Here is your extensive resource to save countless hours searching through different brands for your next wardrobe purchase.
We know how difficult and time consuming it can be to find just the right apparel item online, in addition to all the question marks for the myriad of unknown brands. How long will the piece last? Is it worth the price? Can I find a better deal? This is made all the more difficult when you only have pictures and descriptions (and maybe some reviews) to rely on.
Luckily, we can pass on our experience. Over many years, we have scoured the internet for the best value, quality, and reputation of brands for every aspect of a gentleman’s wardrobe. There are a lot of great brands out there making excellent products, you just have to know where to look.
Below we list the best brands for each menswear item, generally from least expensive to most expensive. While we have personal experience with many of these brands, we’ve included some that we don’t own but have a good reputation from sources we trust.
Full disclosure, some of these brands include affiliate links, for which we may receive a commission for a purchase without it affecting the final price of the item. We also include many brands for which we do not receive a commission, as our main goal is to pass along the best options available.
Shoes
1 of each of the 5 types of shoes – Black oxfords, brown oxfords, casual boots, loafers, white sneakers… you should own one pair of each of these 5 styles.
- Dress shoes: Beckett Simonon, Spier and Mackay, Meermin, Allen Edmonds
- Casual boots: Golden Fox, Clark’s Desert Boots, Rhodes, Astorflex, Blundstone, Red Wing, Allen Edmonds
- Loafers: Jack Erwin, Beckett Simonon, Rancourt, Quoddy
- White sneakers: Vans, Adidas Stan Smith, Nike Killshot, Beckett Simonon
Chinos
Check out our post on the best chino colors for a more extensive review.
Uniqlo (food for the price, although colors can fade fast), Gap, J. Crew, Everlane, Banana Republic (Core Temp Chinos), Mott & Bow, Bonobos
Jeans
Levi’s, Everlane, Mott & Bow, Gustin, Raleigh Denim
Dress slacks
Land’s End, Spier and Mackay, Bonobos, Brooks Brothers
Suits
Check out this article for the priority list of suit colors you should own. You should at least have one (preferably in navy or charcoal grey) in your closet in case you need it.
- Off the rack: Spier and Mackay, Suitsupply, Brooks Brothers, Kent Wang (if you’re spending more than these top options, you should try to go bespoke, even beyond the online made to measure brands below)
- Made to measure: Indochino, Black Lapel, Proper Cloth, your local bespoke suit maker
Sport Coats
Refer to the best 4 sport coat colors, you should at least have a navy one. Add more according to how often you dress up.
Spier and Mackay, J. Crew, Bonobos, Suit Supply, Club Monaco, Brooks Brothers
Shorts
Target (Goodfellow brand), J. Crew (tech chinos), Bonobos, Rhone
Joggers
Uniqlo, Amazon Essentials, Adidas, Nike, Everlane, Bonobos, Lululemon
T-shirts
H&M, Target (Goodfellow brand), J. Crew, Everlane, Gustin, 45, Proof, Icebreaker
Polo shirts
Check out this article for a more in-depth breakdown of the best options.
J. Crew (cotton slub), Banana Republic (luxury touch), Spier and Mackay, Bonobos (jetsetter performance), Kent Wang (personal favorite), Lacoste, Rhone (performance polo)
Casual button downs
Uniqlo (surprisingly good), Nordstrom (house brand), J. Crew, Spier and Mackay, Bonobos
Oxford-collar button downs (OCBDs)
Land’s End (sail rigger), J. Crew, Spier and Mackay, Kamakura, Proper Cloth, Brooks Brothers
Flannels
Uniqlo, Land’s End, L.L. Bean, Woolrich, Patagonia, Pendleton, Filson
Dress shirts
Uniqlo, Charles Tyrwhitt, Spier and Mackay, Brooks Brothers, Ledbury, Proper Cloth, made to measure (find a tailor in your area)
Sweatshirts
Target (Goodfellow), Hanes, Champion, Uniqlo, Carhartt, Everlane, J. Crew
Sweaters
Uniqlo (merino sweaters, thin but great for layering), L.L. Bean, Banana Republic, Everlane, Woolovers, Bonobos, J. Press
Casual jackets
- Chore coat: Carhartt, L.C. King, Alaskan Hard Gear, Gustin, Patagonia, Apolis
- Bomber jacket: Abercrombie, GAP, Alpha Industries, Schott
- Field jacket: Levis, Flint and Tinder, Gustin, Buck Mason, Barbour, Apolis
- Quilted/puffer/down jacket: Uniqlo, REI Co-op, Patagonia, The North Face, Arc’teryx, Canada Goose
- Shirt jacket: Amazon (Goodthreads), Everlane, J. Crew, Bonobos, Patagonia, Todd Snyder
- Trucker jacket: Levis, GAP, Flint and Tinder, Gustin, Taylor Stitch,
- Vests: Uniqlo, Spier and Mackay, J. Crew, Columbia, Patagonia
Outerwear
- Overcoats: Uniqlo, J. Crew, Spier and Mackay, Suit Supply, Club Monaco, your favorite high end designer (if you have the cash to burn)
- Pea coats: local military surplus, GAP, J. Crew, L.L. Bean, Schott, Billy Reid (Bond Pea Coat)
- Parkas: local military surplus, Uniqlo, Carhartt, Everlane, L.L. Bean, Patagonia, Arc’teryx
Athletic wear
C9, GAP, Fielder, Zella, Adidas, Nike, Rhone
