Mott and Bow Review: High-Quality Denim Without the Luxury Price?

In this hands-on Mott & Bow review, I’ll share my thoughts about this direct-to-consumer apparel brand to help you decide if it’s worth your money.

So, you’re thinking about buying some jeans – and maybe even some shirts – from Mott & Bow, but you’re unsure if the clothes are worth their price tag. In this unsponsored review, I’ll show you how their jeans, chinos and shirts fit on my 5’6″ frame. I’ll also talk about the style, quality, and overall pros and cons of Mott & Bow clothing.

Okay, let’s get into it

Quick Take

Short on time? Here are my thoughts about this brand: Mott & Bow jeans are comfortable and available in a wide variety of washes and fits. However, finding the right pair is challenging due to confusing product naming, inconsistent fit and limited inventory. Shorter inseams aren’t available.

At over $100 per pair, the value proposition is decent but not great. Mott & Bow chinos run very large. Their shirts run large, too and are too long for shorter guys. The Mott & Bow website isn’t the easiest to navigate. I found it slow and somewhat glitchy, and the product naming convention is confusing.

Bottom Line: Give them a shot if you’re curious about this brand. But in my opinion, there are better places to buy men’s jeans, chinos, T-shirts and sweaters.

About Mott & Bow

Mott & Bow was founded in 2014 by Alejandra Chahin, who grew up around his family’s denim manufacturing business in Honduras before moving to New York City. Like many digital-first brands, Mott and Bow sought to eliminate the middleman through vertical integration. Today, Mott & Bow sells a range of men’s and women’s jeans, knit tops, loungewear and accessories.

What to Know Before Ordering

You should know a few things about Mott & Bow before placing your first order. Primarily, you need to know about their return process. If you’re a US customer, Mott & Bow offers refunds for store credit within 30 days of delivery. They do not offer refunds outside of that 30-day window. Additionally, they do not accept returns on final sale items. 

Mott & Bow does offer exchanges for products that don’t fit, but they only offer one-time exchanges. Make sure you read through reviews and peek at their size chart before ordering. 

What I Tried

Here’s what I ordered for this review:

• Skinny Mercer Jeans (Olive, 28×32)
• Skinny Laight Jeans (Light Blue, 28×32) (Discontinued)
• Slim Staple Jeans (Medium Blue, 28×32)
• Twill Chinos (Khaki, 30×30)
• Classic Crew Driggs T-Shirt (Gray, XS)
• Cotton/Wool Liam Sweater (Slate Gray, XS) (Discontinued)

Keep reading for a detailed look at each item.

My Build

To give you an idea of how Mott & Bow clothes will fit you, here are my stats:

I’m 5’6″ with shoes on and about 120 lbs after dinner. I usually wear 28×28 pants (my actual waist is about 29″). My chest is about 34″ around, and I typically wear XS tops. If a “short” option is available (e.g., 34S), I take it.

Men’s Mott and Bow Jeans Review

I’ve tried on several pairs of Mott and Bow men’s jeans, including one I wore for a few years. Let’s take a look at how these jeans fit on me.

Skinny Mercer (Olive, 28×32)

The Mercer style is Mott & Bow’s line of died twill denim (i.e., jeans in non-blue colors). This “skinny” fit isn’t very tight compared to other brands. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it’s something to keep in mind.

These lightweight 10 oz jeans have 2% Elastane for stretch and are pretty soft right out of the box.

I found these to be pretty snug around the hips and in the seat but more of a slim fit through the leg. Since these are only available with a 32″ inseam, I’d have to get them hemmed.

Skinny Laight (Light Blue, 28×32)

The Laight style is mid-weight denim with 2% stretch. I tried a pair in light blue, but only a medium blue was available at the time of this writing.

​​Even though they’re the same size and cut, these felt a bit roomier than the Mercers I tried on.

I like the higher-rise and inky light blue wash, but I wish they came in shorter inseams. I usually wear a 28″ inseam. Lopping 4″ off is doable, but it might also require tapering the leg opening.

*Editor’s Note: As of 2025, Mott & Bow discontinued this style. They now offer a few other straight styles of jeans, including a straight-fit Mercer and the Straight Crosby Jeans. Both of these alternative options come in a slightly shorter 30” inseam.

Slim Staple Men’s Mott & Bow Jeans (Medium Blue, 28×32)

The Staple style is an “Italian denim with Dynamic Stretch.” It has 6% Polyester and 2% Elastane (i.e., lots of stretch). In terms of fit, these are almost identical to Mott & Bow’s skinny jeans, which are the same size. Since my size was only available with a 32″ inseam, I’d also have to get these hemmed.

I don’t mind paying for alterations, but I’d rather not spend the extra money at this price point, especially since there are plenty of places to buy shorter inseam jeans.

Mott & Bow Chinos

At the time of writing, Mott & Bow sells one men’s chinos style: The Everyday Chino. It’s a medium-weight chino that’s supposed to have a “classic slim fit that’s not too tight or too loose.”

The 30×30 (the smallest size they have) is way too loose on me. It feels like a classic-fit pair of Dockers. I could probably get these altered for a better fit, but it would require tapering, hemming and taking in the leg (which adds up).

The fabric feels nice, but given the fact that there are so many great chino options out there, I am returning these Mott & Bow chinos.

*Editor’s Note: As of 2025, the Everyday Chino is now called the Twill Chino Charles. 

Mott and Bow Shirts

While Mott & Bow started out as a denim brand, they’ve expanded into shirts, sweaters and even loungewear. I tried on some of their shirt styles to see how they fit, felt and looked.

Classic Crew Driggs

This is one of Mott & Bow’s crew-neck T-shirts. The brand makes this shirt from 100% Peruvian combed cotton, which feels really soft. The tagless collar is a nice touch (why can’t all brands do this?).

Unfortunately, the XS size was still too big for me. I’d try to shrink it down in the wash, but it’s preshrunk and won’t shrink much, if at all. This tee is substantially longer than an XS from Uniqlo, which is my go-to brand for basic T-shirts.

There are also plenty of T-shirts that are great for shorter guys, so for this Mott and Bow T-shirt review, I can’t really recommend this tee.

Crew Liam Sweater

This is a 70% cotton / 30% wool crew-neck sweater in faded blue. It’s pretty light for a sweater. It would work well on its own or layered over a button-up.

Like the T-shirt, this XS sweater is a bit large on me. It’s slim enough but too long in the body and sleeves.

I liked the style and feel of this sweater, so I put it through a laundry cycle to see if it would shrink up a bit. It does fit better after some shrinkage (not perfect, but definitely good enough). Of course, shrinking wool is risky, so your mileage may vary.

*Editor’s Note: As of 2025, Mott & Bow discontinued the Liam crew sweater. Currently, the brand offers a variety of cashmere sweaters, including a cashmere hoodie, v-neck sweater, and crew neck sweater. You can find a Modest Man review on the crew sweater here.

Mott & Bow Pros & Cons

Now that you know what I have tried and how they fit, let’s look at this brand’s overall pros and cons.

Pro: Nice Style

Mott & Bow clothes look good. They offer a variety of denim washes, all of which work well in a contemporary man’s wardrobe. Their shirts are nice, too. In general, I’m a fan of their fabrics, color palettes and styles.

Pro: Stretch

If you like plenty of stretch in your jeans, Mott & Bow has a lot of options for you. They’ve really leaned into the stretchy denim movement, and some of their jeans have an extreme amount of 4-way stretch.

Pro: No Break-In Period

Given the stretch factor in most of Mott & Bow’s denim, their jeans won’t require much break-in, if any.

Con: Sizing

Mott & Bow sizing is all over the place. I can’t tell the difference between some of their slim and skinny-fit jeans in the same size. Meanwhile, their “slim” chinos are way bigger than their slim jeans, and all their shirts run long. They also don’t offer shorter inseams, meaning shorter guys must pay for hemming.

Con: No Selvedge

At the time of writing, Mott & Bow doesn’t sell selvedge jeans. This would be nice to see, considering the fact that you can get selvedge denim from Uniqlo for $50.

Con: Limited Inventory

Mott & Bow offers many styles of men’s jeans, but when I filter for my size, the options become pretty limited.

Con: Price

Back when Mott & Bow first launched, their jeans were closer to $85, a very competitive price given the quality and styling of their denim.

Nowadays, most of their jeans cost between $99 and $129. At this price, you can start considering brands like Nudie (on sale), Naked & Famous, Unbranded, Todd Snyder, Madewell, etc.

Questions About Mott & Bow

Here are answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about Mott & Bow.

Where Are Mott & Bow Jeans Manufactured?

Mott & Bow makes its jeans in Honduras, its shirts in Peru, and some of its other items in China and other countries.

Who Owns Mott & Bow?

Alejandro Chahin is the founder and CEO of Mott & Bow. You can get more info about their employees and leadership team right here.

How Long Does Mott & Bow Take To Ship?

If you select standard shipping, your Mott & Bow order should arrive in 3-7 business days.

Is Mott & Bow American?

Mott & Bow is based in the United States (New York) and Honduras. They manufacture their products in Central America, South America and China.

Does Mott & Bow Have Sales?

Yes, Mott & Bow has seasonal sales and a perennial Sale Section on their website.

Are Mott and Bow T-Shirts Worth It?

It depends on what you are looking for in a T-shirt. Mott & Bow T-shirts are too long for my frame. They don’t provide a good fit, so it’s not worth it. However, construction-wise, Mott & Bow constructs it well. They make it out of high-end materials, and it’s comfortable and breathable. 

Where to Buy Mott and Bow?

You cannot buy Mott & Bow in-store, and the brand does not have a storefront. You have to make a purchase directly from the website.

Overall Thoughts on Mott & Bow

Should you buy Mott & Bow clothes? Here’s my opinion: There are so many denim brands out there. If you’re willing to spend over $100 on a pair of jeans, you have many great options, including raw selvedge jeans. If you like the way Mott & Bow jeans look, you don’t need a shorter inseam, you don’t want raw selvedge, and you like stretchy denim, you should definitely try on a pair (or three).

Otherwise, I think other brands offer a better shopping experience and will get you more bang for your buck. If you’re a shorter guy, Mott & Bow probably isn’t your best brand. 

*Editor’s Note: Did you know we have other Mott and Bow reviews? You can read the latest review here. Some of the items are the same, like the slim Mercer jeans, but we also sampled new Mott & Bow products.

What do you think of Mott & Bow? Let us know in the comments below. Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest Modest Man content delivered right to your inbox.