Design
Quality of Materials
Value for Money 
Craftsmanship 
Customer Service We’ve all seen those Instagram accounts with the perfect minimalist desk flat-lays.
It looks easy to pull off. But if you’re anything like me, your desk doesn’t stay neat for more than 20 minutes.
There’s something beautiful about simplifying your life. For those of us who want to look sharp, but don’t necessarily want to have a huge collection of clothes, a new concept has popped up in recent years: the capsule wardrobe.
The idea is that you select a few basic, versatile clothing pieces—maybe ten, maybe fifteen—and you mix and match them all to create a diverse and interesting wardrobe you can wear throughout the year.
L’Estrange London has made the process of selecting a capsule wardrobe even easier. Their entire line is essentially one big capsule wardrobe.
Intrigued by the idea (partly out of necessity because I’m a pretty messy guy), I decided to pick up several of L’Estrange’s most popular items and give them a
How do they fit and feel? Keep reading to get my unfiltered thoughts.
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What Is L’Estrange?
L’Estrange is a London based clothing brand that focuses on the concept of a “capsule wardrobe.”
Essentially, their goal is that any two articles of clothing you buy from them will match well. And if you decide to get six, twelve, or twenty pieces, they’ll all work together.
In conjunction with the capsule wardrobe concept, L’Estrange only uses recycled or organic fabrics and their entire line is crafted in European factories.
If it’s not clear already, the ethos behind L’Estrange is this: do more with less.
Rather than stack your closet with tons of clothes you may only wear 10-15 times, why not get a few staples you like to wear twice a week? And why not get those in top-of-the-line fabrics with excellent construction quality?
In a nutshell, that’s what L’Estrange is all about.
L’Estrange is a welcome find for me. I enjoy their slimmer, more European fits and the fact that they use sturdier fabrics compared to other Euro brands I’ve tried in the past. The clothes are easy to throw on, but still look crisp and professional.
Things to Consider Before Buying a Capsule Wardrobe from L’Estrange
If you’re going to shop with L’Estrange, you have to be down with the minimalist aesthetic.
And you must be a fan of neutral colors and blue.
There’s not a warm color in sight.
And that makes sense, as deep navy, white, and grey all make for a perfectly good outfit in the summer just as well as in the winter.
But you’re not going to find any showstopper pieces here. L’Estrange is all about equipping you with clothes you can wear multiple times a week, and in a variety of settings: from Saturday night dates to Monday morning all-hands meetings in the office.
L’Estrange London Review
I was able to try four of L’Estrange London’s most popular items. Together, I can easily put together at least four distinct outfits (and that’s just with one pair of pants) with these pieces.
All Day Oxford
An oxford shirt is to clothing brands what an apple fritter is to donut shops. This one item alone can give you an insight into how a brand makes their products—the kind of care and attention they put into the design, the quality of the fabrics, etc.
So obviously, I had to start with the L’Estrange All Day Oxford.
I picked mine up in the brand’s signature light blue, which is the de facto Londoner’s uniform.
The All Day Oxford is made primarily with organic cotton, but has 2% elastane blended in. I’m a big fan of a bit of added stretch because when it’s done right, it doesn’t change the look of the shirt but makes a big difference in your comfort level.
Compared to other oxfords, the All Day has clean, simple lines. The seams are all done with a single line of high density stitching, so it has a bit more of a European look than most oxford shirts I see in the states.
I really like the fit of this shirt: it’s slim through the torso and arms, and the length is in that sweet spot that allows you to wear it tucked or untucked, making it a viable piece for the workweek and weekend alike.
Compared to other oxfords, the All Day has clean, simple lines. The seams are all done with a single line of high density stitching, so it has a bit more of a European look than most oxford shirts I see in the states.
24 Trousers
Without these 24 Trousers, my capsule wardrobe would just be me wearing a bunch of shirts with boxers, so it’s a critical player.
I’ll start by talking about my favorite part of these pants: they have a nicely tapered opening below the knee. This is where a lot of chinos blow it for me, but L’Estrange does it better than most brands I’ve tried.
Because the leg opening is tapered, they’re quite flattering for most guys, especially stockier gents and shorter dudes. As for me, I have an athletic body type, meaning my hips are as wide as my shoulders.
If I don’t have a decent amount of taper below the knee, I end up looking bottom heavy. But with the kind of taper I have on these 24 Trousers, there’s a noticeable slimming and lengthening effect, which is crucial.
As for quality, these are also made with a bit of added elastane for comfort and durability. The fabric is a solid middle-weight, so it’s great year-round.
In general, they’re built like a classic pair of chinos, but there are a few key differences. The biggest of which is that there’s a drawstring inside the waistband. This is a cool feature as the external waistband has no belt loops.
Instead of using a belt, you can just tighten the internal drawstring and get a pure minimalist look with your oxford tucked into your trousers.
There’s only one back pocket for those of us who still carry a wallet back there. That was a bit of an adjustment period, and I still find myself trying to put my phone in the back left pocket and coming up unsuccessfully.
Overall, I’m a big fan of these trousers and they’re a regular part of my wardrobe now because the fit is so spot on.
The fit of these trousers is on point, so they're flattering for just about all body types.
24 Overshirt
I love an overshirt—to the point where I probably over rely on them. So when I saw L’Estrange had the 24 Overshirt, I couldn’t pass it up.
I picked it up in navy, which complements both the white Tailored Tee I got and the light blue All Day Oxford.
The 24 Overshirt has a somewhat similar design to the Every Day Oxford, at least in the seams and breast pocket.
But the arms have a gusset that allows for more room (better for layering), and there are two discreet hip pockets. Also, instead of standard buttons, there are snap buttons that make this shirt easy to throw on and take off.
It’s made with 97% organic cotton and 3% elastane, so it has a bit more stretch than the oxford. You know when you’re trying to throw on a coat but you already have a few pieces on? Yeah, the extra stretch in the fabrics helps you feel like you’re not about to rip the shirt in half.
It’s a really comfortable overshirt and looks great paired with everything else I picked up from L’Estrange. My only concern with this shirt is that, when unbuttoned, it tends to flare out from the neck to the waist.
I think this is a cool look for slimmer guys—it’s definitely modern and stylish. But for my specific body type (hips set as wide as my shoulders) it bulks out my waist a bit more than I like.
For that reason, I’ve been wearing the 24 Overshirt buttoned up with the t-shirt underneath and that’s been the sweet spot for me.
Tailored Tee
The last item I got from L’Estrange is their Tailored Tee.
There’s a lot going on with this t-shirt that makes it one of the most unique tees I’ve ever tried. First, if you look at the back, it’s got the same sort of seam you’d expect on an oxford shirt (but not the All Day Oxford—that just has a flat middle seam).
There’s a notch at the waist, and the back of the hem sits about a half-inch lower than the front. In general, the shirt runs longer, which definitely gives a slimming effect.
The sleeves are fairly narrow, and there’s a snug fit around the chest.
Because the shirt is longer, it definitely has a slimming effect which I really like. I picked up the large and found that the chest was a bit too snug (I have a larger back, which makes the circumference around my chest larger than the average 6’2” 200lb guy).
Made with 100% organic cotton, the fabric and construction are excellent. I’ll definitely get good use from this shirt, but I think it’ll be even more flattering for slim and skinny gents.
This shirt is a little longer, with a split hem, snug shoulders, and a slim torso. It has a tailored feel that's all kinds of flattering.
What do Other Reviewers Say About L’Estrange?
L’Estrange London has an “excellent” rating on Trustpilot with over 500 reviews at the time of writing.
The word “quality” comes up in many of the reviews—it’s the main focus for several reviewers as they felt it’s an obvious boost from most other brands.
One downside I saw crop up in a few different reviews was that L’Estrange fits a bit more slim and snug than an average clothing brand. Shipping back to Europe can be a small expense if you get the wrong size.
To me, everything fit true to size (I’m an American and I felt the large shirts fit well, though with characteristic European slimness). Take that into account if you’re in between sizes—I recommend going the larger of the two.
My Thoughts Overall On L’Estrange London
What I Like
I really like the slim modern fit L’Estrange executes on all their styles—but particularly on the All Day Oxford and the 24 Trousers.
The quality of the fabric and construction are apparent the moment you put these clothes on.
L’Estrange does the “capsule wardrobe” concept justice—you could easily build a year-round closet with just items from this brand, and you’d look good doing it.
I like their focus on sustainability and reducing their footprint through several channels.
What I Don’t Like
There are no warm colors available—or any other colors besides blue, white, black, and grey.
Who is L’Estrange for?
If you often find yourself saying, “I just want to be intentional about BLANK,” you’ll absolutely love L’Estrange.
The Verdict
L’Estrange is a welcome find for me. I enjoy their slimmer, more European fits and the fact that they use sturdier fabrics compared to other Euro brands I’ve tried in the past.
The 24 Trousers are my favorite item from the brand. The amount of taper below the knee has a nice slimming and lengthening effect that’s flattering on my body type—and because I have wider hips and larger legs, that’s historically been very hard for me to find.
The Overshirt is also a big winner for me. The stretch fabric makes it so easy to throw on, but it still looks crisp and professional. Same goes for the All Day Oxford. It’s a great piece to have in your wardrobe because it can do double duty: clean enough for the office, but relaxed enough for Saturday night.
I’d like to see a broader range of colors from L’Estrange in the future because their fits are top notch. I’m excited to see what the brand has in store.
L’Estrange is a welcome find for me. I enjoy their slimmer, more European fits and the fact that they use sturdier fabrics compared to other Euro brands I’ve tried in the past. The clothes are easy to throw on, but still look crisp and professional.
FAQs
What should be in a men’s capsule wardrobe?
A capsule wardrobe should contain at least 12-18 pieces. Chinos, oxfords, and minimalist sneakers are a must, as those are some of the most versatile articles of clothing around. You need a jacket for when it gets cold, but make sure you stick in the neutral colors so everything can mix and match.
What are the cons of a capsule wardrobe?
The only downside to a capsule wardrobe is that you might not have any standout pieces that draw attention. The key to a capsule wardrobe is that everything mixes and matches, so no one piece can be too unique. Also, a capsule wardrobe might not have appropriate clothes for very specific occasions, like weddings, funerals, job interviews, etc.
Is minimalist fashion boring?
Minimalist fashion isn’t boring, and it’s more complicated than it seems. It’s extremely important to choose clothes that fit well and are high quality. If you don’t, you risk looking boring. But if you understand the principles of fit, color matching, and know which brands to shop with, you can easily put together a fantastic minimalist wardrobe that looks sharp and interesting.
