The 10 Best Buck Mason Closet Staples
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Cool basics in luxe materials.
InStyle / David Hattan
Shopping for basics always seems simpler than it is. Investing in them is even harder. Great basics are the bedrock of excellent outfits, but for the longest time, they’ve been, well, a little boring. Enter Buck Mason. And specifically, the brand’s womenswear designer since its inception two and a half years ago, Tess Sullivan. With a track record at brands like Nili Lotan and Ralph Lauren, Sullivan brings expertise, and more than that, an innate sense of the way women want to dress.
“I try to design clothes that women actually want to wear,” she says on a cloudy morning in the Buck Mason Women’s outpost on Bleecker Street. Designed by Leanne Ford, the brand’s stores feel like stepping into a creative friend’s coastal home for the weekend. While drawing inspiration from vintage pieces is hardly a revelation, Sullivan takes the trope far more seriously than other designers. Upon viewing the collection, she pointed out hidden pockets or certain stitching that matched the actual vintage pieces for sale in the shop, as they appeared on the new arrivals on brass racks.
Everything’s easy at Buck Mason. Easy to throw in the wash. Easy to layer over or under. Easy to roll into a suitcase for a trip just about anywhere. Untethered from trends or a wild color palette, the brand’s ethos is timeless — bringing a whole new meaning to the idea of investment dressing. Quiet luxury isn’t quite right. It’s more storied than that. As Sullivan recounts the inciting incident behind all of her designs, it’s easy to see how they all belong in the closet of the modern woman interested in comfort without sacrificing design.
Standouts range from polished sweat sets and luxurious outerwear. After my visit, stepping back into my day, I found myself mentioning Buck Mason to multiple friends over the course of the day. Like the best things, Buck Mason clothes feel like a secret too good to keep to yourself.
Best Overall: Buck Mason Mainstay Shirt
What We Love: Works for almost every personal style.
What We Don’t Love: Fits a bit snug unless you go up one or two sizes.
Think of the Mainstay Shirt as the workhorse of your closet. It embodies the kind of nonchalant look we all strive for with oversized button-ups, but often miss. Subtle details like a pocket that’s just the right size alongside a hem that dips only slightly longer in the back, make this shirt special without feeling precious.
It’s easy to think of the countless outfit formulas this button-up could slot into. It’s gorgeous under Buck Mason’s knits, cool with its sweats, and timeless alongside the wide-leg pants.
Material: Cotton plain weave | Colors: 4 | Size: XS–XXL
Best for Easy Dressing: Buck Mason Baja Twill Studio Jumpsuit
What We Love: It looks way cooler than other jumpsuits at the price point.
What We Don’t Love: It’s heavy-duty, so not for the warmer months.
Jumpsuits often feel like they should be easier to shop for. But the journey to find a jumpsuit that suits you and your style perfectly is rewarded with the ultimate grab-and-go outfit. Buck Mason’s take on a jumpsuit is inspired not by a mechanic or other workwear trends. It’s a take on the sort of piece an artist might wear for a day of painting in California.
Because of this, details are precise, leaving out massive pockets for tools or hooks for hammers. Instead, every pocket is placed with care to maintain an overall effortlessness that can feel lost in jumpsuits of lesser quality. The cotton material will only become softer and more beautiful over time. This jumpsuit is something you’ll pass on to someone you love, maybe after ordering it in another color.
Material: Cotton twill | Colors: 2 | Size: XS–XXL
Best Sweater: Buck Mason Highland Alpaca Cable Crew
What We Love: The slightly cropped silhouette feels modern.
What We Don’t Love: Wool blends aren’t for everyone.
Investing in high-quality sweaters isn’t just a one-time thing. Proper maintenance is key to keeping your knits looking as stunning as the day you brought them home from the store. Buck Mason’s knitwear collection might be one of its best categories—with cardigans and v-neck sweaters that rival other high-end options.
The Highland Alpaca Cable Crew stands out for its fresh fit paired with its timeless patterning. The slight room in the sleeves makes it easy to layer with and gives it a playful, less serious look than a traditional wool sweater. Worn over the shoulders or tied around the waist, this sweater works double duty as a warm layer and cool accessory.
Material: Five-gauge alpaca/merino wool blend | Colors: 2 | Size: XS–XXL
Related: The 19 Best Sweaters for an Extra Cozy Year
Best T-Shirt: Buck Mason Pima Boxy Crew
What We Love: You can feel the difference great cotton makes.
What We Don’t Love: This tee runs a little small, even in the arms.
Before Buck Mason expanded into womenswear, the brand was quietly known as the best place for T-shirts. All kinds of people swarmed to the site for tees by the dozens. After creating its women’s line, Buck Mason still carries the torch of fantastic T-shirts, but with perhaps a bit less of a rabbit fan base.
As mentioned for a lot of pieces from Buck Mason, it’s worth sizing up once or twice. The T-shirts are all a bit naturally cropped, too, which is worth noting. Think of the material as having the same level of softness as your favorite vintage tee, only without the pilling and seven years of wear to get there.
Material: Supima cotton | Colors: 8 | Size: XS–XXL
Best Pants: Buck Mason Baywood Herringbone Twill Utility Pull-on Pant
What We Love: Feels like sweatpants. Wears like real pants.
What We Don’t Love: Could run long on some wearers.
In the Baywood Herringbone Twill Utility Pull-on Pant, Buck Mason, or more specifically, Sullivan, has created the platonic ideal of comfortable pants that don’t look too comfortable. The pull-on fit flatters everyone and is best worn a size up. Detailing toward the generous hem of the pants makes it easy to cuff to a shorter length and helps to create an aesthetic that feels closer to vintage army fatigues than something off the rack.
These pants can be worn higher or lower on the waist, depending on where you wear the drawstring waist. Part of their appeal is the crop that keeps them feeling cool, so the 27-inch inseam feels apropos. Already pre-washed, these pants come with an immediate lived-in feel.
Material: Cotton herringbone twill | Colors: 2 | Size: XS–XXL
Best Outerwear: Buck Mason Felted Blanket Coat
What We Love: It’s outerwear you’ll reach for season after season.
What We Don’t Love: At nearly $350, it’s an investment.
It makes sense that Buck Mason would have a killer instinct when it comes to outerwear. The jackets featured in the latest collection all have a quality about them that makes them impossible to place in 2023, in the best way.
This blanket coat is the perfect example. Created without closure, this coat was made to be worn in a chilly office or airplane, slung over cashmere. It’s the de facto coat for in-between weather. And whether it's covering a matching sweat suit or a silky dress, it always feels just right.
Material: Felted merino wool | Colors: Black | Size: XS–XXL
Best Dress: Buck Mason Silken Twill Studio Shirt Dress
What We Love: This is the official answer to, “What should I wear?”
What We Don’t Love: Silk lovers might have to adjust to the material.
A great shirtdress is hard to find. And even when it’s discovered, the care instructions alone are essay-length. Buck Mason’s silken twill material is machine washable and releases wrinkles in a way silk never could. To the blind eye, the blend looks just as polished. This dress’s belt can easily be swapped for something leather or even a scarf. Wear it unbelted with an alpaca sweater on top or keep it tidy with a belt and a fringe jacket on top. The options are endless.
Material: Silken twill | Colors: 2 | Size: XS–XXL
Best Shirt: Buck Mason Heirloom Cotton Ojai Shirt
What We Love: The laid-back top to pair with any and all pants in your closet.
What We Don’t Love: Slightly sheer, which might impact some shoppers.
Nothing in the Buck Mason line is overtly feminine, and this shirt is the perfect encapsulation. While the sleeves have a slight billow to them, the true grace comes from the slightly sheer material. The band collar and voluminous body pair for a silhouette that lives up to the name.
Details include a partial placket, stepped hem, self-gusset, and gathered shoulders and center back. The garment-washed material, a signature of the brand, makes it feel like a classic in your wardrobe from the very first wear.
Material: Cotton voile | Colors: 2 | Size: XS–XXL
Best for Traveling: Buck Mason Vintage Interloop Sweatpant
What We Love: This sweatpant feels intentional and ready to be mixed and matched.
What We Don’t Love: The slightly tighter fit of the leg looks great but isn’t quite as comfortable as a more oversized fit.
It turns out the ideal travel uniform is a pair of the brand’s Vintage Interloop sweatpants and a matching crewneck sweatshirt. I wore the very outfit to a dinner party the night after previewing the collection and was just as surprised as my fellow guests at how darling the outfit looked paired with Mary Janes and a chore coat.
The giftability of these sweats cannot be overstated. This holiday season, give the gift of pants that ooze comfort, without losing their cool. Plus, they’re available in tons of neutral shades.
Material: French terry (cotton) | Colors: 6 | Size: XS–XXL
Best Layering Piece: Buck Mason Featherweight Silk Cashmere Long Sleeve Crew
What We Love: You’ll wonder how you made it through a winter without this top.
What We Don’t Love: At nearly $150, it’s a bit expensive for a layering piece.
We know and love Buck Mason’s materials, but this top might be the pinnacle of the team’s expertise. With sleeves meant to be worn a little longer than usual, this shirt’s attention to detail is impressive for such a simple design. Sizing up is suggested here as well unless you’re going for a tighter fit, in which case, take your normal size. It’s worth noting that, unlike the rest of the line, this top is dry clean only.
Material: Rib knit from merino wool, silk, and cashmere | Colors: 2 | Size: XS–XXL
Our Testing Process
To find the best Buck Mason pieces, InStyle contributor Erika Veurink visited the store on Bleecker Street in New York City, where the Buck Mason team kindly met with her to walk through the latest collection. With the entire collection — including new arrivals, basics, and vintage — in front of her, she was able to carefully consider each piece before selecting the 10 that suited a host of occasions and stylistic types. Veurink reviewed dozens of items with the brand’s designer, going over fabric feel and tips for wearability. After seeing the pieces merchandised, Veurink took the time to try them on for practicality and attention to detail. For even further insight, InStyle writer Kaelin Dodge and editor Christopher Luu weighed in.
What to Keep in Mind
Material
Perhaps Sullivan’s touch can be felt most profoundly in Buck Mason’s choices of materials. Cotton comes from Pima, sometimes woven alongside cashmere or silk and often taking on the texture and character of those materials, like in the case of the Silken Twill Studio Shirt Dress.
InStyle commerce writer Kaelin Dodge says she spent most of last summer in this stretch cotton scoop-neck dress that draped her body in “a casual but surprisingly sexy way,” subtly hugging her curves. “The cotton blend is beyond soft and breathable, and, despite being lightweight, it maintained its A-line shape through every wear and wash.” Another thing? The Pima cotton gets softer with every wash — a detail that has made Senior News Editor Christopher Luu a major brand enthusiast. “[The cotton] gets that nearly impossible-to-describe worn-in nonchalance that comes with actually wearing clothes,” he says. Similarly, the twill weaves offer a heaviness that makes them feel like an heirloom to come. Even the knits, on the higher end of the price spectrum for the line, feel just as soft as their more expensive counterparts.
Size
The one takeaway that was cemented for me after trying on much of the collection in real life was that Buck Mason tends to run small. I would suggest at least trying a size or two above what you normally take. And since many of the pieces, like the classic Buck Mason Mainstay Shirt and the Baja Twill Studio Jumpsuit, are intended to fit a bit oversized, this rule applies across the board. Also, sizing generally runs from XS to XXL, which could be expanded in the future for more accessibility. Luckily, pants run long and usually with an option to cuff or artfully roll (this could even be the case for the aforementioned jumpsuit), sometimes even with buttons for this express purpose.
Outfit Scenario
Part of what makes Buck Mason such a focused and streamlined brand is its commitment to casual cool, even in categories that traditionally feel stuffier, like holiday dressing. If you work in a space where highly formal suiting is the norm, some of Buck Mason’s pieces might read a little too laid-back. It’s also important to consider the rest of your wardrobe. Do you gravitate toward silhouettes you see at Buck Mason? If you can imagine the basics, like the Buck Mason Baywood Herringbone Twill Utility Pull-on Pant, in a number of sartorial situations (be it work, day, or weekend wear), the brand is a great fit for you.
Your Questions, Answered
Who designs for Buck Mason’s women’s collection?
Tess Sullivan is Head of Design and Creative at Buck Mason Women’s. She’s been working with the brand for almost three years.
Where can I shop Buck Mason in person?
You can search by location here, but Buck Mason has a host of stores across the country.
Why Shop With Us
Erika Veurink is a writer with almost five years of experience covering fashion and beauty stories. To write this story, she personally met with the team at Buck Mason, including womenswear designer Tess Sullivan, at the women’s store on Bleecker Street in New York City, to talk about the designs and history of Buck Mason. After inspecting the collection, she individually picked the best Buck Mason pieces to feature in this story.
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