L’Estrange London is a luxury men’s fashion brand specializing in modular high-quality clothing. L’Estrange London strives to deliver luxury men’s clothing that elevates and completes their current closet. Fashion from L’Estrange London features wardrobe staples that are designed to simplify the modern man’s capsule wardrobe.
L’Estrange London was founded by William Green and Tom Horne in 2013. The company is based out of London, England with largely European factories sourcing and making their garments. L’Estrange’s main mission is to create versatile fashion for men who value a minimalist style. L’Estrange focuses on pieces that will last for years and never go out of fashion to achieve their mission. Clothing by L’Estrange is designed to fit into a capsule wardrobe, which is a collection of staple pieces to mix and match for most day-to-day and year-round activities.
L’Estrange products are suitable additions to a capsule wardrobe because they’re easy to dress down or dress up for different occasions and are made of high-quality materials. The minimalist pieces function as casual, street, office, and even formal wear.
L’Estrange has their fair share of pros and cons. For example, the brand provides a one-year warranty policy and focuses on sustainable sources for their garments. However, the company features a largely neutral color palette and a high price tag.
Clothing by L’Estrange London is ideal for any man who enjoys minimalistic staples that have a long-lasting place in their wardrobe. Below, we review the 24 Trouser, the Tailored Tee, the Overshirt, the All Day Oxford, and the Easy Zip Sweatshirt by L’Estrange. We go over each item’s design, quality, and place in a capsule wardrobe, and review brands similar to L’Estrange London to help you make smart fashion choices.
What is L’Estrange London?
L’Estrange London is a fashion brand that focuses on versatile fashion and minimalist style for men. The L’Estrange brand bases operations out of London, England where they produce high-quality staples such as trousers, blazers, hoodies, and shirts. L’Estrange’s minimalist approach allows for two major benefits. Firstly, the luxury brand’s minimalism delivers a seasonless line of clothing that is suitable for most day-to-day, year-round activities. For example, men can comfortably wear a L’Estrange item as streetwear, office wear, formal wear, or casual attire. Secondly, the classic designs and toned-down style elements allow the designers to focus on high-quality, sustainable products that will last decades. The fashion company stands to help men create a capsule wardrobe that boosts the longevity of their purchases without sacrificing taste or sophistication.
Who are the founders of L’Estrange London?
The founders of L’Estrange London are William Green and Tom Horne. William Green and Tom Horne met while at university in Scotland and concocted the idea of creating a fashion brand together. L’Estrange London got started when Green and Horne began to reimagine hoodies, a common staple they felt was treated as too casual for most settings. Green and Horne went on to produce a higher quality, more visually tailored version of the hoodie. The hoodie, or simply called the Hood, now holds a stable place in capsule wardrobes due to its design and flexibility as daily wear. Green and Horne have since chosen to reimagine other male wardrobe staples, which led them to establish the L’Estrange brand in 2013.
What is the mission of L’Estrange London?
The mission of L’Estrange London is to create simple yet versatile and durable clothing for men. L’Estrange’s mission adds emphasis to using high-quality materials and minimalist style. High-quality minimalism is key to seasonless fashion because the produced items are simple enough to be worn every day, yet they remain stylish and made of high-end materials so that you can dress up the items for a more formal environment. Minimalism and high quality materials help facilitate a capsule wardrobe because the items are unlikely to go out of style or degrade quickly.
L’Estrange strives to achieve their mission by reducing the environmental cost of their garments. For example, the founders Green and Horne exemplify how they want to both lessen the environmental impact of and extend the life cycle of fashion products. Shopping with L’Estrange London allows buyers to have better items in their closets while limiting their rate of consumption and their contribution to the highly pollutant fast fashion industry.
Where are L’Estrange London clothes made?
L’Estrange London clothes are made in Portugal, Japan, and China. The brand’s main operations take place in London, England. Meanwhile, European factories produce much of L’Estrange’s garments and fabrics with the brand emphasizing renewable and recyclable materials. For example, the L’Estrange Tailored Tee is made of 100% organic cotton from Portugal, the same country where the garment is finished. L’Estrange occasionally outsources to other countries. For example, the AeroTech 24 Trouser, which consists of recycled nylon, is produced in China and finished in Nomi, Japan.
Who is L’Estrange London for?
L’Estrange London is for men who enjoy a minimalist style and want to build a capsule wardrobe that lasts. L’Estrange strives to create designs that have a permanent space in their customer’s closets. To ensure that their clothing withstands the test of time, the brand prioritizes simplified, contemporary, and minimalistic designs that are easy to dress up or dress down for most occasions. Additionally, L’Estrange is ideal for men who want to reduce their carbon footprint. L’Estrange uses high-quality organic fabrics and recycled synthetics in all of their designs. The designs are not trendy, but you’re free to use L’Estrange products regularly without worrying about a quick decline in quality. That said, L’Estrange is a luxury brand, and are consequently inaccessible to many consumers looking for sustainable clothes at a reasonable rate.
What is a capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe is a collection of staple clothing items you use to create different outfits. Seasonless items, such as the clothing from L’Estrange London, are the primary style of clothing included in capsule wardrobes. There are two main benefits to building a capsule wardrobe. Firstly, capsule wardrobes save you time, money, and promote a cleaner environment. Capsule clothing pieces are intentionally made to reduce how often you replace your clothes. Capsule clothing saves more money and produces less waste from pollutants, or low-quality fast fashion products. Secondly, capsule wardrobes are versatile and are meant to be worn with with a variety of fashion options. For example, capsule wardrobes like L’Estrange London feature minimalist style and a neutral color palette that customers dress up or down for daily and formal wear. The most significant downside of a capsule wardrobe is that capsule wardrobes are limited by definition. Neutral tones, downplayed details, and minimalistic designs restrict self-expression and experimentation for those with more vivacious tastes. A contributing disadvantage is that a capsule wardrobe won’t meet every setting, such as highly formal circumstances or outdoor activities that require specialized gear. However, capsule wardrobes are for anyone who wants to limit their consumption and build a closet of pieces they truly love. You build a capsule wardrobe by selecting versatile, seasonless pieces made from high-quality materials that will outlast fast fashion trends. A standard versatile wardrobe includes a single pair of items such as jeans, trousers, casual shoes, formal shoes, cotton T-shirts, button-downs, and a coat or blazer. Aim for items you use regularly and are comfortable to wear as casual, office, or streetwear.
L’Estrange London product reviews
The following five L’Estrange London products showcase the building quality, material, fit, and feel of the items that fit into a capsule wardrobe.
- L’Estrange London 24 Trouser: The L’Estrange London 24 Trouser are a durable and flexible daily wear pants option that comes in cotton, linen, or recycled nylon.
- L’Estrange London Tailored Tee: L’Estrange London Tailored Tee is a 100% organic cotton tee that exemplifies the company’s focus on sustainable products that look and feel good to wear.
- L’Estrange London Overshirt: L’Estrange London Overshirt is a minimalist lightweight jacket suitable for most modern men’s closets.
- L’Estrange London All Day Oxford: L’Estrange London All Day Oxford is a lightweight take on a traditional Oxford shirt, making the All Day Oxford suitable for casual, office, or formal occasions.
- Easy Zip Sweatshirt by L’Estrange: Easy Zip Sweatshirt by L’Estrange is a cozy closet staple that will keep you warm with double cotton layering.
Below, we review five L’Estrange London products to establish which clothing items are right for you.
L’Estrange London 24 Trouser
The L’Estrange London 24 Trouser is a line of men’s pants that captures the brand’s mission of simple yet versatile clothing. We took a look at the synthetic AeroTech 24 Trouser, L’Estrange London’s timeless wardrobe staple that’s available in recycled nylon and elastane. AeroTech’s design is clean and simplistic, providing a polished look without sacrificing comfort. The pants are limited to one color—navy—and black belt hoops. However, the trousers fit into most contemporary men’s fashion due to their slim cut and generous freedom of movement. You could reasonably do light exercises like yoga or biking in the 24 Trouser thanks to the airiness of the material. The 24 Trouser feels soft to the touch, which further demonstrats the quality of the fabric. Meanwhile, the legs feature easily adjustable length and provide extra fabric hidden at the hem if you need more or less length. We found the L’Estrange London 24 Trouser’s build quality to be durable and high-end because of the trouser’s nylon and elastane materials. L’Estrange utilizes crease-resistant, recycled Japanese nylon with a quick-drying finish. The AeroTech is an ideal item for a capsule wardrobe because it’s built to last and will hold up against daily wear. We wish it came in other colors, had belt hoops, and a larger back pocket, but those caveats pale in comparison to the overall quality of the material and how comfortable it is to commute in, especially on busy days. Additionally, the AeroTech 25 Trouser’s navy color is easy to style which is key to a capsule wardrobe.
L’Estrange London Tailored Tee
The L’Estrange London Tailored Tee is an example of the brand’s emphasis on sustainable European production. The tee is made of 100% organic cotton from Portugal where the fabric is finished. The tee’s minimalist style features split sides on the bottom hem and a stylish black pleat reminiscent of a dress shirt. The Tailored Tee is available in standard colors, such as white, black, and charcoal, with some welcomed additions such as light blue, midnight navy, and petrol navy. The expanded color palettes and back pleat achieve a more elevated, professional element we don’t typically see in T-shirts. The tee’s organic cotton is lightweight but far from threadbare as it sits comfortably on the skin. An additional benefit of the fit and build design is that it’s breathable and slimming because of its length. However, the tee is likely to sit snugly around the chest for men with wide chests or backs due to L’Estrange’s silhouette. We advise you to study the size guide closely before purchasing. The L’Estrange London Tailored Tee is a great addition to a capsule wardrobe if sizing doesn’t turn out to be an issue for you. We argue that the Tailored Tee is even a quintessential staple because of its elevated design and adaptability as casual or office wear. The tee’s palette shifts away from the typical white, black, and gray selection you see in staple products allowing you to add more color to your outfits.
L’Estrange London Overshirt
The L’Estrange London Overshirt is a minimalistic hybrid of a shirt and jacket. L’Estrange has two overshirts available, the cotton 24 Overshirt and the recycled nylon AeroTech 24 Overshirt. Both overshirts feature similar minimalist style elements, including a breast pocket, hidden side pockets, metal snap buttons, and loosely cuffed sleeves. The most significant difference between the two overshirts is their fabric and color palette. We prefer the cotton 24 Overshirt because it has a more diverse color palette featuring black, dark beige, dark khaki, navy, and slate gray, while the AeroTech 24 Overshirt is limited to navy. The sizing, material, and overall build quality of the overshirts make them a good addition to a capsule wardrobe as a lightweight jacket. The build quality of the overshirts is high-end and will keep you warm during the cooler seasons. The AeroTech Overshirt is made of 90% recycled nylon and 10% elastane, which provides a high level of stretch, durability, and waterproofness. Meanwhile, the cotton L’Estrange London Overshirt features organic Italian cotton and a 3% elastane content. Both overshirt materials feel great, but the cotton and elastane blend is soft yet comfortably weighty.
It’s important to note that the respective sizing is slimming. The frame is less of an issue than it might be with the Tailored Tee because they’re overshirts, but you’ll have the flexibility to choose between your regular size or size up for a bulkier look.
L’Estrange London All Day Oxford
The L’Estrange London All Day Oxford is a button-up men’s shirt suitable for daily wear. L’Estrange achieves an everyday button-up by creating a shirt that’s lighter than a standard Oxford shirt. Most Oxfords are made of thicker material, whereas run-of-the-mill formal shirts are thin. L’Estrange strikes a balance by combining the clean, minimalist style of Oxfords with the lightweight but durable fabric of organic Italian cotton. Our primary issue with the All Day Oxford from L’’Estrange London is that we’d like to see more colors. Light blue, chambray, white, and navy limit styling options, which is a disadvantage of modular fashion if the colors don’t match your personal palette. However, we like the comfort of the design, fit, and materials. The added 2% elastane stretch helps the garment move and breathe so its slim fit and basket-weave fabric doesn’t feel as restricting as standard true-to-size linen or cotton dress shirts might. We believe that the All Day Oxford is a charming piece for anyone wanting to create a more elegant capsule wardrobe. Oxford shirts are an elevated type of formal shirt and it’s easy to view them as a specialty item you reserve for special occasions. However, the lightweight design and feel of the All Day Oxford mean it’s breathable and simple enough for casual wear.
L’Estrange Easy Zip Sweatshirt
The L’Estrange Easy Zip Sweatshirt is a cozy staple for colder seasons. The clean-cut design of the Easy Zip Sweatshirt’s collar and metal zipper reinforce L’Estrange’s preference for minimalism. The sweatshirt’s most significant visual feature is the textured piqué exterior, which lets the design fly under the radar. The stand out feature of the Easy Zip Sweatshirt is the refined build quality and luxurious warmth of the sweatshirt’s fabric. You should add the Easy Zip Sweatshirt as an autumnal or winter layering piece for your capsule wardrobe because of its comfortable and durable materials. L’Estrange uses a blend of 2% polyamide and 98% organic jersey cotton for the sweatshirt. The cotton in particular comes from a Portuguese factory that excels in jersey garments, and customers gain a double layer of organic cotton that is comfortably snug. The snug fit is far from restricting, but you should size up if you want a looser frame. The black, charcoal, and navy colors of the sweatshirts offer a basic palette to combine other clothing with, making them great layering pieces. Our only regret is that the Easy Zip Sweatshirt lacks pockets, which reduces the garment’s functionality.
What brands are similar to L’Estrange London?
The following five brands are similar to L’Estrange London.
- Everlane: Everlane is an American retailer that focuses on transparent pricing for clothing. The goal of Everlane is to partner with ethical factories and sell clothes that last years, which is similar to L’Estrange. A significant difference between the two is that L’Estrange caters to the European minimalist style and focuses on staple items that function well in a capsule wardrobe. Everlane’s selection is broader but less suitable for a capsule wardrobe as it’s harder to mix and match some of its products for seasonless wear.
- ASKET: ASKET is a Scandinavian label that is similar to L’Estrange London because it focuses on versatile fashion over trends. The company ethos at ASKET is similar to L’Estrange as it discourages overconsumption and unsustainable fabrics. A visual difference to make note of is that ASKET’s hoodies cut closer to a more casual design, whereas L’Estrange Hoods are stylistically elevated for more than street or casual wear. Additional ASKET products feature more casual elements, though ASKET offers a wider selection than L’Estrange.
- Ministry of Supply: The Ministry of Supply is a Boston-based fashion brand that caters to sustainable clothing. Ministry of Supply is similar to L’Estrange as they value minimalist style and reduce the carbon imprint of the fashion industry. Additionally, Ministry of Supply is in a similar price range as L’Estrange. Something that sets the brands apart is L’Estrange London’s focus on European contemporary fashion which is less palpable depending on the stylistic elements you want for your capsule wardrobe.
- Birddogs Pants: Birddogs is a retail brand that gained attention on the American TV Show Shark Tank. Birddogs is similar to L’Estrange because they value versatile men’s trousers that are comfortable and flexible for day-to-day wear. However, Birddog is different because they make men’s pants and shorts with built-in underwear. Another major difference between L’Estrange and Birddogs is that the former pivots towards more refined visuals with organic materials, while Birddogs’ aesthetic is decidedly more casual and laid-back with a greater emphasis on stretchy synthetics.
- Club Monaco: Club Monaco is a Canadian brand specializing in more affordable luxury items. Club Monaco’s similarity to L’Estrange largely surrounds their stance as a luxury brand that provides flexible fashion. However, a major difference between the two is that Club Monaco provides seasonal items, such as causal pieces for spring and summer, or formal pieces for autumn and winter, while L’Estrange pivots towards seasonless items you use all year round depending on your collection. Club Monaco offers a variety of seasonal fashions, which makes building a modular wardrobe more difficult than the foundational clothing options from L’Estrange.
What are the pros of L’Estrange London?
The following four pros of L’Estrange London justify investing in the modular clothing line.
- Seasonless fashion: The minimalist style of L’Estrange’s seasonless fashion allows for a versatile, luxury-orientated capsule wardrobe. Most of the brand’s products fit appropriately into modern men’s fashion no matter the time of year or occasion.
- Sustainability: L’Estrange’s mission prioritizes sustainable, high-end products that will last for years. Items such as the AeroTec 24 Trouser exemplify the brand’s commitment to reducing the environmental cost of their garments by selecting recycled synthetics. Consumers consequently reduce their contribution to the pollutant fashion industry and spend less on clothes that will last for years, if not decades.
- High quality: L’Estrange London takes pride in ensuring that all their items are high quality. Everything from the materials used to the overall build design of the garments places an emphasis on high-end craftsmanship that assures the longevity of each item.
- Warranty policy: L’Estrange provides a one-year warranty on their products. The brand’s policy includes a clause that they will replace or repair defective clothing. The policy is an encouraging sign as customers get the most out of purchases they truly love without losing out on faulty products.
What are the cons of L’Estrange London?
The following four factors are cons of L’Estrange London that are important to consider before you make your purchase.
- Price: L’Estrange London is ultimately a luxury brand and features a high price tag. The brand’s desire for sustainable, day-to-day, and year-round fashion is noble but limits men who want to build a capsule wardrobe at a more affordable price.
- Sizing: L’Estrange London’s sizing is available in XS to XXL, which means men who do not meet this range are excluded. Furthermore, much of L’Estrange’s products are slim fit which will restrict any man with broader or angular body shapes.
- Largely neutral colors: L’Estrange’s choice of a largely neutral color palette is a caveat of most capsule wardrobe-focused, minimalist fashion brands. We’d like to see more colors for every item we reviewed as the primarily navy and black color scheme isn’t palatable to everyone.
- Missing details: The design choices by L’Estrange’s team largely exceeded our expectations, but some items are missing details that would otherwise make them exceptional. For example, the 24 Trouser lacks belt hoops which limits its styling appeal as an office trouser. The Easy Zip Sweatshirt’s lack of pockets is disappointing and inconvenient if you’re trying to store your everyday carry essentials.
Conclusion: Is L’Estrange London any good?
Yes, L’Estrange London is a great brand for men who want to build a luxury capsule wardrobe. The luxury company has an admirable mission promoting versatile fashion that’s both sustainable and high-quality. L’Estrange achieves their core mission by producing timeless closet staples that are suitable for a multitude of occasions, and withstand daily wear and tear. For example, the AeroTch 24 Trouser and All Day Oxford are great additions to anyone building a capsule wardrobe around minimalist style, elevated renditions of basic items, and quality fabrics that last for years and save buyers money. The luxury brand’s high-prices, restricted sizing, limited colors, and missing details are issues to be mindful of, but they do not take away from the overall value of L’Estrange London or the company’s designs.