Whether you’re a denim fanatic or just a style-conscious guy looking for sharp casual staples, there’s a lot to like about Madewell.
The J.Crew-owned brand not only offers some great pieces of their own, they also carry a decent selection of other labels, all with a focus on denim recycling and using more sustainable materials.
But Madewell is hardly the only game in town.
Whether you’re looking for a wider variety of sharp new styles, more brands that put a focus on sustainability, or some combination of the two, there are plenty of alternatives to Madewell stores that provide stylish, affordable and ethical alternatives.
No matter what your personal style or budget, here you’ll find 15 great brands like Madewell that you should consider adding to your shopping rotation.
Top Picks ↓
We’ve got a longer list of stores below (and seriously, all of them are pretty great), but these are some of the best alternatives to Madewell for denim and other stylish basics:
- Top 3 Stores Like Madewell:
- Top 3 Stores Like Madewell, but Cheaper:
Our Top Picks:
The Best Clothing Stores Like Madewell
J.Crew
If you’re looking for stores like Madewell, there’s arguably no better place to turn than the flagship store of its parent company, J. Crew Group.
The styles are fairly similar, if not a bit more sophisticated, but J.Crew sells a wider range of products than any of its sibling brands, making it a one-stop shop for your entire wardrobe.
In addition to casual staples like jeans, sweaters and tees, they also carry other quality clothes like outerwear, accessories and a wide range of suiting, including everything up to tuxedos and other pieces of formalwear.
Frank And Oak
Frank And Oak has a smaller range of options than some of the other brands on this list, but it’s a great option if you’re both stylish and eco-conscious.
Specializing in minimalist, casual staple pieces and timeless designs, Frank & Oak is also known for their commitment to sustainable practices and efforts to become more carbon neutral.
But they’re more than just a good sustainable brand. Their clothing is also practical, easy to wear, and made from high-quality materials and flexible fabrics that move with your body, making them as comfortable as they are stylish.
Everlane
If you like Madewell for its “Do Well” philosophy of focusing on ethics, you’ll love Everlane.
Like Madewell, Everlane emphasizes sustainability and ethical production, and sources of all its clothes from ethically run factories.
Their style is more minimalist than Madewell’s designs, with a focus on functional, versatile pieces perfect for a capsule wardrobe, but it’s an excellent alternative for those who want great menswear without compromising their morals.
Levi’s
Founded in San Francisco in 1853, Levi’s has long been the universal standard for high-quality denim and classic American style at affordable prices.
And while the company may be more than 150 years old, it’s survived this long by adapting to the times.
Case and point: their new Water<Less® method for making jeans is a response to sustainable fashion brands like Madewell, and uses techniques that reduce the use of water in the manufacturing process.
They also offer a more inclusive size range than many of its competitors, including a Big & Tall line of apparel.
Alex Mill
It should be no surprise that Alex Mill is a top Madewell competitor:
The brand was founded in 2012 by Alex Drexler, son of Mickey Drexler, the former CEO of J. Crew and Gap and the founder of Old Navy and Madewell.
(Guess the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree! )
But Alex Mill is an ethical fashion brand, offering high-quality clothing that challenges the fast fashion industry with versatile, classic designs made to outlast most low-end apparel brands.
They have a fantastic outerwear selection, as well as jeans, basic tees, shorts, blazers, and even suiting, but they’re perhaps best known for their signature “perfect” button-down shirts.
You’ll find that their products are at a slightly higher price point than some of the other brands on the list, but they also tend to be of higher quality.
Buck Mason
Founded in Venice, California, Buck Mason specializes in classic American styles with a cool West Coast vibe.
It’s a great brand for wardrobe staples like jeans, Henleys, tees, and polos, as well as investment pieces like leather jackets.
Plus, the company is committed to quality, combining time-tested manufacturing techniques and craftsmanship with modern technology; but with a direct-to-consumer model, they can offer mid-tier prices.
Bonobos
Online retailer Bonobos is a close competitor of apparel brands like J.Crew and Banana Republic, but it’s also a great alternative to Madewell.
Their selection of jeans isn’t as large as some of the other stores on this list but they do offer a pretty good variety of styles and colors, and their Extended Sizes help ensure that men of all body types can find the perfect pair of jeans (not to mention a lot of other stylish pieces that fit them well).
Plus, they offer a wide variety of styles, far larger than Madewell’s site, including everything from preppy essentials and everyday basics to more trendy pieces, suiting, and formalwear.
Urban Outfitters
Urban Outfitter has long been known as a go-to store for everything from modern menswear to cool home décor, and with good reason.
It carries a wide range of jeans and trendy clothes that appeal to both young women and men.
Madewell actually topped my list of brands like Urban Outfitters because both stores carry similar styles, so if you’re a fan of the clothes they carry at one, you’ll probably like the selection at the other.
Banana Republic
No list of stores like Madewell would be complete without the most grown-up and formal of the Gap family stores, because Banana Republic is also a great place to grab stylish casual staples.
Like Madewell’s big brother J Crew, Banana sells everything from socks and underwear all the way up to tuxedos, all in styles that are trendy enough to look modern, but timeless enough to keep and wear for a long time to come.
Cheaper Madewell Alternatives
(that are still pretty good for the price)
Prices can vary for all of the stores on this list, and each of them has been known to run sales that can make their offerings more affordable than the base price at Madewell.
(Though it’s worth noting that Madewell also runs sales pretty frequently.)
But if you’re specifically looking for stores like Madewell but cheaper, the five below tend to have a lower base price range, making each one an affordable alternative to Madewell.
J.Crew Factory
If J.Crew is the first place you should go when you’re looking for brands like Madewell, J.Crew Factory is the first place you should go if you’re on a budget.
In fact, the Factory brand may have even more in common with Madewell than J.Crew itself.
It boasts a wide selection of smart, timeless pieces at a more affordable price point than those from the flagship J.Crew brand.
The Gap
The flagship store in the Gap family of brands, the namesake has been a go-to for guys who want classic and unimpeachable styles for years.
They’ve long been known for carrying a wide range of denim that comes in pretty much every fit, color and wash you can imagine, making them a great Madewell alternative.
And if you’re still partial to in-person shopping, they have plenty of brick and mortar stores across North America.
American Eagle
American Eagle is a clothing store that skews a little younger than Madewell and some of the other stores on this list, marketing to varsity kids and 20-somethings.
But it’s a great place to find stylish and decent-quality pieces that are in the same classic/casual style profile.
They’re best known for their denim, as well as tees and other casual staples (many of which carry their signature eagle logo) like hoodies and sweats.
And since it’s a mall staple, there are plenty of stores for in-person shopping, or they have a decent e-commerce store, too.
Abercrombie & Fitch
Abercrombie is a close competitor to American Eagle and should be considered in the same vein.
Like AE it skews younger, but if you choose your pieces wisely it can be a great place to grab affordable stuff that you can wear with other, more sophisticated styles without anybody noticing a discrepancy.
But, also like AE, they too play it fast and loose with their logo, so look carefully before buying.
Check Out Abercrombie & Fitch ➤
Old Navy
While Madewell is in the J.Crew family of stores, Old Navy is another brand from their close rival, the Gap family.
Old Navy is kind of the kid brother of the Gap family because, as the most affordable brand of the bunch, they have the lowest price point and aim their offerings at a younger demographic.
Their clothes don’t always fit as slim as some of the other stores on this list, and sometimes the quality is lacking, but it can be a great place to find casual pieces – including jeans – that look great but don’t cost a fortune.
Banner Illustration: Irreverent Gent
