A reader recently asked why there is a correlation between shorter, tighter styles of clothing and lower prices. Why are all the styles we like from more expensive brands? It makes it vry hard for someone on a lower income to get into more classic dressing.
There are a few related reasons, I think, but the main one is that that shorter style still dominates the mainstream, and if you want to offer a cheaper product you often need volume. So you end up catering to that mainstream.
One brand that might be an exception is Buck Mason, the American brand that readers may have seen pop up recently as they’ve begun to work with a few people we know – Bryceland’s, Fox Brothers, J Mueser, as well as appearing in magazines like L’Etiquette.
They’re a large brand by the standards of PS, with over 30 stores around the US, but also have some good-value, classically styled menswear. I tried a couple of pieces last year including the Rambler suede trucker jacket (below), which I covered in our Spring/Summer Highlights.
But they have a big range, so when I was in New York I made the time to visit their Flatiron shop (above) and try everything I could.
One thing that makes Buck Mason easy to wear is the color palette. It is deliberately narrow, with almost everything in wearable shades of brown and beige, navy and white. This could seem boring, but it makes it versatile and it leans it more towards the classic.
The size of the range also means they often have multiple fits. So in chinos, for example, there is a slim fit (Maverick) that is a nice take on a mainstream chino, with a mid rather than low rise (11¼ inch on a 32) and a fairly narrow opening. But there’s also a modern take on the traditional officer’s chino – higher rise and wider opening, with all the right details: grown-on waistband, corozo buttons, coin pocket (below).
Where the Japanese brands we cover do a purist version of that American military chino, Buck Mason update it and make it more wearable. And with the Maverick too – it’s not a model I’d wear, but it’s more elegant than slim chinos you find from other American brands around the same price level.
I’ve been trying that version of the officer’s chino – the Service Twill Full Saddle Office Pant, to give it its full name – and have been impressed. It’s washed really well and worn really well.
If money were no object, I’d still rather have my officer’s chino from Rubato, as the make is a touch better and I prefer that Japanese cotton. But I wouldn’t pitch Buck Mason as a competitor to that – rather, it’s something I’d suggest to a reader for whom Rubato (or Bryceland’s, or those Japanese repro brands) are out of their price range, and they’re looking to something like Uniqlo instead.
If you drop all the way down to Uniqlo, you sacrifice a lot in terms of material (as we’ve covered previously on knitwear). I did try their version of the US military chino once, and while it is extremely good value for the price (£35), it’s very clear what you lose. The officer’s chino from Buck Mason sits between at $158 – a price most people can afford, particularly for something that’s a wardrobe staple (as a lot of Buck Mason products can be).
I also think the styling of the Buck Mason range puts it above other mainstream American brands like J Crew, Sid Mashburn or Todd Snyder, while it’s better value than Polo options I’ve tried.
Other things I liked included the swim shorts, which are simply styled and have a good range of colours (I’ve written before about how there should be more swim shorts like this). And the camp shirts – a slightly slimmer fit than others and a nice range of colours and materials.
Neither are extraordinary products – or perhaps, you could say, that special – but they really nail wearable fit and versatile design, at a good quality for the price. This seems to be the kind of thing Buck Mason do well.
Not everything I tried was quite as good. I tried the Tough Knit T-shirt, for example, because I was interested to try something made in the US (Buck Mason own a factory in Pennsylvania, pictured above, only making T-shirts currently). While the style and fit were just as good, the tee did lose shape after a couple of washes; I know the heavier ‘Field Spec’ tee is their most popular one, so maybe I should have tried that.
I also don’t like the design on every product. The collars on the oxford shirts are a little small and apologetic, for example, without much roll. Although the colour selection is still good and some use a nice lightweight tencel/cotton mix (below).
As ever, these kinds of things mean it’s worth going into a store if you can, and for US readers the stores are more accessible than most brands we cover.
Other products I’ve roadtested also continue to do well. The Rambler suede jacket, for example, falls into that category; leather is not an easy thing to do at an affordable price, and $698 is very good for this quality, particularly if you compare it to someone like RRL.
Lucas, who went to one of the LA stores when he was there, has tried a couple of things, including the jeans and the Yukon jacket from their Eddie Bauer collaboration. He wore the latter during this past winter and his reaction was rather like mine to the suede jacket – very good for the price.
I also like the fact that on some of those Bauer products they show images of the garment worn in, rather than new. That shows some pride in the materials and how they wear.
Buck Mason as a company are in a period of transition. They’ve been around for more than a decade, but are just starting to experiment with higher-end products and materials. When I was in the Flatiron store they had just introduced chambray shirts in Kaihara material, and tailoring in Fox Brothers cloth.
In fact you can see this range clearly in the tailoring: they do a well-styled but basic cotton jacket for $398, the same style in Fox Air material for $598, and now a Neapolitan-made model with J Mueser with hand finishing for $1498.
The good news is that, at least according to them, the plan is not to abandon the mid-market staples that are a real strength. They’re a great option for readers that want something a level below brands we normally cover, but still well done.
I’m sure I’ll try more things in the future, and continue to cover how those wash, wear and generally live. I’m looking forward to seeing the collaboration with Bryceland’s (new materials in a few existing styles) and a collaboration with J Press launched this week.
