Asket Review: Are They The Key to Your Capsule Wardrobe?

Years ago, I thought having good style meant having an extensive wardrobe.

So I filled my closet with a ton of distinct styles, following whatever was in fashion.

But I gravitated toward only a few outfits—things I really loved. And they were simple, too. Like t-shirts with the perfect fit, or chinos that felt just right.

Since then, I’ve been trying new brands I think might make a space for themselves in my go-to getups.

I’ve been hearing a lot about Asket —some call them the Swedish Everlane. After looking through their catalogue, I knew I had to try them.

What Is Asket?

The name says it all. If you can speak Swedish.

Asket is Swedish for “ascetic,” meaning someone who can make-do with less.

They’re a minimalist clothing brand built around a permanent collection. They don’t do spring/summer or fall/winter lines. They don’t chase new trends.

Instead, they focus on creating top-quality men’s wardrobe staples as transparently as possible. In fact, their extreme traceability won them an honorable mention in the Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards.

To give you an example of how far Asket goes to explain the origin of their clothes, let’s take a close look at their zip jacket.

The only element of the jacket they’re unsure of is where the recycled PET bottles come from for the insulation.

But the zipper, the shell, the thread, the lining—that’s all accounted for. And we’re not just talking about the country it’s produced. We’re talking about the farm where the material was raised, and the factory where it was processed.

Let’s look at their Merino wool line:

Asket has visited the farm where the sheep roam, seen the wool spun into thread, the dyeing, etc. And that’s just for the fabric.

I love that brands like Everlane, Western Rise, and Patagonia are making incredible efforts to ensure they’re not responsible for taking advantage of factory workers in other countries.
But I haven’t found another brand more thorough than Asket.

Things to Consider Before Buying Asket

I really like Asket’s clothes, and I’ll get into why a little later. But if you’re looking for unique looking clothes that set you apart in a crowd, this brand won’t be your favorite.

They make minimalist basics in just a handful of colorways. The quality is excellent. The fit is superb. And they’re ethically sourced so you don’t have to feel like your outfit is a human-rights violation.

Asket Unboxing & Review

T-shirt

If you want to figure out if a donut shop is good, try the apple fritter.

It may not be your favorite kind of donut, but it will reveal everything you need to know about the shop.

T-shirts are like that with clothing brands. Yeah, they may not be the most exciting garment. I almost always wear a button down, oxford, polo, or overshirt.

But if a brand can nail the t-shirt, it means they’ve put a lot of time, effort, and thought into their line.

So I’m diving into Asket’s t-shirts first.

Asket offers their t-shirts in 15 different sizes; from XS to XL in short, regular, and long. They have eight neutral, earth-toned color options. The brand also offers a lightweight tee which is 30% thinner than their standard.

Their standard t-shirt is made with heavyweight Egyptian cotton jersey and has a ribbed knit neckline.

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The fit and feel are fantastic. I picked up a medium and I’m a big fan of how it fits in my shoulders and through the torso. However, at 6’1” the regular length is shorter than I prefer. But the “long” extended sizing fits me just right.

Asket’s shirt lengths are more in line with Everlane’s. I’m a fan of Everlane’s premium tee, but the medium is about an inch shorter than I’d like.

So I love that Asket offers their shirts in “long.” I can get the right fit in the shoulders and chest while still having the length to rest halfway down my fly (mid-butt; the optimal shirt length).

The twin-needle stitched hems and ribbed neck lining make for a very sturdy collar that won’t bacon-out anytime soon.

In the picture above, I’ve compared three of my favorite premium level t-shirts. To be fair, Asket is the newest, so it hasn’t gone through as many washes and wears, but I’m confident this comparison sums up the difference in construction quality.

That said, I’m a big fan of both the Everlane and Banana Republic tees. I wear them at least once a week, and I think they’re both a great value. But the collars have bowed out to where neither of these shirts fit into smart-casual style. They’re better for when a little wear-and-tear is a badge of honor rather than a blemish.

Lightweight T-shirt

The Asket Lightweight T-Shirt is considerably lighter (30% to be exact), and fits just as well as the standard. Like it’s heavy-weight counterpart, this tee is made entirely with Egyptian cotton and is uber-soft.

I prefer heavier weight shirts, so if I were to go back and re-order, I’d likely skip the lightweight t-shirt. However, that has nothing to do with the quality, construction, or fit—it’s just my preference for how the shirts look on my body.

Extended Sizing

To get a better idea of Asket’s extended sizing, they sent me a medium size shirt in short, regular, and long. Here’s what the different lengths look like side by side on a 6’1”, 190lb frame:

The “long” size was the best for me. I recommend going with a long if you’re 5’11” or taller, and my guess is that it gets dicey if you’re 6’4”. The regular fit me fine, but it’s definitely not my preference. The short is, well, short.

Sweatshirt

I’ve been wearing the black crew neck sweatshirt almost every day since I got it. I never knew this before, but I love crew neck sweatshirts. To me, they’re the greatest thing to wear while working from home (the weather here in NC is still a little chilly in May this year).

Again, Asket uses 100% Egyptian cotton here with a loop-back texture on the inside, which is soft and comfortable. The collar, cuffs, and hems are all ribbed and reinforced with lycra. After at least 10 full days of wearing it, it still looks brand new.

Chinos

These are the nicest, albeit most expensive chinos I’ve ever worn. They’re made with a satin-weave cotton fabric milled outside of Milan, Italy. It sounds fancy and feels fancy, too.

The details are impeccable here. A closer look at the interior shows that the pockets have been stitched to avoid sagging over time, so these should keep their shape after several washes and wears.

These chinos also avoid the dreaded pocket-flair and keep a flat front with their overlapping button-and-hook closure.

Chinos are a big part of my casual wardrobe, but with the cost of these, I’ll probably be wearing them less often to preserve the quality of the fabric. For a casual date night, these are my new go-to.

Zip Jacket

Of all the items that arrived in my Asket haul, the Zip Jacket is my favorite. I didn’t know what to expect from a 100% organic cotton shell, but it’s water-resistant, lightweight, and warm.

Alone, it’s the perfect answer to a North Carolina winter, where the temperature only occasionally drops below freezing. The Zip Jacket is plenty warm enough to handle that.

But if you’re living in a colder climate, like New York, the Zip Jacket also doubles as a lining for the Asket Car Coat, which has a heavier, more water-resistant shell.

Together, the coats can withstand temperatures down to five degrees Fahrenheit (-15 celsius).
Beyond the warmth, I’m really digging the fit of the Zip Jacket. It’s slim through the torso and cuts out a lot of the bulk that keeps me away from similar coats made by other brands.

It only comes in black at the moment, though I’d love to see this same style in khaki or navy.

Elastic Woven Belt

The Asket Elastic Woven Belt was a sleeper hit with me. With vegetable-tanned, full grain leather details and a zinc-alloy buckle, this bad-boy has a rich and comfortable feel.

Editor’s note: Asket is phasing out all leather in their lineup. Their next round of belts will no longer have leather trims.

I’ve only owned leather belts for the past decade, but the woven style matches much better with chinos.

Ribbed Cotton Socks

The cotton socks are the only product from Asket that didn’t impress me (I almost said “knock my socks off,” but the pun was too much and I want you to keep reading).

It seemed they couldn’t stay lifted around my calf. The fabric is delicate, and I think because of that, the socks pooled around my ankles.

In their defense, they’re probably the softest socks I own. But when I’m going out, I don’t want to worry about hiking my socks up.

Boxer Briefs

These boxer briefs are only simple in their color-options. After wearing them for a few weeks, including during morning runs, I’m happy with their performance.

I have several pairs of boxer-briefs made with performance fabrics, and while I wouldn’t usually recommend a cotton underwear for workouts, Asket undies have a few design features that keep these comfortable.

These are sewn with flat-lock seams, which cuts down on the amount of rubbing going on, and there’s a crotch-gusset that runs along the bottom. The gusset is a game changer, and really helps avoid bunching when you’re sitting or wearing your least comfortable pair of pants.

What Do Other Reviewers Say About Asket?

The consensus from crowdsourced review platforms like Trustpilot is that Asket has great customer service.

There were a handful of reviewers who said when they experienced problems with their clothes, Asket was quick to fix the issue.

George (a Trustpilot reviewer) had the most in-depth review on the platform:

My Thoughts Overall On Asket

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