Aussie Made Men's Clothing - a dads take
Edit: It's Australian Made week and this is my take. I've removed the inserted hyperlinks for transparency and modified the formatting.
Dad, late 30s here. I rarely bought new clothing since my mid 20s- mostly because I don't like creating waste. I would basically wear my clothes until they disintegrate. I discovered upparel.com.au who recycle clothing at it's end of life. This combined with the thought that I should to dress better for my age lead me down the path of trying to find Aus made clothing. Local, ethical and all that stuff.
One qualification is that I have the affordability to look beyond JayJays etc. Aus made is more expensive, but if you decided to search for it, you probably already understand that supporting a local good quality product is better for everyone. Not everyone has this affordability- I am well aware!
For me, it started with socks and underwear and then I slowly moved my way up through the clothing food chain. It was rough, but here I'll share my top picks and notable mentions so you might find an easier way...
Before I continue, I'm not sponsored to post this stuff. It's just my unfiltered opinion.
Undies and socks
The first problem is that you will likely have to rely on online shopping. Not trying on clothes before buying was a massive leap for me. Socks and undies are the lowest risk purchase as the sizes are simple and the cost is relatively low.
- My pick for undies: bushyunderwear.com - based in VIC. Comfortable, light boxer-briefs made from Tencel (gum tree leaves sourced form plantations- I think).
- Notable mention: Wundies by merinocountry.com.au - based in QLD. Very comfortable Australian merino wool underwear but they are delicate and expensive relative to Bushy.
- Notable mention: evoeaustralia.com - based in WA. Comfortable bamboo made underwear.
For socks, there's already a subreddit guide you can find via google search.
Basic tees, hoodies and more
It wasn't until much later that I had the courage to try more expensive clothing items without trying them but it helped when I discovered one such brand based in my hometown of Melbourne.
- My pick for basics: australianstitch.com.au - based in VIC (they have a physical store in Melbourne). Made with Aus made cotton, reasonably priced and good basic styling and quality. Having a local store to visit helped me make the decision to buy with confidence.
- My pick for something extra: bandsome.com - based in NSW (they have a physical store in Sydney). Made with mostly Japanese cotton (I think), they have a range of cool styles of tees, jumpers and jackets. I have ended up buying a lot from this one because I like the fit and style.
- For men who prefer more mature styling, there's jimmystuart.com - based in NSW (they have a physical store in Sydney). I have. bought a few button up short-sleeved tops and shorts from them but it's not my thing.
Something else
- One specific thing I wanted was a linen long-sleeved top and I eventually found one. citizenwolf.com - based in NSW. They source local materials and have a wide variety of clothing types. They have a thing thing called 'magic fit' where you give your height and weight and they'll calculate your perfect fit. I did this for the linen shirt I wanted and I was skeptical. My skepticism was not unfounded. The shirt arrived a few weeks later with the worst fit I've ever had! Fortunately they do remakes for free and they got it right the second time.
I could go on but I'll leave it there. After all of that adventure, a lot of my wardrobe has been replaced by Aus made. It's a good feeling that I have supported local businesses (and their local supply chains). As long I have the affordability, the clothes are good quality and have a good fit/styling I'll stick with it.
Cheers