Don Kowalewski
Writer. Ad Sales and Marketing. Social Media Content Creator. Aeropress Coffee. Makes the best salsa in the world.
I Want Stuff, Part 3: Ash & Erie Because I’m Short
I have a confession. I’m short. My father was short(ish). His father was short. Three uncles on my mother’s side are short. I have 3 short older cousins. My other grandfather stood 5’4″ I hear. And no matter how I comb my hair . . .I’m still 5’5″.
So imagine how excited I was to learn about Ash & Erie …clothes for men under 5’8″.
You may ask . . .is that really a thing? If you ain’t short …you just wouldn’t understand. Walk into any store and most jeans are 32×30. 33×30. 31×30. I need 32×29 . . .the 29 being the inseam. When I buy off-the-rack, the 30-inch inseam is okay, but not great. I either have to alter the jeans or pants, cuff them, or live with the fact that the heel will fray because it’s just long enough that it drags on the ground when walking barefoot or in socks, or if you wear jeans and flip flops. 30-inch drags on the ground.
If you’re shorter than me …first, I salute you. Second, Ash & Erie have you covered with inseams starting at 25. Wow! I have so many short friends to tell about Ash & Erie.
I picked out the 32×29 Indigo Wash Essential Jean and 2 versions of the Heather Ash Grey Wrinkle Free Everyday Shirt (one sized Small Standard and one Medium Slim).
They arrived in less than 24 hours. The jeans …wow …perfect right out of the bag!!! I’ve never …and I mean never …ordered jeans online or bought off the rack and had them fit so perfectly. It’s like they were made for a short guy like me. Oh. Right. They were.
Both shirts were OK, but the Medium Slim fit my Dad-bod better. Now I’ll use their easy-return to send back the Small Standard fit shirt. What I love about the shirt are the sleeves. I roll up most of my sleeves on my casual and button-up dress shirts. I won’t be doing that with this Ash & Erie shirt.
This is BIG NEWS. The world’s had big and tall stores forever …it’s ’bout time someone opened a small and short store and mercifully didn’t call it that. The clothing plight of us short men is a real thing. Off-the-rack clothes are mostly for guys 5’8″ to 6’2″ and it’s a computerized pattern they simply alter and make a small version, and then an extra-large version. An extra-large man 6’6 or taller looks just as silly in ill-fitting clothes as a short man. Clothing manufacturers don’t change the button spacing, the zipper length on a quarter-zip weather shirt, and a bunch of other stuff. Recently I got a hand-me-up Vineyard Vines quarter zip from my son and it fits …but it’s obviously a little boys shirt. Don’t look at me. I’m ashamed. But look at me. Can you tell?
Thank you Ash & Erie …whoever you are. I’m adding “anything from Ash & Erie” to my Stuff I Want Page. In case you were stumped for ideas of things to buy me for Father’s Day …or my birthday …or Christmas …or just becuase.
Now I just gotta turn this Dad-bod into an elite-athlete bod’ to really do these amazing clothes justice.
Don Kowalewski 