Have you ever thought about buying from Peter Manning NYC? Whether you have or not, you should check out this review first.
Men have a problem. We don’t come in standard shapes or sizes, but our clothing does. Unless you’re 5’9” and above, clothing isn’t going to fit you. That’s where Peter Manning NYC comes in. They’re an apparel brand designed to fit the shorter man and do it with quality materials.
This in-depth, unsponsored review covers virtually their entire casual line: shirts, T-shirts, jeans, chinos, shorts, and outerwear. We’ll cover what fits, what doesn’t, and whether the materials are up to par.
About Peter Manning NYC
As you might think, Peter Manning NYC is named for one Peter Manning. Manning is a vet of New York’s theater scene who, at about 5’6”, found it hard to find off-the-rack clothing made for his height. In 2013, he and business partner Jeff Hansen founded the eponymous brand. Hansen is a longtime apparel and textile industry exec with experience in skincare, lingerie, sheets, and preppy styling.
Target Market and Sizing
The brand targets men under 5’9”. While the ‘theme’ is NYC and the general aesthetic is East Coast prep, some of the early collections had some odd, one-off pieces. Take, for example, a camo field jacket. But, part of the luxury of being a smaller brand is the ability to be nimble and try things, even if they don’t always work.
The brand’s hook, though, is an innovative sizing system. Instead of S-XL like most, they use sizes 1-4. They base this sizing on body measurements. The other, as referenced in this excellent brand profile from the industry journal WWD, is based on vanity. No one likes to be called “small,” and many of the target demographic have likely dealt with that for much of their experience. Let’s change the narrative.
Peter Manning Today and Current Offerings
Today, the brand continues to evolve. In 2021, Jeff Hansen bought out Peter Manning. He had plans to expand into multiple brick-and-mortar locations, but that didn’t pan out. As he expanded the brand’s offerings, he created a ‘performance’ line called Bandanny. It’s an odd name, but he integrates it into some of the brand’s products.
Hansen opened a Fit Shop in the Flatiron district in New York City where you can try on products for fit but can’t buy anything. It’s a similar shopping experience to Blue Nile showrooms or Bonobos Guide shops. You can try on products to get a feel for fit and fabric and then decide to purchase. Even though you can’t walk out with anything, Peter Manning NYC offers same-day shipping. It’s a positive because if you’re a visitor to the Big Apple, it’s one less shopping bag to lug around.
And if you’re wondering, product design is in New York. However, the manufacturing is fairly global. My chinos, shorts, and denim overshirt are made in China. The Italian denim is, indeed, made in Italy. The T-shirts and lightweight sweaters for most products are made in China.
The brand has a decent approach. In a hypercompetitive marketplace, direct-to-consumer brands (especially the ones created from business school capstones) seek an ‘edge.’ They claim some proprietary technology or make up a need that really isn’t there to sell you something. With Peter Manning, the need really is there.
Peter Manning’s style is rather classic. Jeff Hansel says, “Our guys are not fashion guys. They don’t want the latest from Tom Ford. They just want pants that fit.” So, how does the product stack up?
What I Tried
In 2022, we did a fairly comprehensive review of Peter Manning NYC. Brock’s verdict was a mixed bag. He felt the materials were good enough, but some fits didn’t work for him. In some cases, they were a little long. In others, they were too full to look good on a shorter, slimmer guy like him.
I’m a little bigger than Brock, but still solidly in the ‘short’ guy category. If you’re reading this, you probably are, too. I stand between 5’7” and 5’8” and weigh about 155 pounds. While two kids make it harder to manage diet and fitness the way I once did, I still try to maintain an athletic drop between my chest and waist. Most ‘mall’ brands put me in either a 38 or (ideally) 39 Short suit, a small t-shirt, and a 30 waist on a pair of off-the-rack pants.
We wanted to do an updated review of Peter Manning NYC. So, here’s what I tried:
- Jeans- Italian Selvedge (sounds like I may need to size up to a 31×30)
- chinos: Navy 30×29
- shorts: Stone 30 x 7
- Joggers: All Day Sweatpant: Oatmeal 30/27
- tee or polo: Vintage Crew, Olive, Size 4
- button down/up: Dark wash Denim, size 4
- sweater or sweatshirt: Olive hoodie, size 4
- outerwear: Leather Bomber Jacket: Brown, size 4
What Works
A few pieces provided a good fit, construction and feel, while others missed the mark. Here’s what worked for me. Keep in mind that everyone is built differently, so what works for my frame may not work for you.
The Jeans
Jeff Hansen’s other line is called Bandanny. Billed as ‘size inclusive’ pants, they’re co-branded under Peter Manning NYC. Sizing notes say they fit slim and advise you to size up. Since vanity sizing on many mainstream brands is so out of whack, I routinely have to size to a 30 or even a 29 to fit my 32-33” natural waist. Here, I took a 31. True to the product description, they were snug. Going up to a 32 fits well in the thigh. The waist was good at first, but after a couple of wearings, it definitely loosened up. It’s still necessary to have a belt, but they’re not falling off of me.
These jeans have plenty of stretch to them. They aren’t the stretchiest, which I’m okay with. I want my jeans to have a little rigidity. It’s too stretchy, and you may as well just put on sweatpants. But it’s far from stiff, raw denim. These are Italian selvedge denim and have unfinished hallmarks. I could get away with a shorter inseam than the 30 I chose, but I like to roll up these kinds of jeans.
If I have one gripe, it’s that the hem is a little narrow for where my fit preferences are these days. Another half-inch might work best for me. But if you’ve got slim legs, these will work just fine.
The Shorts
Initially, I tried a seven-inch short, which was just too long. The 5” is much better; I think it frames my body nicely. The leg openings are a little snug but not terrible. I also really like the stone colorway. While I’ve styled them with the hoodie, it’s also easy to dress these up.
The Hoodie
I’m not much of a ‘hoodie’ kind of guy. But this one is quite good for a few reasons. The color is more of a true green olive. It’s a little different but in a good way. The fabric is medium-weight. Made with a little stretch, it moves along with you. It’s fantastically comfortable. What really does it for me, though, is the fit. The sleeves are short enough, so I don’t need to roll the cuffs up. The hem hits where it should. Whew.
The Tee (largely)
It’s surprisingly hard to find a good T-shirt. They’re either 2000s club shirts, snug, or ultra-boxy. Length is less important to me as I’ve fully embraced my inner ‘dad’ by tucking a t-shirt in. We’re in good shape if it fits through the chest and arms.
That’s largely the case here. The tee is surprisingly long for a brand supposedly targeting shorter guys. We’ll see if it shrinks up a little in the wash. It’ll likely work for me, but if you’re under 5’6”, this will probably still be too long for you.
What does fit, though, is the chest and arms. It accentuates where it should and is pretty trim through the body. An inch or so less in length, and PM NYC might have a real winner.
What Doesn’t Work
If you order many pieces and they all fit or work for you, it’s short of a miracle. Not everything you try will work for you, and that’s okay. Here are the Peter Manning NYC pieces I tried but weren’t a good fit.
The Leather Jacket
The leather jacket fit me okay through the chest and shoulders. The sleeve length is pretty good, too. But I stand 5’8” in shoes, and this is quite long for how this jacket style should fit. If it’s too long on me and I’m near the top of their height bracket, I imagine it will be long on you. Additionally, at least for this jacket style, the waist is pretty full. But I am a slimmer-than-average guy. This jacket might work for you if you’re of average fullness through the waist.
However, the lambskin shell is good for the price point. Not being much of a leather jacket aficionado, I don’t have too much to judge on. But it’s soft, pliable, and smells fantastic. It’s got a dressier sheen to it- but not in the synthetic ‘pleather’ cheap ones have.
The Chinos
About five years ago, Peter Manning gifted me tobacco chinos. They broke in really well and fit great. I wore them everywhere—so much so that I wore the crotch out on them! I’m not as much a fan of the 2024 version. The 29X29 fits well in the waist and looks okay in the photos here, but they feel pretty snug through the thigh. I wonder if the ‘stretch’ factor is backfiring and clinging to my thighs.
The Joggers
Given my weekends consist of chasing a couple of kiddos around, I sometimes mail it in and throw on a pair of joggers. I was expecting to like these more than I do. The fabric is pretty good- definitely a techy workout pant. It’s also kind of cooling, which is nice. But, on my legs, they fit like stretch pants. And $125 is a ton of money for any pair of pants. These are up there with Lululemon’s ABC model. However, the inseams at 27” fit me well. And if you’re around 5’5” or below, the 25” inseam will be great for you.
The Denim Shirt
The denim shirt is comfortable enough, and I don’t mind wearing darker denim. It fits okay, as well, especially if you style it open around the house or slightly unbuttoned with a white crewneck underneath. What I’m not a fan of is the collar. While I get that it’s targeted for shorter guys with smaller faces, a collar still needs room to roll. That way, you get a beautiful ‘S’ curve framing your face. At 2.5”, this isn’t big enough. If you’ve got a smaller neck, it’ll make it look worse.
Styling Options for Peter Manning NYC
I think it’s helpful to put together a lookbook for you. And, as I believe it’s one of the good things about TMM, I’ve deliberately chosen less stylized and heavily produced photographs. This is me, a regular dude on an average day, wearing what I wear to take the dog out and work at my desk while spinning some prog rock on vinyl.
Peter Manning Leather Jacket and Bandanny Jeans
For our first look, we’ve got the jacket and jeans—definitely the most ‘refined’ look of the bunch. I’d probably not walk out to the grocery store or take my kids to the park in this outfit, but it’s perfect for a weeknight happy hour.
You can see the fullness in the jacket waist and how it’s just a *little* long in the torso. The sleeve length is great, though, and I really do like this iteration of the jacket collar. Previous versions put smaller pieces of leather together, almost like panels. This uses much bigger pieces, which is a step in the right direction. However, I think they could still go slimmer in the torso to capture what a jacket like this should be.
You can also see how much I’ve rolled the jeans up. Now, these are with Chelsea boots, and I was going for a no-break look. But it’s easy to get them hemmed if you’d like.
Hoodie and Shorts
Though I haven’t worn these shorts much yet (it’s getting colder where I live), I think the fit is really good. They don’t *look* as snug through the thigh as they feel, but I expect they’ll continue to loosen and soften with some more wear. Additionally, I dig the color. It’s easy to dress up a pair of shorts in this shade.
Next, the hoodie. The olive is a bit more green in real life than under the studio lighting for the product photos, but it’s an aesthetically pleasing shade. You could wear it with shorts if you want. Usually, I wear jeans or some navy chinos. The fit, though, is spot on.
Chinos and a Button Down
We’ll take the shorts and swap them for chinos. Yes, they look good in the photos, and the length is perfect for that non-break look. But they feel a little more snug. Perhaps a few more wearings will help to loosen them up in the thigh.
I’ve actually taken to wearing the button-down shirt untucked, almost like a work shirt. It’s a little fuller through the waist but starting to break in nicely. I can see why PM NYC made the design decision for the smaller collar; however, I think it’s just too small. A bigger collar will allow more ‘roll’ and better frame all but the smallest faces.
The Verdict: Is Peter Manning NYC Good for Short Guys?
Like almost any major brand today, Peter Manning NYC has hits and misses. It targets shorter guys and offers a fairly classic style with an East Coast, preppy-type aesthetic. But, they branch out into athleisure, leatherwear, and premium denim.
I like the basics. The jeans, tee, and hoodie are all very good. As someone who works out of the house and chases two rugrats around, it’s a welcome fit. Even when sitting all day at a desk, stretchy denim is wonderful to have. And it’s nice to wash dishes without rolling up my sweatshirt sleeves.
I think the brand has inconsistencies, though. I’d like to see a slimmer, more tapered profile in the leather jacket. Even if you don’t have a super-slim figure, a little closer fit would be more flattering. Second, the chinos look decent but may require more wear to loosen up and drape on my body the way I’d like. Additionally, while it does seem they’re moving toward more proportional dress shirt collars, I’d like to see a larger collar on the denim shirt.
Thanks so much for reading.
Do you have experience with Peter Manning? Leave a comment below!
