I generally only part with money for beer. But when I do buy men’s fashion I make damn sure it’s decent quality. Welcome to my review of ethical menswear available online. The good, the dishonest, and…

Bogart Man.

With a brand image targeting sophisticated gents with money, I never personally felt too interested in this local label. We all know I’m a complete slob, and any brand employing any amount of glitz in its logo has me instantly switched off ;)

Henry and me being super fabulous

However my uncle Henry and I recently passed a sale sign outside Bogart’s Woodlands branch (now you have my attention) offering two t-shirts for R600. Given that a single t-shirt is usually about R1000, I figured I may as well spoil my uncle and take a closer look at what this brand has to offer.

https://www.instagram.com/bogartman/

Although there were some intriguing items on display, I was primarily focused on hooking me and Henry up with some tees, so I’ll keep this post focused on that. I must also say that the staff were great. Anyone that my uncle loves automatically becomes my best friend, and they managed to put up with my interminable indecision for an extended amount of time.

I Love These Four Things

#1. This collar is interesting, if not entirely novel. I’m so bored of endlessly seeing the same boring shapes, that I’ll love pretty much anything that’s new. I’m not the biggest fan of the fake buttons, but you can’t win ’em all.

#2. The fabric is comfy AF! I’m going to gloss over the fact that it’s not 100% natural fiber for the moment, and just say this certainly is what a R1000 tee should feel like.

#3. This is a local brand, so of course I love them just because. Although their aesthetic is not entirely my cup of tea, their website certainly shows them catering to a quintessentially South African gent.

#4. These t-shirts fit my obscenely tall body, which is a bloody miracle I’ll tell you! Finding a tee that doesn’t look like a crop top on me definitely shows these guys are putting in some effort with their sizing.

I Hate These Three Things

#1. They’re made in China…which, in a globalized world, is not some kind of unforgivable sin, and based on my experience of the South African manufacturing industry I don’t blame any brand for venturing abroad. Whatever Bogart’s reasons for producing overseas, I’d have loved them more had they produced locally.

#2. There are a few minor construction issues, for which I certainly wouldn’t have paid R1000, and that made me wonder about the particular clientele this brand is appealing to.

#3. There’s no information on the brand’s sustainability endeavors. Personally I feel we’re far past the point where any brand can justify producing more clothes without addressing the problems faced by the industry. It’s 2016 people; Get With It (as my mother would say).

+1 Overall, can’t say I regret buying them

To be fair these are pretty decent shirts, and I have few hang-ups when it comes to supporting local brands. However I can’t help but feel that they’re spending more on marketing to wealthy men and less on ensuring the quality construction that such men deserve.

I may be the only one experiencing this, but their online retail portal only works on my mobile, and I can’t get to any kind of purchase situation from my desk top. You can find your nearest retailer in the store locator here, and insta-stalk them here.

 

My initials on a R1000 t-shirt, now I’ve arrived!

The last word is that although I’m all for splurging on glamorous clothes, I’ll certainly be holding out for another sale before I venture past this brand again. Hit me up in the comments if you think this brand is awesome or not-it helps to gain consensus ;)

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