several years before adding a couple more elevated basics to their core collection.

This Mott & Bow review includes a try-on haul video, a little bit about Mott & Bow, whether or not their jeans are worth it, their home try-on program, denim science, pros and cons and finally (being 5’6″ myself) wrap things up if I think Mott & Bow is a good fit for shorter and tall men.

I’ll also link to some basic pieces from their current collection so that you can learn more about that specific product. In addition to highlighting each item, I’ll be talking about how they feel and fit.

But first let’s briefly talk about the brand that’s made a name for themselves in the world of denim.

^{If you want to check out my Mott & Bow Men’s Lookbook & Try-On Haul, hit the play button on the video below.}

MOTT & BOW REVIEW FOR MEN AND TRY-ON HAUL

^{Subscribe to the GW YouTube channel.}

ABOUT MOTT & BOW

Mott & Bow’s mission was born out of the question: “how can we get people premium jeans at a reasonable price?” Sticking to simplicity is at the core of their design philosophy.

FOUNDER & HERITAGE

The name Mott & Bow is inspired by two streets in downtown Manhattan, Mott Street and Bowery. It was founded in 2014 by Alejandro Chahin, a lover of handcrafted premium products.

As a child his family started a denim factory in Honduras and it wasn’t before long that he was immersed in art of jean making. Having spent most of his life around denim, it’s no surprise that Alejandro ended up working in the industry.

Though Mott & Bow has only been around for 5 years, their denim expertise dates back over 30 years. Their factory is family owned which gives them complete control over the manufacturing process. With this hands-on approach to creating high-quality denim, Mott & Bow is making an impact in the wide world of menswear.

WHERE IS MOTT & BOW LOCATED?

Mott & Bow doesn’t have brick and mortar locations; they sell both men’s and women’s clothing exclusively online at mottandbow.com, and is based in NYC. They have a family owned and operated manufacturing facility in Honduras where all of their jeans are made.

MOTT & BOW INDIVIDUAL PRODUCT REVIEWS

Learn a little bit more about each of the individual pieces, linked in the blue box directly below. Or click on the individual product images:

Quick note: If you’re enjoying this Mott & Bow Review, then you’ll probably like this Everlane Review too. 

WHAT’S TO LOVE ABOUT MOTT & BOW

There’s a lot to love about Mott & Bow. For one, they offer premium, high-quality denim at less than premium prices. They’re able to do so because they retain full control over the entire manufacturing process.

Additionally, there’s no middlemen involved taking a cut and so the savings are passed along to customers which is always a good thing in the fashion world. 

Today, many designer jean brands at the malls have ridiculous markups that go for double or triple the cost of what Mott & Bow’s jeans sell for.

And finally, in addition to their expanding jeans collection, they offer other premium basics like a cashmere sweater, t-shirts and button downs at fair prices.

Mott & Bow Denim Science

Mott & Bow’s denim science is a six step process:

1. Resin Application

The process begins with resin application to the jeans. They’re either sprayed or immersed in a resin mix depending on the look and feel that’s desired.

2. Oven Curation

After resin application, step two then starts with the jeans being pre-cured and then cured in an oven.

3. Scraping

Upon removal from the oven, the jeans are then unevenly scraped to replicate the distress of normal use. Scraping is a by-hand process which gives every single jean a natural look in addition to being completely unique. Additionally, there are different types of scraping for each of Mott & Bow’s jean styles.

4. Pinning and Tying

After scraping, the jeans are then pinned and tied by hand before getting into the wet processes. As the jeans are wrapped up in the netting, this will later help to create various whiskering and subtle contrasts.

5. Washing and Drying

Step 5 involves washing and drying the jeans. Depending on the desired final look, ingredients like pumice rock or silicone balls are mixed in to help create the various washes.

6. Finishing

And lastly, after washing and drying is complete, all that’s left to do is put on the finishing touches and that my friends is denim science in a nutshell.

Are Mott & Bow Jeans Good?

Mott & Bow jeans are “the jeans you’ll reach for every time” according to them. At 12.5 oz. they’re not lightweight jeans. But they aren’t thick, raw denim either. I’d say that 11-12 oz. is an ideal year-round weight for most guys.

And so these Mott & Bow jeans will be getting plenty of wear throughout the year, except during those hot summer days since they are heavier weight than some of my other jeans.

In terms of comfort, the jeans have a worn in feel after the first wash and a little bit of stretch which is pretty much what I expect from any pair of comfortable jeans. 

Mott & Bow jeans come in 3 fits — skinny, slim and straight. Although it is worth noting that in my experience the skinny jeans fit more like slims and the slims are more relaxed than I am used to.

Finally the Warren skinny jeans that I got in medium blue wash have a mid-to-high rise and sits comfortably above my waistline without a belt. All in all I’d say that Mott & Bow jeans are as good as advertised.

You can read more about my experience with their jeans in this comprehensive Mott & Bow jeans review.

Mott & Bow’s Home Try-On Program

Similar to the glasses startup Warby Parker, Mott & Bow offers a free home try-on program. The idea behind the program is to help you find your perfect fitting jeans. 

First you buy a pair and choose a second waist size. And then they will ship you both. Finally, you keep the best fitting pair and return the other with a free pre-paid label at the nearest UPS. 

The home try-on program is useful because Mott & Bow unfortunately has a restocking fee for any returned items and doesn’t cover the cost of returns either. Ouch.

It looks like the program is limited to jeans and so you cannot try on other garments which is a slight bummer as well.

Quick note: If you’re enjoying this Mott & Bow review, then you’ll probably find my other writing on all things men’s style useful. Each week, I share updates, style tips and other things not shared on the blog through my free email newsletter.

To join now, just enter your email address below and click “Get Updates!”

MOTT & BOW PROS & CONS

Pros:

• High-quality, premium jeans in a wide range of colors, washes and fits
• Offers a minimal, modern aesthetic with high-quality basics
• Home try-on program makes it easy to find your perfect fit
• More of a focus on classic styles and less on trends
• Premium goods for less than premium prices
• Clean, easy-to-navigate website experience

Cons:

• Their slim jeans fit like straight and skinny jeans fit like slims
• Not as full of a collection compared with other similar brands
• Charges a restocking fee for any returns

Mott & Bow Men’s Best Sellers

AS GOOD AS ADVERTISED?

With Mott & Bow, the quality of clothing is clear. You’ll feel it upon trying on their clothes for the first time. They’re more affordable than their competitors in the premium denim space as well.

I can see Mott & Bow continuing to make a name for themselves in the denim world. Although they don’t have as wide of a collection as other brands, I can see them continuing to expand their line of minimal basics like the Everlanes of the world.

In fact, as of 2023, they’ve added a few more core pieces to their collection like chinos and boxer briefs which I’ve had the chance to try on both. The chinos are very much like their jeans in that they fit well, albeit with the longer inseam, but the quality is still there. And the boxer briefs I’ve been wearing for the past year and are some of the more comfortable and discrete pairs in my collection.

Is Mott & Bow Good For Short Men?

Being a shorter guy (5’6″), I have to give my take on the fit for short men.

It depends on the product that you order. While some of their products are slightly oversized for guys under 5’8″, that doesn’t mean it’s unwearable. Far from it.

The short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts though a bit long in the body and sleeves still look pretty good on my 5’6″ frame. Even better now with their updated sizes of XS, the Driggs Tee fits me perfectly with no alternations needed. Of course the jeans will need to be hemmed a few inches, but that’s pretty common for most brands.

The only garment that I wouldn’t wear before getting tailored is the button up shirts. The sleeves would definitely need to be shortened. And back darts could be put in place to create more of a v-shaped taper from the chest down to the waist. Currently it seems that the button ups are out of stock with no indication when they’ll be restocked.

All in all, Mott & Bow doesn’t have the best fitting clothing for men under the average male height in America (5’9″). That said, I’m still pretty satisfied with the off-the-rack fits.

Is Mott & Bow Good For Tall Guys?

On the opposite spectrum, is Mott & Bow the right fit for taller men 6′-6’3″? I’d most definitely say, yes. 

The jeans go up to 34″ inseams which are flattering for guys in the low 6′ range, and so no alterations would be necessary. Additionally the shirt sleeves run a bit long which is beneficial for taller men as well. It is worth noting that a majority of the skinny jeans only come in 32″ inseams.

Finally the dress shirts are geared more towards taller guys as well. Unfortunately I’ll be wearing my button up under a sweater or jacket to conceal the excess fabric which isn’t exactly ideal. Alternatively I could get alterations, but sometimes it’s just not worthwhile.

Conclusion

That wraps things up on my Mott & Bow review. Soon I’ll be trying on some of the other core pieces from their collection, like chinos, sweats, polos and underwear to provide an even more comprehensive review of their offering, so stay tuned for that. In the meantime, I hope this review was helpful!

For further reading, I think you will be interested in this in-depth Outerknown Review.

A note: Mott & Bow sent me the clothing in this review. These are all my thoughts and opinions based on my experience. Gentleman Within holds all control over editorial content.

Onto You. What are your thoughts on Mott & Bow?

Let’s continue the discussion over in the Gentlemen Within Private Facebook Community.

Looking forward to seeing you in there.

The post Mott & Bow Review 2024 (Premium Affordable Basics) appeared first on Gentleman Within.