18 Australian Menswear Brands You Need To Know

Founded in Melbourne in 1975, Politix has become an Australian menswear staple and has helped Aussie men make their mark, by getting to know the person behind the suit and elevating their personal style through skilful design and time-honoured craftsmanship.

Politix were one of the pioneers of the slim-fit suit in Australia but there’s much more to the brand than just suits. In 2022, Politix offer a complete collection spanning elevated casual, businesswear, formalwear and black tie, with an emphasis on quality materials and versatility.

This includes garments made using Australian and organic cotton, high-quality Australian wool and premium linens chosen for not only their aesthetic and textural qualities but also for their robust nature.

Assembly Label started in 2011 as a marriage between wardrobe staples and exclusive fabrics that don’t usually feature in the realm of menswear basics. Their collections never stray far from the wardrobe essentials – tees, shorts, and shirts – that guys will be wearing year after year despite the sartorial fluctuations of high-street design. They’ve also got premium gear in silk-linen blends that promise an easy transition from the everyday hustle to the bar stool.

Their best-sellers are simple, monochrome items like a staple white shirt, tee, or thin crewneck. Stuff that every guy needs, but doesn’t necessarily get in a quality fabric that offers several seasons of good wear.

Another fraternal partnership between a couple of mates with a promising idea and lots of ticker, Venroy started off modestly as a wholesale business in suburban Sydney in the late 00’s. Promising world-class swim shorts for the Australian coastal ‘leisure life’, Venroy have since evolved into one of our most exciting home-grown luxury fashion brands.

They’ve been applauded (and blamed) for the growing acceptability of above-the-knee boardies and seem poised to capture a bigger slice of the oceanside apparel market as the years roll on, by introducing shirts and knits to their collection. Uniquely, they don’t offer seasonal collections and stock a full house all the time – ensuring blokes across the globe have the right kit for their climate.

These guys aren’t shy retailers. Their Bondi flagship is right in the middle of the action and they can also be found in Paddington for those of you who only get to the beach on weekends. For shoppers outside Sydney, David Jones or their slick online store is your ticket to immaculate summer vibes. Alternatively, they’ve just opened a boutique in Italy’s picturesque Capri – giving the Mediterranean a taste of Antipodean style.

Founded in 2006 by Declan Wise and Jono Salfield in the small coastal town of Byron Bay, streetwear brand, Afends is inspired by surfing and skateboarding culture. Afends is constantly evolving from range to range, adapting and inspiring future trends but without losing sight of their effervescent ethos and style.

Afends strives to create and deliver durable, eco-friendly, and timeless apparel that’ll last you a lifetime, and you’ll find cool t-shirts, shirts, jackets, hoodies, jeans, shorts, and swimwear in soft organic and premium fabrics in muted pastel colours and coastal-vibe prints.

SIR. is a contemporary fashion label founded in 2014 that delivers a collection of elevated wardrobe essentials. Launched in response to a gap in the market for minimal wardrobe staples that truly captured the spirit of the Australian lifestyle, SIR draws inspiration from musings past and present to create fashions that reflect the now but are forever wearable.

You’ll find nothing but elevated basics when shopping with SIR. Tees, shirts, sweaters, hoodies, shorts, pants… All of SIR. (also known as SIR the label)’s clothing is extremely simple in style but oozes elegance thanks to premium fabrics and neutral colour palettes.”

M.J. Bale is an Australian-owned gentlemen’s clothier making garments of integrity for men of character. Founded in 2009, the brand prides itself on tailoring expertise with natural fibres, particularly Australian merino wool.

With both formal and casual wear on offer, M.J. Bale has everything you need to build a sophisticated wardrobe. From expertly tailored suits and tuxedos to t-shirts and chinos, M.J. Bale has a versatile range of men’s clothing but the thing that ties them all together is the unwavering craftsmanship and use of premium fabrics.

Putting a fun and fresh twist on the cult classic Hawaiian shirt, Double Rainbouu was launched to provide men with cool shirts that feature vivid tropical prints inspired by the Australian seaside culture.

Founders Mikey Nolan & Toby Jones believe that “the beach in Australia is such a huge aspect of everyone’s lives” and therefore aims to reflect all types of Aussie beaches (the city beach, the small-town beach, deserted beaches, and crappy suburban beaches) in Double Rainbouu’s clothing. The result is colourful and bold tees, shirts, pants, shorts, and outerwear that’ll turn heads wherever you go.

Founded by Glenn Coleman and designed in Melbourne since 2006, Nana Judy is one of Australia’s premier streetwear brands for men. Fun, trend-setting and with a close connection to live music, Nana Judy is a brand that covers the menswear essentials such as jeans and t-shirts, but also produces some more statement pieces, such as the casual short-sleeve shirt seen in the image above.

The brand has a commitment to sustainability, too, and so uses recycled or compostable materials wherever possible. Plus, clothing is designed and crafted for years and years, meaning you can look good and feel great well into the future.

One of Australia’s biggest men’s fashion exports is cult label Song For The Mute. Helmed by friends Melvin Tanaya and Lyna Ty, the brand touted by Nick Wooster as “unique, not only to anything I’ve seen in Australia, but quite frankly, anything I’ve seen in the world”, proudly represents Australia on the runway and in major retailers around the world.

The young label’s uncompromising approach to design – a huge focus on finding just the right fabric and showcasing its texture – in dark and moody colour palettes – is why SFTM is a must-have in your wardrobe. Especially the outerwear. They’ve also just penned an exciting footwear collaboration with streetwear giant Adidas which is sure to get them noticed by overseas fashionistas.

Originally established in 2004 as a cashmere knitwear label, Jac + Jack offers simple menswear for the contemporary wardrobe. The ethos of Jac + Jack is ‘slow-fashion’, meaning the decade-old apparel house prioritises authenticity: paying attention to detail, manufacturing, and design.

Its founders, Jacqueline ‘Jac’ Hunt and Lisa ‘Jack’ Dempsey, work with actual textile mills and spinners to source their cashmere, merino wool, fine cotton, linen, and silks too. The defining style of their clothing is modern and basic, perfect for adding some classic essentials back into your daily routine. Come here for all your cashmere and knitwear needs, as well as their modern sweats collection.

Calibre has always been a brand ahead of its time. Launched in 1989 by Gary Zecevis, the brand pioneered the contemporary Australian slim cut as we know and understand it today, which for the time was an unique approach to the Australian male wardrobe.

Calibre offers both casual and formalwear, but both collections are linked by their tailored silhouette. You’ll find smart trousers that a cool older gent might wear, alongside a bold floral-printed shirt that was designed for end of year parties. Look out this winter for their rollnecks, sports jackets, and tailoring with a hint of 1970’s sartorialism (their leather jackets are showstoppers too).

Calibre is killing the menswear space right now with some of the best clothing in Australia. Get around it.

Launched in 2008 by a couple of pals on the East Coast, Zanerobe produces seasonal collections that revolve around a combination of street style basics – tees, pants, and workwear-inspired jackets (they do summer-friendly kits too).

Their elastic cuff pants are a big hit for their utilitarian, military-inspired aesthetic and comprise one of the primary legs of their collections. Project A – Zanerobe’s limited edition apparel – combines their characteristic street style aesthetic with premium international fabric selections from France, Japan, and beyond.

Zanerobe has a strong presence in Australian retail. While they’re yet to open a standalone down under, they’re a regular presence in department stores and large menswear retailers. Plus, they have a tidy online retail experience for anything you can’t find in brick-and-mortar locations.

NON-TYPE is the latest creation in the long history of design and fashion for its two founding members Gareth Moody and George Gorrow. The line is a morphing of genres, a modernist non-seasonal, non-trend focused ready to wear men’s collection.

This no fixed genre and a non-type rating approach is an open door with a license to roam across all aspects and fields of apparel, not limited to fashion and lifestyle but equally comfortable, touching on the premium surf world.

Remember Claude Maus? It was one of the best denim brands to ever be created in Australia until it was put to the sword by those guys at Project X. Well, the good news is Rob Maniscalco is back with a new brand called Templa Projects.

Templa is a luxury outdoor performance brand, specialising in alpine and urban outerwear that fuses a contemporary aesthetic with technical innovation for the fashion conscious outdoor adventurer.Think puffer jackets and vests made from the most luxurious fabrics for the most extreme conditions. Get around it.

F*ck yeah, knitwear! Chris Ran Lin is the menswear designer that Australia needs. His designs have been showcased at MAFW much to the praise of the industry. In 2013, Chris Ran Lin launched his menswear label based in Melbourne. He believes in the unlimited potential of the knitted garment and combines old-school tailoring techniques with traditional craftsmanship.

Chris Ran Lin is the type of designer you would expect to see at Paris Fashion Week: bold, innovative, and not afraid to show Australian men how it’s done.

Fashion label Kloke is the brainchild of married couple Amy and Adam Coombes. Together they launched the Melbourne-based brand in 2011, to serve their progressive designs to the style-loving masses.

Their garments are technical yet tailored, easy to wear but conceptually rich, classic but kooky. The Kloke goal is to create clothing that will become their wearers’ favourite pieces, and if their success so far is anything to go by, they seem to be doing exactly that.

Sustainable and luxurious, Bassike is a casual but smart menswear label that was founded in 2006. Launched by Deborah Sams and Mary-Lou Ryan, Bassike’s philosophy is about all structure with style.

Their collections are known for an effortless approach to basics, offering plain tees, shirts, trousers, and shorts in organic, soft cotton. A more tailored look has crept in of late, with a selection of blazers and cuffed low-crotch trousers. The label’s sunglasses range is worth a look-in, while their denim is Japanese-sourced, light, and washed – riding well for summer.

Last but not least, we have an Australian staple: R. M. Williams. Best known for its legendary work boots, the 91-year-old brand also produces a rather stylish range of apparel, too. As R. M. himself once said, “a man doesn’t work any worse for looking a whole lot better.”

You’ll find plenty of old-school classics here, like rugby polos, hard-wearing button-ups, dapper belts and crisp chinos, but you’ll also find more modern fare such as elegantly-cut t-shirts, jeans and techwear. Like the brand’s boots, many of RM’s menswear is also made in Australia, a rarity these days. With old-school Australiana coming back into fashion – and high-quality, durable menswear having never gone out of style – R. M. Williams is your one-stop shop for effortless retro cool.