The Best COS Menswear in 2025 for Budget-Savvy Minimalists
StyleThe low-key London label delivers menswear that punches far above its price tag. Here's where you should start.By Tyler Lee SparlingMay 9, 2025Photographs: COS. Collage: Sarah CassutoSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.Leo DaVinci, the original design nerd, supposedly once proclaimed, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” London-born label COS has taken that alleged declaration to heart for nearly 20 years, mastering affordable, wearable minimalism so effectively that the store lives in its own tier; somewhere between a mall brand and a European fashion house.One one hand, COS doggedly delivers a line-up of refined wardrobe staples, from chinos to knits to basics, that stay in our closets for years on end. But the brand's real strength is that it also shows up every season with a crop of pieces that channel the “less is more luxury” style of capital-F fashion labels like The Row, Lemaire, and Yohji Yamamoto—all at prices that don't take a hammer to your budget.Time after time, month after month, COS quietly delivers menswear that punches above its price tag without going into dupe mode. Which is why it stays bookmarked—and why we've decided to pull some of our favorites off its racks.The Best of COS' Menswear, by CategoryThe Designer-Adjacent Jacket: Utility Bomber Jacket, $425The Pared-Down Polo: Bouclé Knit Polo, $99The Sophisticated Suit: Relaxed Double-Breasted Linen Blazer, $290The Better Bag: Slouchy Leather Tote Bag, $190The Streamlined Shirt: Linen Short-Sleeve Shirt, $99Outstanding OuterwearIt’s no secret that we love a lightweight jacket at the GQ office, and COS enables our addiction by consistently churning out transitional hits. Tailored bombers, investment leather, and shirt jackets are just scratching the surface.COSCamp-Collar Leather Jacket$590 COSCOSLinen-Blend Utitlity Overshirt$220 COSCOSRelaxed Denim Overshirt$165 COSCOSUtility Bomber Jacket$425 COSBig Knits for Bigger FitsThis is one category where COS has crushed for years. Knitwear makes up a big part of any closet, and COS turns out stellar sweaters, polos, cardigans, and beyond. Nothing flashy, all in colors that'll sync up with your wardrobe as it stands—though the brand will gladly help you venture into new territory with something like a knit blazer, a favorite cardigan’s less expected cousin.COSBouclé Knit Polo$99 COSCOSDouble-Faced Bomber-Neck Sweater$135 COSCOSKnitted Linen Blazer$190 COSCOSMilano-Knit Cotton Shirt$120 COSTasteful TailoringNowhere do the philosophically Scandinavian vibes of COS show themselves more prominently than its suiting. Hidden buttons closures, relaxed shapes, and hybrid shirt-blazers avoid gimmick, and land in effortlessness. No, the fabrics aren't the finest wools and the construction isn't going to mistaken for Saville Row, but at these prices, you can get geared up for a workwear revamp or summer weddings, plural, without destroying your own out-of-office budget.COSRelaxed Double-Breasted Linen Blazer$290 COSCOSRelaxed Linen Straight-Leg Pants$165 COSCOSUnstructured Three-Button Blazer$220 COSCOSTailored Straight-Leg Pants$120 COSA Better BagCOS would like you to know that there are more options than either a canvas tote and a branded work swag backpack. The brand's nylon line went viral basically for delivering Prada cool on a Pepsi budget. It's leather bags also hit the mark, too. And you'll even find a few options that step outside the brand's studied nonchalance, like this quilted crossbody.COSWater-Repellent Nylon Crossbody Bag$120 COSCOSSlouchy Leather Tote Bag$190 COSCOSUtility Nylon Crossbody Bag$89 COSCOSLeather Duffle Backpack$350 COSButton-Ups That Don’t Feel So Buttoned-UpThe purest distillation of COS’s minimalism is its shirting. You could build an unshakeable capsule wardrobe foundation out of its classic button-ups and easy oxfords. Lately, though, we've been cashing in on the brand's boxy collared short-sleeves and exaggerated camp collars in a soft washed linen.COSRelaxed Linen Shirt$99 COSCOSLinen Short-Sleeved Shirt$99 COSCOSBoxy Short-Sleeved Shirt$89 COSCOSSignature Cotton Shirt$165 COS
All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.
Leo DaVinci, the original design nerd, supposedly once proclaimed, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” London-born label COS has taken that alleged declaration to heart for nearly 20 years, mastering affordable, wearable minimalism so effectively that the store lives in its own tier; somewhere between a mall brand and a European fashion house.
One one hand, COS doggedly delivers a line-up of refined wardrobe staples, from chinos to knits to basics, that stay in our closets for years on end. But the brand's real strength is that it also shows up every season with a crop of pieces that channel the “less is more luxury” style of capital-F fashion labels like The Row, Lemaire, and Yohji Yamamoto—all at prices that don't take a hammer to your budget.
Time after time, month after month, COS quietly delivers menswear that punches above its price tag without going into dupe mode. Which is why it stays bookmarked—and why we've decided to pull some of our favorites off its racks.
The Best of COS' Menswear, by Category
- The Designer-Adjacent Jacket: Utility Bomber Jacket, $425
- The Pared-Down Polo: Bouclé Knit Polo, $99
- The Sophisticated Suit: Relaxed Double-Breasted Linen Blazer, $290
- The Better Bag: Slouchy Leather Tote Bag, $190
- The Streamlined Shirt: Linen Short-Sleeve Shirt, $99
Outstanding Outerwear
It’s no secret that we love a lightweight jacket at the GQ office, and COS enables our addiction by consistently churning out transitional hits. Tailored bombers, investment leather, and shirt jackets are just scratching the surface.
Big Knits for Bigger Fits
This is one category where COS has crushed for years. Knitwear makes up a big part of any closet, and COS turns out stellar sweaters, polos, cardigans, and beyond. Nothing flashy, all in colors that'll sync up with your wardrobe as it stands—though the brand will gladly help you venture into new territory with something like a knit blazer, a favorite cardigan’s less expected cousin.
Tasteful Tailoring
Nowhere do the philosophically Scandinavian vibes of COS show themselves more prominently than its suiting. Hidden buttons closures, relaxed shapes, and hybrid shirt-blazers avoid gimmick, and land in effortlessness. No, the fabrics aren't the finest wools and the construction isn't going to mistaken for Saville Row, but at these prices, you can get geared up for a workwear revamp or summer weddings, plural, without destroying your own out-of-office budget.
A Better Bag
COS would like you to know that there are more options than either a canvas tote and a branded work swag backpack. The brand's nylon line went viral basically for delivering Prada cool on a Pepsi budget. It's leather bags also hit the mark, too. And you'll even find a few options that step outside the brand's studied nonchalance, like this quilted crossbody.
Button-Ups That Don’t Feel So Buttoned-Up
The purest distillation of COS’s minimalism is its shirting. You could build an unshakeable capsule wardrobe foundation out of its classic button-ups and easy oxfords. Lately, though, we've been cashing in on the brand's boxy collared short-sleeves and exaggerated camp collars in a soft washed linen.
