In this Ash & Erie review, I'll try on their jeans, shirts and sweaters to see if they're worth your hard earned money.
Ash & Erie is one of a handful of brands that makes clothes for shorter guys.
Based in Detroit, MI and founded in 2015, the brand received some notoriety after getting a deal with Mark Cuban on Season 9 of NBC's Shark Tank back in 2017.
Ash & Erie launched with button up shirts, but they now carry an expanded line of clothes made specifically for short men, including:
- Casual button ups
- Dress shirts
- Jeans
- T-shirts
- Polo shirts
- Henleys
- Sweaters
If you've been following The Modest Man for a while, you may remember seeing Ash & Erie shirts and jeans on the blog a while back.
To give you an updated take on the brand, I decided to try on a few pieces from their current lineup.
I'll show you how everything fits on me so you can decide if you want to try Ash & Erie clothes for yourself.
Here's what I tried on:
- Everyday Shirt, Blue Oxford, XS/Slim
- Quarter Zip Sweater, Charcoal, XS
- Jeans, Midtown Wash, 29×27
- Henley, Heather Charcoal, XS
- V-Neck Tee, Heather Ash Grey, XS
- Daily Polo, Navy, XS
- Chino Pants, Grey, 29×27
Let's look at each item in closer detail…
Ash & Erie Everyday Shirt
This is the brand's original product and one of their best sellers. It's a casual button up that can be worn tucked in or untucked.
This style is available in plenty of different fabrics, but I decided to go with a classic oxford cotton button down (OCBD) in light blue.
I chose an XS in slim fit, their smallest and slimmest size available, and it fits really well.
These shirts have what I would call a “hybrid hem” that can be worn tucked in or untucked.
The chest and stomach are definitely slim. At 125 pounds soaking wet, I wouldn't want to go any slimmer, but I'm very happy with this cut.
The sleeve length is great too. The only thing I would change is the cuffs. They're a bit wide when buttoned, and I think a double button cuff would provide more flexibility (especially for guys with slim wrists).
Otherwise, I have no complaints. The oxford cotton feels sturdy and durable, and I expect this shirt to hold its shape for a long time.
Ash & Erie Sweater
Ash & Erie offers crew neck, v-neck and quarter zip sweaters. I decided to try a quarter zip.
It's cut just a bit fuller than the other tops I tried on, probably because this type of sweater is meant to be worn over another shirt (i.e., you wouldn't wear it on its own).
I'm wearing it here over the OCBD – a timeless layering combo that looks good on pretty much anyone.
Just like the Everyday Shirt and henley, these sleeves are a good length for my arms. Isn't it nice not having to go the tailor for a change?
The ribbed hem offers a little bit of compression around the waist/hips, but it's not so much that the sweater will ride up and produce the dreaded muffin top effect.
My only suggestion for Ash & Erie is to work on offering more colors in the future. I'd love to see this sweater in dark green, burgundy, dark brown and cream.
Ash & Erie Jeans
Next up, let's look at another customer favorite: the jeans.
Ash & Erie only offers one cut right now, a modern slim fit that should work for most guys.
These jeans have 2% stretch built in, and they're available with shorter inseams (as short as 25 inches).
The leg is slim but not skinny, and there is a slight taper from the knee down. The leg opening is slim enough to wear with no break but wide enough to fit over the top of my boots.
The rise is on the lower side, which should be a good thing for most shorter guys.
I'm wearing the Midtown Wash, a faded medium blue color that works well with grey, brown, green and pretty much any other colors hanging in your closet right now.
I like these jeans, and I'd like to see Ash & Erie offer more colors and fits in the future.
Ash & Erie Henley Shirt
As a shorter man, I find that most henley shirts are too long for me. They go down past my fly, and the sleeves are typically 2-4 inches too long for my arms.
As expected, this isn't the case with this Ash & Erie henley.
It fits well in the sleeves and torso, and the slightly curved hem is a nice touch. It's super soft and very comfortable.
I also appreciate the scaled down details, such as the shorter sleeve cuffs and narrow three button placket.
If you have trouble finding henley shirts that aren't too long, you might want to give this one a try.
Ash & Erie T-Shirt
Speaking of casual shirts, Ash & Erie now sells men's t-shirts in both crew and v-neck styles.
I decided to try a v-neck because I find that the “V” is often too deep with traditional brands.
Luckily, this neck line has the right shape and depth for shorter guys.
The sleeve length and overall shirt length are also spot on. Like the henley shirt, this tee has a slightly curved hem.
To me, this is a somewhat slim fit t-shirt. It's definitely not boxy on me, and I'm a pretty slim guy.
Overall, I'm very happy with the way this shirt looks and feels on me.
Ash & Erie Polo Shirt
Of everything I tried on this time around, the polo was the surprise hit. It fits really well:
When a polo fits well, it actually enhances your figure. This is exactly how I like polo shirts to fit.
The shoulders, neck and chest are nice and fitted, and the ribbed sleeves hug my biceps, which tends to make your arms look more muscular.
The length is great for wearing untucked, but you could definitely tuck this polo in. It's slim enough that it wouldn't create a muffin top effect.
The jetted check pocked is a nice little touch too. I've seen this type of detail on brands like Ted Baker in the past.
Again, my only suggestion for Ash & Erie is to add more colors. I usually stick to the basics, but a few more solid colors or subtle patterns would be nice.
Also, I'd love to see a long sleeve version of the polo shirt at some point in the future.
Ash & Erie Chinos
I wanted to mention that I tried their chinos as well. Like the jeans, these are slim fit and have some stretch built in.
But for some reason, size 28 is too snug in the waist and hips, but 29 is too roomy.
I didn't have this problem with the jeans, which is weird because the chinos should have more stretch (3% instead of 2%). It might have to do with the construction or weight of the fabric.
That said, I don't have a hard time finding chinos that fit. I tend to wear chinos cuffed, and many brands make shorter inseam chinos these days, so finding the right length isn't an issue.
For this reason, I probably wouldn't buy my chinos from Ash & Erie, at least not until they come out with a different cut that works better for my build.
My Recommendation
Overall, I'm very happy with almost everything I tried on from Ash & Erie (with the exception of the chinos).
My favorite pieces are the Everyday Shirt, polo and jeans.
If you're a shorter man and are tired of wearing clothes that don't fit or paying to have everything tailored, I think you should give Ash & Erie a try.
Ash & Erie Discount Code
If you're a first time customer, you can use the code MODESTMAN20 for 20% off your first Ash & Erie order. Enjoy!
Have you tried Ash & Erie? Share your review below!
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