The Best Robes

We tried on each robe and took notes about its feel. Bruce Cohen, president and owner of Boca Terry, told us to check the stitching on the side seams, armholes, and the bottom hems, so we looked at these areas, as well as the overall construction. We measured each robe’s sleeve length and overall length down the middle of the back. Then we washed and dried them once and checked for snags, pilling, and any problems at the seams. We tried them on again, eliminated a few that hadn’t held up well in the wash, and measured each robe a second time to determine shrinkage. In 2017, a panel of six testers (a group of family members together for the holidays, composed of three men, two women, and one little girl), tried on the robes that made it through to this second round of testing. We noted the fit on different body types, and they gave us their thoughts on what they liked and disliked, the materials they prefer, and which robes they’d reach for again. This helped us eliminate a few more.