Mott & Bow Women’s Jeans Review: Is This Online Denim Brand Legit?

I’ve always had trouble shopping for jeans. And I’ve always been looking for a way to make it easier.

For three years now, I’ve been wearing Mott & Bow jeans, almost exclusively. I tried a bunch of styles, got an array of washes and colors and something just clicked and worked.

In this review, I’ll tell you all about my experience with this online brand, if it’s legit (spoiler: you can probably guess what I’ll say) and I’ll review my favorite styles.

There’s a lot to know about Mott & Bow if you want to get into their great denim and everyday essential tees for women, so let’s get into it.

What is Mott & Bow?

I had never heard of Mott & Bow, until around three years ago. The world of online shopping and jeans brand is overwhelming to me, and I don’t like the feeling of trying on jeans, seeing they don’t fit, and having to wait to exchange my size.

So I was really waiting around for the perfect denim company, and I found Mott & Bow.

The story goes that I actually only tried one pair of jeans at first: the Slim Straight Laight, in Dark Blue, size 25. I put them on, and could not believe that they were perfect, especially because I run petite (and I’ll detail fit later).

Mott & Bow only sells jeans online. There are no brick and mortar stores, and the only place to get Mott & Bow jeans and tees is through their website. That’s pretty standard these days. You also have to do all returns online via the website and ship them back. Standard again.

What I like about Mott & Bow is timeless styles and easy choices of basics. I wear basics just again and again. On the weekend, I’ll be wearing Mott & Bow denim jeans and a solid-colored Mott & Bow tee from my closet. It’s just the easiest way to get dressed, and stay timeless.

If you’re ready to find out more about Mott & Bow, this review will tell you everything: how the jeans fit, how many styles of jeans there are and even how the collection of basic tees have gone for me. I’m ready to be honest about it all, because I have nothing to lose!

Denim jeans for women

I can’t believe how much I have to say about Mott & Bow’s women’s jeans. Let’s start with some info you need.

What to know first BEFORE shopping (fit and style explainer)

I’m going to start off with the most important thing to know about Mott & Bow denim jeans for women, because that’s in the fits. There are four (and there’s a helpful “Which Fit Am I?” guide)

• Slim Straight
• Mom Jean
• Mid-Rise Skinny
• High-Rise Skinny

It took me a while to figure out that some of the “named styles” come in two fits, as I’ll call them.

For example, the “Ridge jeans” (which refers to the exact denim weight and level of stretch) comes in a “Mom jean” style (high waist and hugs the hips) and a “Slim Straight” style (straight leg and mid rise). They’re both the Ridge style because they’re a “medium weight” denim type, with a 23% stretch factor coming from the fabric composition with elastane.

In the same way, I’ll tell you about the jeans I lived in last year: the Orchard jeans. They come in both Mid-Rise Skinny and High-Rise Skinny. I tried both and I own both. The High-Rise is slightly better for wearing with cropped shirts, and I like to wear the Mid-Rise with sweaters.

You can access both “rise” types on the same product page, by toggling back and forth between Mid- and High-Rise. (see below)

My opinion on Mott & Bow jean fit options

I mentioned above that I started out, nearly by accident, with Mott & Bow’s “Slim Straight” fit jeans for women. The first time I wore them was with my Fitted Marcy Crew Neck Tee and a cardigan, on a day I had to go into the office. I found the most flattering thing to do was to do a thick cuff at the ankles, and that became my favorite way to wear them.

Then I tried the Mott & Bow Skinny fit jeans. After all, they’re good default jeans to have around for wearing with boots in fall and winter, and they also make great travel jeans because of the stretch factor in a lot of them. I immediately liked the High-Rise Jane jeans, as a high-rise option.

For nights out, I got the Skinny Bond Jeans in Black, and the Skinny Orchard Jeans in Dark Gray (both in mid-rise and high-rise, for variety). The fit just kept being perfect for me, even though the inseam is 28” by default unless you opt for 30” inseams.

Moving on, with the trends changing and as I tried to open up my mind to the more vintage look, I fell in love with the Mom Jeans from Mott & Bow. I got them first in two light vintage wash colors, namely the Hubert Mom Jeans in Light Blue, and then I got a gray and black pair in the Mom Jean Allen.

Overall, it’s me who keeps changing sizes, so with my collection of Mott & Bow jeans, I usually find something to flatter my figure in any given month.

Next, I’ll get into the styles in detail.

Slim Straight Jeans

What I got:

• Slim Straight Laight
• Slim Straight Charlton
• Slim Straight Allen

In being totally honest with you, I got the Slim Straight Ridge in size 25 back when I first learned about Mott & Bow. They had this great fit for me, I loved the denim wash and the slight stretch, and then one month I realized they were too small.

I had changed size: we all do, we’re human. And I decided to try some new Slim Straight styles in the next size, which was 26 waist with a 28” inseam. But as the story goes, the Slim Straight Charlton and Slim Straight Allen jeans I chose never fit with the same flattery.

I think I was in between sizes for this style. So, I had to move on and try something new.

Also, take note: if you were familiar with Mott & Bow a few years ago before they renamed and rebranded these jeans, they were formerly the “Boyfriend Jeans.”

Skinny jeans

What I got:

• High-Rise Skinny Jane
• Mid-Rise Skinny Orchard
• High-Rise Skinny Bond

That’s where Mott & Bow’s skinny jeans comes in. I was excited to try them, and once I knew they fit, I got them for wearing all fall, winter and spring.

Like I said before, they’re great for nights out. I wear them with boots, or booties. I know they’ll always look chic with sweaters, or blouses, and there’s the option to tuck in my top because they’re high- and mid-rise. The stretch factor on all of these is good for travel: I can move my tired legs or be walking around for a day.

Because there are SO many versions of the Mott & Bow skinny jeans, I recommend looking at the exact “Denim weight” mentioned on the website, as well as the “stretch factor.” For me, the Bond Jeans are “medium weight” denim and have a 43% stretch factor! I can really feel that difference when I compare them to the High-Rise Jane, which are a “heavy weight” denim and have a 35% stretch factor (slightly less).

Mom jeans

What I got:

• Mom Allen Jeans
• Mom Charlton Jeans
• Mom Hubert Jeans

I think these are secretly my favorite Mott & Bow jeans at the moment, because I even got compliments on them the other month, from a friend whose fashion opinion I really respect!

I got into the Mom jeans because I wanted a more relaxed option in my wardrobe, and wanted to join the high-waisted denim trend that reminded me of vintage jeans in the 90s. That is exactly what I got. I even changed sizes (backwards, this time) from when I got my first Mom jeans, so I ordered my favorites again in the size down.

I think these are the most fashion-forward Mott & Bow jeans, and you can probably tell that I am gushing over how they fit me and how they feel. I like to wear them with cropped tees, like my Mott & Bow Boxy Tees, and the combo is just perfect.

Here is a photo of me wearing my Mom Jeans on our trip to Mexico City. They were the only jeans I brought, because I knew they’d be versatile and perform well.

Women’s basic tees

I was happy to find the assortment of tees for women from Mott & Bow. They keep coming out with more styles and fabric types, so I’m glad to stay in tune with what’s available.

What to know before you shop

Mott & Bow has expanded the selection of basic everyday tees for women a lot, since I first got to know the brand. I started with the Marcy tees, and then I was excited to see tees like the Cotton Boxy tees and the newest pima cotton deep V-neck cropped tees.

Overall, what you should know off the bat is that the tees come basically in 3 categories:

• Marcy, a Pima cotton-Modal blend
• Cotton Tees like the Boxy Crew Tee
• Cotton slub tees (great for summer)

From these, there are sub-types, like the long-sleeve Marcy, the short-sleeve crew Marcy, short-sleeve V-neck Marcy and now, a “Cropped Fitted” Marcy.

For the cotton tees, my favorite is the Cotton Boxy Crew. But, the Cotton Boxy Deep V-Neck is growing on me. The Cotton Boxy Pocket Crew is what I’m trying this month. Another new launch is the Cotton Relaxed V-Neck, which I like for a looser fit.

Then there’s slub cotton, a summer favorite of mine. I wore the Cotton Slub Tee and Cotton Slub Tank nonstop when they first came out. They also were my default travel tees, for being relaxed, breathable, lightweight and just plain comfy.

The fits

There are a few fits to note, if you read the above. The “fitted” tees mean that they hit regular traditional length, like at your waist or below. Think of it like a shirt to wear with a cardigan, to work.

Anything labeled “Cropped” is more for wearing with high-waisted jeans and looking cute. I tend to wear my cropped tees from Mott & Bow with high-waisted shorts, high-waisted skirts or high-waisted jeans. I’ll wear a jean jacket over them, and voila: my favorite outfit of all time.

And the colors?

You’ll find if you are perusing Mott & Bow’s tees that the colors vary widely. For example, the Cotton Boxy Crew only comes in black and white! It’s a true basic. I have it in both. I wear the black one a lot more often than the white one, just because I feel like I’m always getting coffee drips on everything.

Then for a staple like the Fitted Marcy V-Neck, there are lots of colors, and more colors being debuted all the time, like Lilac and Rosemary. I am pretty sure both Marcy short-sleeve tees come in around 17 colors, so there is one for at least every day of the week, and seasonal specials.

Materials

Here’s where I want to be frank about the Marcy fabric: I’m a little scared of modal. The first time I washed my Marcy Fitted Crew Tee, I might’ve put it in the dryer by mistake and it came out with a little hole in the fabric. I think that is my lesson learned, despite that M&B’s website says they can be “tumble dried on low.”

I tend to ONLY hang them to dry on my drying rack.

For the cotton tees though, like the Slub Cotton and the Cotton Boxy tees (which are 100% cotton), I run them through the dryer. I expected a slight shrink, and that is exactly what I got.

For the newer Mott & Bow tees that come in Pima cotton jersey like the Cotton Boxy Deep V-Neck Boxy, I find this to be thinner and more delicate. I hesitate before throwing a shirt like this in the dryer. So, I also hang it to dry flat on my rack.

Main thoughts on Mott & Bow’s basic tees

I happen to really like Mott & Bow’s basic tees, and if you’ve read Dan’s Mott & Bow men’s review, you’ll know that Mott & Bow’s crew neck tees for men are literally the #1 thing in his closet.

I like having a lot of Mott & Bow solid basic tees to choose from. It makes getting dressed easy, and isn’t that what we all want? I think right now if you asked my favorite, I’d still say the Cotton Boxy Crew, but I’m looking forward to trying the Pocket crew when it comes in the mail soon.

One tip from me is to BUNDLE! A great way to save on Mott & Bow is to take advantage of getting a 2-pack or 3-pack of the tees for sure. You can save up to 16% by getting 3 at a time, or even up to 25% by getting a 9-pack so that you never have to worry about shopping again.

Mott & Bow for petites

This section applies only to petite people who tend to wear petite sizes. You may be wondering if Mott & Bow is good for petites. If you have read my other petite reviews like Quince for petites and Nike for petites, you’ll know I am an honest judge of that!

I think what I’ve found with Mott & Bow is that the best and most flattering items for me have been:

• Slim Straight Jeans, cuffed at the bottom
• Mom Jeans, cuffed at the bottom
• Skinny Jeans, with 28” inseam
• Fitted Marcy Tees (great fit the first time, somehow!)
• Cotton Boxy Tees in cropped styles

Surprisingly, wearing Mott & Bow for the last three years has kind of made me forget about petite shopping, which I used to focus on, trying to get to know all the petite brands and shopping specifically for petite jeans.

But with my fixation on the Mom jeans, and just cuffing them at the bottom for a cute look, I forgot all about that. The main jeans and tees I wear are from Mott & Bow, and I haven’t gotten any taller!

Mott & Bow Cashmere sweaters

I wrote an entire review about the cashmere sweater collection for women! Check out all you’ll want to know before shopping, at my Mott & Bow cashmere sweater review.

More ways to save on Mott & Bow

First off, use our exclusive discount code, with details here:

Then, additionally check out the new Bundle & Save options like getting a pair of jeans with a Marcy tee, and choose from 3 styles of jeans in all available sizes and colors, plus one tee, to get 10% off + free shipping on the order.

You can see all the Bundle & Save sets here.

Is Mott & Bow legit?

If you read the whole review you can probably gather that yes: this brand is legit and most days of the week you can find BOTH me and Dan wearing their clothes!

An FYI: Mott & Bow exchange and return policy

I recommend visiting the Mott & Bow Exchanges & Returns page to learn about what will happen if you order two sizes and want to return one. In summary, you have 30 days to return an order and all refunds are given as a store credit (which does not expire). Shipping costs can’t be refunded.

Mott & Bow uses Happy Returns for exchanges. I’ve used this returns company with other products like from Public Rec, and it’s been convenient because there are a few ways to send back a product that doesn’t fit.

I recommend running through the policies so that none are a surprise, as Mott & Bow is an online-only retailer, and there aren’t any in-person stores for trying on their jeans, sweaters and shirts.

I also recommend visiting the returns page to get briefed on US vs. non-US orders. If you have any questions, head to the Mott & Bow Help page.

Mott & Bow has provided me with all the products mentioned in this review as gifts; all opinions and thoughts in this review are genuinely mine based on my experience with the brand and this review is not sponsored.