Mugsy Jeans Brand Review: See Which Products Worked for Me

I learned about Mugsy, a men’s apparel brand that makes pieces great for travel and versatile for lifestyle wear.

I’m always game to try new jeans, pants and shirts to see how they fit and what makes them different. So, I got some Mugsy best-sellers in the mail and tried them all out.

In this review, I’ll cover what I tried, how it went and what my favorite Mugsy products turned out to be. I’ll also let you know where Mugsy pants fell short (not literally), in terms of how they made me feel.

Read on, to see if Mugsy jeans are worth the hype and if they may be good additions to your travel-wear.

Pros and Cons of Mugsy products

Pros:

• Lots of travel-friendly features, like stretchy and flexible fabrics, zipper pockets and machine washability for care.
• Good styles, like shorts with an 8” inseam (not too long), and TONS of color choices for the Chinos and best-selling jeans, as an example.
• Pretty standard pricing for men’s travel apparel. The prices I see from Mugsy are generally what I see from other brands in the competition, so there’s nothing crazy to note.

Cons:

• The Mugsy fit jeans are straight-leg, rather than a tapered ankle, which is my go-to style. So, I chose wrong (see the next point.)
• The What I wish I knew was to “shop” Mugsy’s jeans by “fit,” rather than via the home page, which says “SHOP JEANS,” and takes you to the “Classic Mugsy fit.” I thought this was the only style of jeans Mugsy made, so, I got them. Further, Mugsy’s “Best-sellers” are the “Mugsy fit” jeans, so I felt that at every corner, I was steered away from finding tapered jeans, while really, they exist if you “shop by fit.”
• The tapered jeans come in way fewer colors than the Classic Mugsy fit jeans.
• Overall, I found the website a little confusing because each pair of jeans has a “name,” as well as a color. The fit is in the fine print. It was not clear (for quite some time) that the “Belmonts” and “Teddys” were the same chino pant, just in different colors: Khaki, and Light Khaki. It made for a clunky shopping experience.

What I tried

• Mugsy Travelers pants
• Mugsy Jeans (in Hyde Green)
• Mugsy Travelers shorts
• Chinos in Belmont Khaki
• Casual Button-Down Shirt

For all pants, I got a 32x30. For the shirt, I got a size M.

Travelers pants

You may know that I’ve reviewed a lot of the best travel pants for men, and I was deliberating if Mugsy’s “Travelers pants” had a place on that list. Here’s a rundown of what they have going for them:

• They’re kind of a jogger-pants hybrid. I think they’re hard to explain, and that is likely why Mugsy considers them best-in-class and groundbreaking.
• The website doesn’t explain all too much about them, so I’ll summarize: they’re stretch pants that look like casual chinos (slit pockets at rear, and belt loops), but transform into joggers by cinching them at the ankles.
• There’s a zipper pocket at the side that can hold a passport; I usually use pockets like these for receipts I need to expense, or a frequently-used hotel room key or credit card.
• I’d consider them “technical performance pants,” as I’ve seen from other brands. I think they actually look really decent, for if you needed to step off a plane and be at a business casual luncheon, informal meeting or dinner date. I’m serious!

Worth it?

The Travelers pants are Mugsy’s answer to performance pants for travel, so yes: I’ll be wearing them on a flight, or to an event at a wedding weekend, or for a work event like a conference out of town. I think the “toggle to joggers” is not for everyone, and I’m more likely to “just wear some of my favorite joggers.”

For what they are, they’re stretch pants with a hidden pocket and they currently come in three nice colors that could, quite frankly, be dressed up with a button-down, so that’s handy.

Mugsy Jeans in “Mugsy Fit”

So, what’s all the hype about? I tried Mugsy jeans in a “color,” because I rarely wear blue jeans. I chose the Hyde Army Green. They’re an update to some military green jeans I’ve had in the past that got worn out, so I had to retire them. I got them in 32x30.

I got the Mugsy Fit, as my choice among the four Mugsy fit styles: “Mugsy,” Tapered, Bootcut and Casual (the most relaxed).

Here’s how they fit:

• I find that for a 32x30, Mugsy’s pants run a dab long. Keep in mind that I’m 5’9.” I see one of the product photos showing the guy modeling the jeans (who is noted as 5’11” actually) wearing them rolled up twice to show off the blue accent stitching, and it’s probably how I’ll have to wear mine.
• For jeans, I find that they have a big of “space” at the seat, and at the legs. My favorite jeans from DUER that I’ve been wearing for years tend to be my gold standard against which I compare other jeans, so the verdict here is that Mugsy’s jeans don’t hug the legs quite as much. (This may be your preference, however).
• Other than the seat and the legs, we’re looking at a comfortable “rise” for the fly. These are a flattering height for where they sit on my hips.
• Most reviews say they fit true to size, which I agree with in regard to the waist. I hope that helps with your ordering.

Other notable features I’m feeling out

• They’re stretchy, which is a requirement for me. It’s something I’m used to. I don’t really go for non-stretch jeans, as I’ve worn through a few that had no stretch factor, and they didn’t survive more than a year.
• Mugsy claims they feel like sweatpants. I think this is a bit of a stretch, but they’re for sure soft and not scratchy.

Worth it?

This is the question you’ve been waiting for and I’ll give the Mugsy jeans a 4 out of 5 stars. That’s because they run a bit long, and they have that space in the seat and legs I mentioned. They also aren’t as closely tapered to the ankle as I’ve sought in the past for my jeans fit—I should’ve chosen Tapered Fit, but I was confused on the website at the time of my searching for what I wanted.

Regardless of these critiques, I think these are definitely stylish jeans and clearly, lots of travel-forward guys agree (based on thousands of good reviews). What I appreciate is the immense variety of colors available, and you don’t see this in travel jeans brands all the time. From “Nantucket Red” to Tan, Whitewash Blue and of course, Classic Blue Jean, there is a color of Mugsy’s best-selling jeans for any guy who finds them.

If you’re tall, like 5’10” and taller, I think Mugsy’s styles would be great for you because the length should hit just right.

Mugsy shorts

I mentioned above that the Travelers Shorts have an 8” inseam. This checks out as flattering for me because the shorts I wear all summer tend to have 8” inseams (my Mott & Bow shorts).

I’ve tried shorts from here to there, and I find myself mostly reaching for ones that are either 100% cotton with an almost-denim feel, or conversely, shorts with sweat-wicking properties that come from nylon and spandex blends. You can feel the difference. When it’s hot out, I usually go for performance shorts like the Mugsy ones.

So what do I like the best? They’re stretchy, which I have a new appreciation for now that I chase around our toddler and I’m always bending, crouching or sitting on the floor. The hidden pocket for a passport is also a great travel feature, as we’ll often be on the road and Becca will remind me that “Those shorts have pockets!” and to use them properly.

Anything I don’t like? Not really. These shorts are good for a travel day, much like the rest of Mugsy’s top-popularity products, and they’ll be a new addition in my list of the best travel shorts for men.

Mugsy chinos

I think I’m secretly the most excited about Mugsy’s chinos, which I picked up for my five-day business trip. The requested attire was “business formal,” with preference given to khaki-style chinos, light-colored dress pants and button-down shirts. The truth is, the Mugsy chinos arrived in the mail 20 minutes before I had to leave for the airport. It was a Mugsy miracle.

I took them out of the box and out of the packaging in a jiffy, put on the khaki chinos and assessed the fit: they worked. The fit was snug, tapered and flattering. The only downside is that they do run long, and I didn’t have time to have them tailored, because I was literally hopping in an Uber in 20 minutes.

Becca gave them the green light, and I packed them into my suitcase. I’d be pairing them with lightweight button-downs and brown dress shoes.

Here’s a bit about what I found with the Mugsy chinos in the Classic Mugsy fit:

• As mentioned, they fit true to size, but run long in the length (despite my ordering a 32x30 — my typical size).
• They’re a cotton-spandex-rayon blend. This means they may feel stretchier than traditional chinos. I’m all for it, as I planned to potentially wear them out at night to dinners with colleagues, and on the plane home, if I needed to.
• They have a similar build to Mugsy’s jeans, which I review above. They’re a bit of a straight-leg style, and these are the only chinos Mugsy makes right now, so it’s these, or nothing.

Overall opinion

Well, it’s no secret that I took them on my trip to wear them right away in meetings and long days on-site in an office complex in Texas. I was looking forward to the professional look, versatile color of the Belmont Khaki and the “good vibes,” as the product page says.

Casual Button-Down: Chambray Shirt

While I was on the bender of picking out attire for my business trip, I came across Mugsy’s button-down shirts. And wow, the Stone Washed Light Chambray shirt is made in Portugal. It’s classic, mid-weight, soft and 98% cotton with a dab of stretch from spandex.

It’s the perfect update to the blue button-down I’ve been wearing for six years (shhh). Because it’s a chambray, it’s more of a shirt to wear with the top button undone and the sleeves rolled up, which is usually how I’m wearing a button-down in any case.

I do find the price a little high, but I assume that it reflects that the shirt is made in Portugal, which is not a place where I’m often seeing garments are made. It feels well-put-together and sturdy, with a button at the chest pocket.

Reviews say it fits true to size, which is a tough one for me, because in some brands I’ll wear size Small shirts and in some, Medium. So, saying a Medium is true to size makes me hesitate a little bit, and one complaint I have is that Mugsy’s website does not make it immediately simple to see a size chart or use a tool like Wair to find out your expected size. The only advice given is to “size up.”

Mugsy hats

The Mugsy hat was a toss-in to my order, and I didn’t expect to start wearing it every day.

That’s how I am with hats: I get a new hat in the mail, and I go through a period of wearing it as soon as I wake up, until I go in for the night. The Mugsy Rope Hat is a bit boxier than the caps I wear on a day to day, but do you know what? It works, and it’s been on my head for two weeks.

I’ve added it to my hat collection and now it’s a staple.

Flannel-lined jeans

Mugsy’s flannel-lined jeans are considerably warmer than the regular Mugsy jeans in the original style. I accidentally wore my flannel-lined jeans in the spring for doing yard work, and I got pretty overheated. That means they are warm!

Mugsy’s flannel jeans for winter are only available leading up to winter, so they’re a seasonal item. If you’re searching for them in spring and summer, I suggest checking back in fall. (Update: I’ll let you know when they’re in!)

How to buy Mugsy

Mugsy is a “mostly” online brand, and they make all their products in all the available colors available online. That’s the easiest way to shop for Mugsy, and it’s the way I’ve perused all the Mugsy products I have tried.

I’m seeing a few pairs of Mugsy’s blue jeans for men available on Amazon, but something about it makes me cringe and does not seem legitimate.

I’d 101% suggest getting Mugsy jeans and shirts only via the Mugsy website, which is easy to use, and if you get any two pairs of bottoms, they throw in a free hat. 🧢

Mugsy for women?

Mugsy doesn’t make products for women right now. Becca Googled “Mugsy for women” and she got a few hits for “Mugsy jeans for women” on Amazon, but note: these are NOT from this legitimate brand Mugsy. They are from some other retailer and have no relation to Mugsy Jeans.

Disclaimer: This review is not sponsored. Mugsy sent me these 5 products over a period of a few years, and all thoughts are my own, to showcase the brand and my full experience.