A great pair of jeans shouldn’t cost you more than $200. That’s the underlying belief of Mott & Bow’s mission when it comes to providing quality denim at an affordable price.
While we found their Crosby skinny jeans for men to be among the best out there, we thought it made sense to take a deeper dive into this new company that is quickly turning head in both the men’s and women’s fashion world by delivering a product that is simply a cut above the rest.
In this in-depth review, we set out to not only understand more about Mott & Bow and who is behind the operations, but we also take a look at a few products in their catalog, share what we found regarding their shipping and return policies along with a comparison of them to some of their primary competitors.
Let’s begin our review of Mott & Bow:
Overview and History of Mott & Bow
While Mott & Bow’s history began more than 30 years ago, they officially got their start in 2013 (according to their Crunchbase overview) when it was founded by Mr. Alejandro Chahin.
Mr. Chahin started Mott & Bow by just introducing a limited line of jeans which included the following fits: skinny, slim, and straight:
To help further evaluate the market and to see if men truly did care about a quality pair of jeans that were priced well under $200, Mott & Bow also launched a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2014 where they met their $25,000 goal.
Coming from a rich 30-year family history of denim manufacturing, Mott & Bow brings a level of expertise in a product category that is unprecedented.
But what really sets Mott & Bow apart from many other companies in this field is their vertical integration. With a family-owned facility, they can make subtle modifications to the design style based on customer feedback.
This naturally results in a much better product for you.
Denim Science
Building off the previous section, when it comes to making a pair of denim, Mott & Bow has put together a captivating page on their site that outlines the entire process that is worth checking out.
From resin application to pinning and tying, you can see the short captivating videos of all the artisanal craftsmanship that goes into every pair of jeans sold by Mott & Bow.
Jeans, Tees, Sweaters, & More
Given that we are doing a full review on Mott & Bow, we would be remiss if we didn’t look at a few of their flagship products and provide a brief review.
Let’s look at a pair of their jeans, a tee, and sweater:
Mott & Bow Straight Mosco Review
This classic straight fit jean is a perfect staple for many men’s wardrobe given its versatility and timeless style.
Relying on a blend of cotton (98%) and elastane (2%), this jean features a welcomed bit of stretch that not only allows for increased movement when walking or bending over but an additional level of comfort that will only get better over time.
The Mosco jean comes in a variety of fit, color, and size options – making it a great option for men of all different body types and style preferences.
While we are looking at the straight fit for this review, you can also find the Mosco in either skinny or slim fits.
What we really like most, though, are the sizes available. The waist sizes range from a 28 to 42 – an unprecedented variety here when compared to other companies.
The inseam of these jeans only comes in three different sizes – 30, 32, and 34. Given the casual nature of denim, most men can usually get away with these sizes. However, if you like a more tailored look or simply are between sizes, you may need to get these jeans hemmed.
The rise on the pants themselves are at a mid-rise and will rest just below the belly button.
Furthermore, the color options for these jeans come in either dark blue or medium blue.
The wash on these jeans is extensive and includes a resin sprayed onto the raw jean that is then curated, rinsed, and dried.
Priced just below $100, these jeans are perfect, as they should have no problem lasting a few years while also looking stylish.
Mott & Bow Hooper Sweatshirt Review
Relying on 100% cotton, this French terry style sweater perfectly bridges the gap between both style and comfort.
With a bit of room to its body, this comfortable sweater is a great pick for those men that want some much-needed warmth when the temperatures begin to fall. Rather than just being a pure comfort piece, the Hooper sweater by Mott & Bow can easily be dressed up with a pair of dark denim jeans along with a pair of leather chukka boots.
Unlike so many other men’s sweaters that often rely on natural animal fibers like cashmere or wool, the care instructions for this sweater are super simple – machine wash and dry.
With a ribbed cotton trim on the crew neck, cuffs, and hem, it will also do a great job at remaining in place on your body without letting in the cooler surrounding air.
For color and sizes, the Hooper does come in four conservative colors (black, dark gray, light gray, and navy). You can also find any one of the colors in sizes between small and xx-large.
For under $100, it’s a quality sweater that should serve you well.
Mott & Bow Kent Dress Shirt Review
In a world of performance dress shirts from brands like Mizzen+Main and Ministry of Supply that has high compositions of polyester and spandex, it’s welcoming to see a brand that keeps things simple with a 100% cotton dress shirt.
While performance dress shirts have their own unique advantages including non-iron, better movement, and proper heat distribution – this classic oxford dress shirt is an affordable pick that still presents nicely.
Made from quality Italian fabric (you can read more about Albiate 1830 here), it carries a nice structure and weight to the shirt without being too stuffy.
Available in slim fit only, this shirt provides plenty of movement on the upper half of your body while having a slight taper downwards towards the waist in order to provide a more tailored and form-fitting look.
For men who want to take some design choices into their own hands, this Kent dress shirt does come in two different collar choices (button down and semi-spread) along with seven different colors to choose from.
Priced well under $100, it’s a fine everyday dress shirt that will be comfortable given its reliance on 100% cotton.
Mott & Bow Retail Locations
When it comes to buying clothes, there is still no beating the immediate gratification of a brick-and-mortar store.
This is not only helpful when trying on clothes, but if you are between sizes, you can find the perfect piece to complement your body.
Unfortunately, when it comes to Mott & Bow, their retail presence is lacking. It may be due to the fact that they don’t want the overhead (especially when selling a quality jean for such an affordable price) or perhaps that they are rather younger. Whatever the reason, in order to get your hands on these jeans, you will need to make a purchase from their website.
But to help alleviate any issues, we will look at the policies when it comes to buying (or returning) their clothes:
Mott & Bow Shipping, Exchange, & Return Policy
Buying things online can be tough for a lot of men, especially if you have no previous history with the company.
Therefore, we wanted to do a bit of the legwork for you and find out about the sticky and somewhat boring details that you should probably know about before purchasing anything from an online retailer for the first time.
Here’s a high-level overview of Mott & Bow’s shipping, exchange, and return policies.
Note: Companies may update their policies from time to time; therefore you will always want to double-check on their site before you make a purchase.
Shipping Costs
In the age of one-day or free shipping, it’s easy to get spoiled with all the conveniences of the mega online retailers. However, to help make the barrier to entry a bit lower, Mott & Bow does offer free shipping on all orders over $150.
Orders under $150 will be charged a modest $7.
Here’s a full look at their shipping policies:
Learn more about their policies by visiting this page.
Returns & Exchanges
Here’s where things get unique when reviewing Mott & Bow.
While their return and exchanges are standard, you have 30 days to return unworn, undamaged, and unwashed items. We couldn’t determine whether the 30-day return window is based on the ship date or purchase date.
Furthermore, returns are assessed a $5 restocking fee which will be deducted from the refund amount.
Exchanges are accepted as well.
Here’s a full look of their return and exchange policies:
Learn more about their policies by visiting this page.
Home Try-On Program
Given that Mott & Bow has no physical retail locations, you are understandably limited when trying on their clothes.
However, to account for their lack of a retail presence, they have a Home Try-On program where you can try out another size for free.
The steps to use this program are simple:
We think this is a smart way to help you to get the perfect-sized clothes that you want and ultimately be satisfied with your purchase.
Mott & Bow Discount and Promo Codes
When making purchases online, we have become so accustomed to instantly search for coupon or promo codes immediately before making a purchase…
…and why not? After all, who likes paying full price for anything?
Therefore, in order to make your search a bit easier, we did some of the legwork for you in finding out how you can get clothes from Mott & Bow significantly cheaper.
Promo Codes
While we couldn’t find any ‘hidden pages’ on the Mott & Bow site that provided a list of discount or promo codes, we were able to find that some deal sites that did have a few codes listed.
However, after testing them out in our cart, we found that they very rarely worked – therefore, we would recommend skipping this method.
The Cart Method
Perhaps the most tried and true way to score savings on your Mott & Bow order is through what we call the cart method.
When shopping on their site, sign up for an account (so they have your email address) and then leave the items in your cart for a day or two and watch the savings roll in:
As you can see, after putting a pair of jeans in our cart on 10/28 (which cost about $100 bucks), we were able to get up to $15 off by just being patient for a few days.
It’s a proven and reliable method that will get you the most savings.
Refer A Friend
Now if you just got a pair of Mott & Bow jeans and you really think some of your friends or co-workers would love them, then you will want to learn about their friend referral program.
Based on our research and reviews of countless men’s fashion companies, Mott & Bow provides one of the most generous referral programs out there.
Every time you get one of your friends to buy a pair of jeans from Mott & Bow, you get a pair free for yourself (a $96 store credit).
It’s an extremely liberal policy and one that we would highly recommend passing around to your friends or co-workers after you try on a pair of Mott & Bow jeans for yourself.
You can learn more about their referral program by visiting this page.
Mott & Bow vs. Mugsy vs. Madewell and Others
When looking at quality denim at an affordable price, the options are surprisingly limited. However, after a bit of research, we identified some primary competitors (and perhaps worthy alternatives) to Mott & Bow.
Here’s a brief look at a few of them:
Mugsy
Perhaps the one other company that is most closely aligned to Mott & Bow will be Mugsy. Selling ‘ridiculously comfortable’ jeans at an affordable price, Mott & Bow work hard to keep the price of their jeans down to reasonable levels (typically between the $75 and $125 price points).
Like Mott & Bow, Mugsy was founded in 2013 and is quickly making its name known among men. Their product catalog is quickly expanding, but at the time of publication, they largely specialized in jeans, chinos, and shorts.
Mugsy has started to test the water in physical retail locations and has opened its flagship store in Chicago, IL (located on the Magnificent Mile).
You can learn more about Mugsy by checking out their site.
Madewell
Founded in 2006, Madewell is a subsidiary of J. Crew. Primarily known for their wide range of women’s clothes, they have since expanded into a large offering of men’s clothing lines as well.
Like Mott & Bow, Madewell largely specializes in their denim by offering a variety of fits (skinny, slim, athletic slim, and straight). Perhaps the biggest difference between these two companies are the fabric they rely on when making the jeans.
As an example, when looking at the Madewell Skinny Everyday Flex Jeans, we found that the composition of the jeans included rayon, cotton, polyester, and elastane; these are fundamentally different from other jeans available.
While we aren’t saying that there is anything wrong with the inclusion of synthetic fibers woven into the material, we are stating that the denim will feel and perform differently.
With stores dotted across the entire U.S., their retail presence is massive.
You can learn more about Madewell by checking out their men’s site.
Buck Mason
Founded in 2013 and based out of Los Angeles, Buck Mason offers up a wide product catalog that includes tees, Henley’s, shirts, sweaters, pants, jeans, and more.
With the tagline ‘Timeless Design. Unwavering Quality’, they stay true to their American classic ethos.
While we won’t dive into their non-competing areas when it comes to Mott & Bow, their denim offering is comparable.
Set at an affordable price point (most jeans at Buck Mason cost between $105 and $135), their jeans are designed with a quality blend of materials and come in a variety of different fits and washes.
Buck Mason jeans are made in the USA from imported materials.
You can learn more about Buck Mason here.
Everlane
While we talked at great lengths about their Air Crew Tee in our full review of Everlane here, like Mott & Bow, they are hard at work in delivering quality clothes at an affordable price point.
With radical transparency on their entire supply chain, they are redefining what it means to be a fashion company today.
With much of their denim jeans costing less than $75, they are also incredibly affordable. Typically, with such a low price point, you would expect several compromises around fit, size available, and general comfort. However, when looking at the Performance Jean, for example, you will see that it comes in three different colors and fits along with a multitude of sizes. For materials, these jeans rely on a blend of cotton, polyester, and elastane (which was like the Mosco jeans reviewed above).
Over the past few years, Everlane has begun to expand into physical retail locations and now has stores in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Brooklyn.
You can learn more about Everlane here.
Final Thoughts on Mott & Bow
When you look at the quality that Mott & Bow delivers along with its rich history in denim manufacturing, its easy to see why they are quickly becoming a favorite among the fashion-forward men out there.
They simply know what is necessary in order to make good jeans.
If you were on the fence before coming into this review and are still wondering whether or not you should give Mott & Bow a try – we think they are definitely worth a shot and you won’t be disappointed in the quality of the clothes that will be coming in the mail within a few short days.