This is a review for Ash & Erie (formerly called Ash & Anvil), a clothing brand for shorter men.
I first heard about Ash & Erie back in March 2015 when its founders were running a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo.
If you were following The Modest Man back then, you might remember the YouTube video where I contributed to their Indiegogo campaign.
That was before I got to know the founders or tried on their products, and to be honest, I had no idea if they'd actually get funded and start making clothes.
Well they did get funded, and they launched their first product – the Everyday Shirt – in November 2015.
In this review, I'll talk about the brand and share my thoughts about their shirts.
About Ash & Erie
Ash & Erie is based out of Detroit, Michigan, and it was founded by two men of modest height who were sick of buying oversized, ill-fitting clothes.
Eric Huang (5'8″) and Steven Mazur (5'6″) are regular guys, not style gurus or fashion industry veterans.
They saw an opportunity to create an apparel brand for shorter men that focused on wardrobe staples at affordable price points.
VIDEO: Ash & Erie vs. Peter Manning NYC Jeans
They ran an Indiegogo campaign to jumpstart their business and have since grown to offer jeans, button up shirts and dress shirts.
The Everyday Shirt
It's a casual button up shirt (often called a “button down”) that's designed specifically for shorter guys.
This means it has a shorter body length and sleeve length, as well as scaled down details (smaller placket, collar and cuffs).
These shirts have a modern fit, which means they're just a bit slimmer than “regular fit” button downs. Granted, terms like “slim” and “modern” vary widely from one brand to the next.
A&E shirts are made from pre-shrunk cotton, although I'm not sure where the fabric is from.
Right now, the Ash & Erie Everyday Shirt is available in six different sizes and a variety of colors and patterns.
Ash & Erie Everyday Shirt Review
I actually tried on a prototype of this shirt back in 2015 after Ash & Erie's initial production run.
While the body and sleeve length was good, I thought the shirt was a little too roomy for my relatively thin frame.
After getting feedback on the initial fit and doing a ton of research on button up shirts from popular brands, Steven and Eric tweaked the fit of their Everyday Shirts, and they seem to fit well on certain builds.
For example, here's some feedback from two guys in the Modest Men Facebook group who bought an Ash & Erie shirt:
Here's how the shirts look on me (just under 5'6″ and about 120 lbs):
As you can see, it fits better than most off the rack shirts, but it's not perfect. The length is good for wearing untucked, and it's cut pretty straight through the torso. The shoulders are a touch wide for my build.
The shirt is a bit roomy through the body and sleeves. It's not “baggy” or anything, but I'm a thin guy and prefer a slimmer fit shirt.
I like the color of this shirt. It's a cool, textured grey that works well with lots of stuff I already own.
The hem of this shirt is just slightly rounded – not perfectly straight like a t-shirt or extremely round like a dress shirt. It works for a casual, untucked look.
Ash & Erie also sent me a navy start print shirt and a light blue OCBD (which I wore in the Anson belt review video).
I'm not a huge fan of their prints, but I do like the solid grey and blue options.
My Recommendation
If you think the Ash & Erie Everyday Shirts might be a good fit for you, I think you should give them a shot, especially if you're in the U.S. (since shipping and returns are free).
I also highly recommend checking out Peter Manning NYC, another brand for shorter men that carries a full line of men's clothing, from t-shirts to chinos to suits.
They look great on you Brock. I worry though because they seemed designed, like other shirts for shorter guys, with a long torso in mind. They are the same length as Peter Manning shirts, aren’t they? They end up looking silly on my short torso/long legged body.
Too bad as they look very nice, especially the hem, as you said.
They’re pretty short. The XS is about 26.5 from collar seam to bottom (at the back).
I’m 5′ 6″ with a muscular athletic built at 170 lbs with flat stomach. Peter Manning shirts are too tight at size 4. Do ash and anvil have a size for me? This is my challenge being a bigger, yet fit, shorter man.
I have pretty much the same height/weight. Go with a Medium. Love the shirts. Bought 2 already. The extra room in the torso is good if you have a larger chest (for those of us who love to bench!)
I would not go with medium, the sleeves are much too tight on me at 5’7” and about the same weight. Try a large.3
I guess it depends on the size of your arms. Regardless, you can order both and return which one doesn’t fit. Benefits of free returns!
Definitely give these a shot if you’re more of the muscular/athletic type. I’m 5’6″ around 170lbs and these are absolutely perfect. Wish they had a lighter weight for summer but well worth it nonetheless.
Another site just for us short guys to shop. Thanks for posting this.
John
Very nice review, Brock! I love my Ash & Anvil shirt. It’s perfect in length and I can even tuck it in if I wanted to. For those with longer torsos, this may not be possible. Eric and Steve have excellent customer service and I hope they continue making awesome everyday shirts for many years to come 😉
Great review Brock. I actually just got a shirt of theirs a week ago and I love the fit. Not baggy but not necessarily slim. Perfect for comfort and look. I’m 5’6″ 153 lb and I believe I got an S. Great shirt.
Okay, what about a 5’6” 57 year old, with a bit of a paunch? I twinged when I read you had them tweek it to fit your slim build! What about the rest of us? Thanks! Oh — and can they ship to Norway?
Hi Thomas! We designed our clothes for all shorter guys of all shapes and sizes. Our sizing goes from XS to XXL. Each of our sizes were developed independently to ensure that we have the best fit off the rack.
We also ship to Norway! If you have any more questions, send us an email.
I’m a repeat offender at Ash & Anvil. The shirts are great, the navy star one is my favorite — I get a ton of compliments! I’m 5’4″ 170 body builder, I wear an XL. I’ve even bought a few to give to friends. And as a side note, the customer service is stellar. Always a timely (friendly) response. Can’t wait for more styles!
I’m a beefy short dude at 5’6″, 240ish pounds (46S suit jacket and 40×30 pants, generally). Just got myself the gray shirt from A&A, in XL. I agree with the not baggy but not exactly slim fit. I really appreciate the subtly scaled details (I’ve noticed the collar and placket so far) and shorter length. I generally make do with tucking in too-long shirts that do fit my chest and shoulders, otherwise. I could see myself slowly acquiring more of these. $80/shirt is a bit steep for me to do a spontaneous bulk buy at the moment.
Have been struggling for a lifetime (5’6″ but short rise fit and 27″ inseam). Can hardly wait to get a few pair of pants that actually fit!
Just saw you all on shark tank, love the idea but don’t you think they are price is a little high for a casual shirt. Glad you all got a deal and perhaps the everyday person will be able to afford since now you can lower the price. I’ll be buying several for the wonderful men in my life. Thanks and Best of Luck!!
Ordered a shirt and was dissapointed in the quality and stiching for a $79 dollar shirt. Returning today.