I’m Bill, and I’m an avid traveler. So much so that in 2019 I finally took the plunge and started my own site dedicated to travel. (Hindsight, not the BEST year to do that, lol - but it gave me time to find my voice and figure out what I wanted my site to be; it turned into a travel product review site). That site was and is Always Wander.

I review travel bags, travel clothing, and travel accessories. As you can see I’m also big on the Oxford comma. I like the optimization aspect of travel gear/clothing. Cutting down on the clutter, and focusing on things that can make that trip just a bit easier. Sometimes that’s a product, sometimes that’s a tip.

I love tech clothing designed for travel. I like learning about the fabrics. The travel friendly features. And applying my experience to decide: gimmick or legit?

Also (perhaps just like you) - I’m short.

I’m not one of those “country collectors” checking off boxes for the 14 and a half minutes they spent walking around Khao San Road “finding themself” and moving on to the next country. I follow and strive to create experiences. That said I’ve been around, and I’ve traveled well over 1 million miles since 2014 when I began tracking that in an app. So the packing and clothing I bring is something I seriously consider.

I like to walk around a new city slowly. Get a feel for a full neighborhood. Yeah of course I will hit the tourist spots - but I like to head to the side streets and find the coffee shop that “Joe Normal I Live Around The Corner” goes to. I’m always armed with a local language “thank you”. For instance, I loved the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto as most do. But what I REALLY loved was the 40 minute walk back to our hotel with my wife through a purely local Kyoto area where we discovered a roadside couple (wicked old, like 80’s, and hey the wife loved Toy Story) that were selling hand-ground Sansho. If you’ve never experienced fresh Sansho peppercorns you need to seek those out. Just an incredible thing to stumble upon. So go the way of Robert Frost - take the road less traveled. Ease into it. Then be challenged.

One thing I don’t want to be challenging? MY CLOTHING.

Today there is an absolute WEALTH of travel focused clothing. Tech fabrics. Natural fabrics. Zippers. Hidden pockets. Versatility. It’s like a golden age and certainly a good time to be a travel product review site!

The sizing however? Brutal. Every brand is different. Product to product is different. And the worst of it? Finding a pair of pants you dig and you scroll down to find that dreaded lowest number inseam: 30in. Total gut punch. Having that new shirt shipped and finding out you need to hem the sleeves because it’s sized for the bigger, taller brother you don’t have? Not my bag.

Under 5'10 presents great value, and they have been making really solid fabric decisions and trying to improve all the time. I’ve been buying from them for a couple years now. Most of their clothes are targeted to be casual and multi-situation, and I’ve been totally comfortable rocking their stuff around town, museums, and casual or even slightly elevated dinners (like their jeans and collared shirts for instance, or chinos). I’m from New England and lean preppy, so I like the easiness of their clothing to still help me look like an adult. I am not a fan of traveling in pajamas. No shade - just not me.

THE FIT. Kind of buried the lede there, eh? I’m 5’6” so inseams, sleeves, shirt hems, etc. can be a real issue. Under 5'10 has patterns made for us, so the length and size changes don’t change the fit of the pieces. No need to hem the pants 5 inches and turn them into a square leg. If you know you know. The fit is fantastic, and I’ve tried it against their biggest competitors, too. I want to look good and feel good about it - so I’ll forgo purely “travel” and “tech” clothing brands for the fit nearly every time. Look and comfort. Super important to me.

Chinos (Stretch, Extra Stretch, Lite Stretch)

I’ve been an owner of pretty much all of their chinos. I work in Tech, but still go to the office and so I like to rock chinos in a casual way with sneakers, though sometimes I do put on my English oxfords to spice it up a little. Get wild, huh?  

This year, their Lightweight Stretch chinos have so far been a winner for me. Dolphin gray, Navy, and Sand pictured below. The addition of Tencel to the blend helps to make them lighter and more breathable for the warmer weather. Plus once you get pants with stretch in them, you’ll never go back. But that taper and fit - made for us! I’ve worn them all over New York, as well as on trips to DC. I plan on taking them with me on future travels as well due to their versatility.

Performance Stretch Shirt

Bought two of these last year when they came out and they are regulars at work and around town for me when I - again - want to look like an adult but be secretly comfortable. I’m also not a big athleisure guy, so these work great for me and can even throw a sports coat-jacket over it (this is an outdoor jacket I wore for the walk to dinner, not a real suit jacket). Really easy travel shirt.

Pique Performance Shirt

This is kind of part two of their casual stretch shirts line. Pique fabric is what you’d see in a polo, but this is styled more like a button down. A look that I frankly prefer. This is another great around town, museum day kind of shirt and I will be wearing this on my flights in September for a trip to France. Remember - comfortable but still look like an adult. That’s just me. Bars, restaurants, cafes, etc. Perfect for that. What I really like is how it’s slimmer in the arms, but a little wider, yet still short, on the hem. Feels and looks great.

Cords and Jeans

Just noting here, but if you’ve seen my reviews you know I own multiple pairs of their jeans and most colors of the cords. The Mocha color cords are pictured below. They are my most-worn pants in the winter and cooler months and I frankly love them. I even bought backups in case they ever change the fit!

Are they right for you? Only you know that. But another thing I’ve taken advantage of is Under 5’10’s extremely easy returns. To me, that says they want you to be happy and let you find your fit. I use it often.

Much of my daily and travel wardrobe is Under 5’10, which I bought myself. I’ve chosen fit and “do I look good” over the techiest I can get. I said in a review: “Clothing can make your confidence. Anyone that has ever worn a custom suit or shirt or pants can tell you that. It’s a wildly different thing to have clothing that was made for you (or was made with you in mind in the case of Under 5’10). I can’t stress that enough.”

It’s a game changer in life and you just feel better when you really nail that fit. That’s something that’s been a challenge in years past. Under 5’10 is helping to change that.

I’m only here because they found my Reviews, but I’m happy to be here and was happy to shout about my experiences with their clothing. You should check them out, too.

Written by Bill Ferguson