M.J. Bale

M.J. Bale is an Australian menswear and fashion label headquartered in Sydney. Founded in 2009 by Matt Jensen, the company was established after Jensen’s earlier involvement in the Herringbone tailoring business and developed around a distinctly Australian interpretation of contemporary menswear. Its core proposition combines tailored clothing with more relaxed wardrobe pieces, placing particular emphasis on suits, jackets, shirts, trousers, knitwear, outerwear and accessories. The brand began with a focus on wool suits, cotton shirts, Italian silk ties and made-to-order garments. Its first retail store opened in Woollahra, Sydney, before the label expanded into department-store distribution through David Jones and Myer. M.J. Bale subsequently built a multichannel retail model comprising standalone stores, e-commerce and wholesale or concession distribution. By 2018, the company reported more than 50 stores across Australia and New Zealand; by 2025, reference material described a network of approximately 85 Australian retail locations, supported by online sales and department-store distribution. Tailoring remains central to the brand. Its offer ranges from formal business suits and tuxedos to separates and contemporary casualwear, allowing customers to assemble complete wardrobes rather than purchase only occasion-specific garments. M.J. Bale has also developed a profile through relationships with Australian sporting organisations, serving as official tailor to teams including the Wallabies, the Socceroos, the Australian Kangaroos and the Australian men’s Test cricket team. The company has used Australian wool and place-based supply stories as important elements of its identity. Its Kingston collection, introduced in 2017, uses superfine Merino wool sourced from Kingston Farm in Tasmania’s Northern Midlands. The wool is woven into worsted cloth in Italy by Vitale Barberis Canonico and made into suits in Japan. The Kingston relationship has also been linked to biodiversity conservation, habitat regeneration and farm-level product stewardship. M.J. Bale has conducted methane-reduced wool trials with Kingston Farm and Sea Forest Tasmania, investigating the use of asparagopsis seaweed in sheep diets and producing limited garments from the resulting wool. Sustainability has become a significant part of the brand’s public positioning. M.J. Bale achieved Climate Active certification in 2021 as a carbon-neutral organisation and product business, but withdrew from that program in September 2024. In April 2024, it received B Corporation certification with a score of 84.2. The company has also reported conservation commitments involving Kingston Farm and a donation connected with tuxedo sales to Fairyland, a conservation reserve on Tasmania’s Bruny Island. M.J. Bale’s public record also includes employment and regulatory issues. In 2019, the company disclosed retail wage underpayments involving annual leave loading, overtime and higher-duties payments, and repaid approximately A$500,000 including interest and superannuation. In 2025, M.J. Bale Group paid an A$198,000 ASIC infringement penalty relating to the late lodgement of audited financial reports. These matters sit alongside the brand’s continuing retail expansion, sustainability initiatives and positioning as an Australian menswear specialist.

M.J. Bale was established in Australia in 2009 by Matt Jensen, who had previously co-founded the tailoring label Herringbone. The new business began as a menswear specialist focused on wool suits, cotton shirts, Italian silk ties and made-to-order garments. Its first store opened in Woollahra, Sydney, establishing a physical retail presence around tailoring and premium wardrobe essentials. The business expanded its distribution early. By 2010, M.J. Bale products were being sold through selected David Jones and Myer department stores, complementing the company’s standalone retail operation. Over time, the brand developed a multichannel structure combining its own stores, online commerce and department-store distribution. Its range broadened beyond formal tailoring to include jackets, trousers, shirts, knitwear, outerwear, casual clothing and accessories. A major strand of the company’s identity has been the use of Australian wool and narratives of provenance. From 2015, M.J. Bale partnered with Kingston Farm in Tasmania’s Northern Midlands, a conservation-oriented Merino property containing a significant remnant of indigenous native grassland. In 2017, the partnership was formalised through a product-stewardship approach and the launch of the Kingston single-origin suiting collection. Wool sourced from the farm is woven into worsted cloth by the Italian mill Vitale Barberis Canonico and then manufactured into suits in Japan. A portion of sales from Kingston garments has been directed back toward farm-based habitat preservation, revegetation and land regeneration. The company also developed experimental work around lower-emissions wool. From 2020, M.J. Bale worked with Kingston Farm and Sea Forest Tasmania to test asparagopsis taxiformis, a native red seaweed used as a dietary supplement for sheep. The project investigated whether the supplement could reduce methane emissions from livestock. An initial trial involved 48 Merino sheep over approximately 300 days, with academic involvement including the University of Tasmania. Wool from the trials was used in limited garment and knitwear runs. Between 2021 and 2023, the partnership reported producing approximately 1.3 tonnes of methane-reduced superfine Merino wool, which was woven by Vitale Barberis Canonico and made into limited-edition jackets by Lubiam 1911 in Italy. M.J. Bale gained wider visibility through creative campaigns and sporting partnerships. It became official tailor to several Australian national teams, including the Wallabies, Socceroos, Australian Kangaroos and Australian men’s Test cricket team. In 2012, its Grazed on Greatness campaign won a Gold Lion in the public-relations category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity. The campaign linked a suit to Merino sheep that had grazed on grass from the Sydney Cricket Ground, generating attention in Australia and internationally. International exposure remained selective rather than representing a wholesale relocation of the business. In 2018, the company opened a temporary store at Westfield Century City in Los Angeles through the G'day USA initiative. At that time, the brand operated more than 50 stores across Australia and New Zealand. Its primary commercial base continued to be Australia, where it expanded its retail footprint and maintained department-store relationships. Sustainability certification became increasingly prominent. In 2021, M.J. Bale became Climate Active-certified as carbon neutral for both its organisation and products, following a lifecycle assessment of manufacturing and supply-chain emissions. Its stated measures included renewable-energy sourcing and environmental projects such as the Yarra Yarra Biodiversity Corridor. The company later withdrew from Climate Active in September 2024. In April 2024, it obtained B Corporation certification, recording a score of 84.2 under B Lab’s assessment framework. Retail development continued in parallel with the sustainability program. In March 2024, M.J. Bale opened a flagship at 1 Martin Place in central Sydney, inside the heritage-listed General Post Office building. Designed by Mandy Edge Design Studio, the store presents the company’s tailored and ready-to-wear collections. The business was described in 2025 as operating approximately 85 retail locations across Australia, alongside online sales and distribution through David Jones and Myer. The brand’s history also includes compliance controversies. In 2019, a staff wage query prompted an internal review of payroll practices. The review found underpayments relating to annual leave loading, overtime and higher-duties payments under the applicable retail award. M.J. Bale engaged PwC to help recalculate entitlements and improve payroll processes, and repaid approximately A$500,000 including wages, interest and superannuation. In 2025, ASIC issued an infringement notice to M.J. Bale Group over the alleged late filing of audited financial reports for financial years 2023 and 2024; the group paid a reported A$198,000 penalty. Despite these issues, the label remains an active Australian menswear business centred on tailoring, wool-based products, multichannel retail and environmental positioning.

• 2024

  Martin Place flagship opens

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  A flagship store opened at 1 Martin Place in Sydney’s General Post Office building.

• 2024

  B Corp certification achieved

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  The company received B Corporation certification with a score of 84.2.

• 2024

  Climate Active participation ends

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  M.J. Bale withdrew from the Climate Active program in September.

• 2021

  Climate Active certification achieved

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  M.J. Bale was certified carbon neutral for its organisation and products.

• 2018

  Los Angeles temporary store opens

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  The company opened a temporary Westfield Century City location through G'day USA.

• 2017

  Kingston single-origin suiting launches

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  M.J. Bale introduced suits made from Merino wool sourced from Kingston Farm in Tasmania.

• 2012

  Grazed on Greatness wins Cannes recognition

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  The campaign received a Gold Lion in the public-relations category at Cannes Lions.

• 2010

  Department-store distribution begins

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  The brand became available through selected David Jones and Myer stores.

• 2009

  M.J. Bale is founded

  [1]M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org

  Matt Jensen founded the Australian menswear label after his earlier involvement with Herringbone.

Australian menswear with a tailoring-led wardrobe proposition, combining formal suiting, casual clothing and accessories with a strong emphasis on wool provenance, local identity and increasingly visible sustainability initiatives.

• Formalwear · 2009

  Tailored suits

  Tailored suits are the brand’s central product category. The range includes business suits and formal two-piece or three-piece options, with an emphasis on wool cloth, structured tailoring and coordinated wardrobe dressing. M.J. Bale sells both ready-to-wear and more personalised made-to-order or tailored garments.

• Wool suiting · 2017

  Kingston single-origin suiting

  The Kingston collection uses superfine Merino wool sourced from Kingston Farm in Tasmania. The wool is woven into worsted cloth by Vitale Barberis Canonico in Italy and suits are manufactured in Japan. The line connects product design with farm provenance and conservation-focused stewardship.

• Shirts · 2009

  Shirts

  M.J. Bale offers cotton dress shirts and more casual shirt styles intended to complement its tailoring range. Shirts form part of the brand’s broader approach to complete menswear wardrobes, spanning office dressing, formal occasions and relaxed everyday use.

• Separates

  Jackets and trousers

  The separates range includes tailored jackets, blazers and trousers that can be combined into suits or worn independently. These products extend the label’s tailoring proposition beyond complete suits and support more flexible business-casual and smart-casual dressing.

• Casual and seasonal clothing

  Knitwear and outerwear

  Knitwear and outerwear broaden the assortment into seasonal layering and less formal use. The range sits alongside shirts, trousers and casualwear, allowing the brand to serve customers beyond formal tailoring and special-occasion dressing.

• Menswear accessories · 2009

  Ties and accessories

  Accessories include Italian silk ties, belts and related menswear items. These products support the brand’s formalwear offer and provide lower-price entry points into its tailoring-led wardrobe proposition.

• 2025

  ASIC infringement notice over late financial reports

  ASIC issued an infringement notice to M.J. Bale Group in connection with alleged failures to lodge FY2023 and FY2024 audited financial reports on time. The group paid an A$198,000 penalty.

  Source

• 2019

  Retail wage underpayments

  M.J. Bale disclosed that some current and former retail employees had been underpaid in relation to annual leave loading, overtime and higher-duties payments. The company conducted a payroll review, engaged PwC to assist with recalculation and repaid approximately A$500,000 including interest and superannuation.

  Source

Read more

• 2012Grazed on Greatness

  Australia · International media

  M.J. Bale created suits using wool from Merino sheep that had grazed on grass from the Sydney Cricket Ground. The campaign connected Australian sporting culture, wool provenance and tailoring in a highly publicised brand story.

  Outcome. The campaign received a Gold Lion in the public-relations category at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity and attracted Australian and international media coverage.

  Source

• 2025

  Fairyland conservation donationStrategy

  Background

  M.J. Bale linked a formalwear sales initiative to conservation funding in Tasmania.

  Action taken

  The company donated A$25,000 from tuxedo sales to Fairyland, a conservation reserve on Bruny Island.

  Aftermath

  The donation extended the brand’s use of formalwear and wool-related activities to support biodiversity projects.

  Donation. A$25,000 (2025)

  Source

• 2024

  B Corp certificationStrategy

  Background

  The brand continued to formalise its sustainability and governance positioning after its earlier Climate Active participation.

  Action taken

  M.J. Bale completed B Corp certification, receiving an overall score of 84.2.

  Aftermath

  The certification provided a broader assessment framework covering governance, workers, community, environment and customers.

  Source

• 2024

  Sydney Martin Place flagship openingOther

  Background

  M.J. Bale continued expanding its Australian physical retail presence while maintaining online and department-store channels.

  Action taken

  The company opened a flagship store at 1 Martin Place in Sydney’s General Post Office building.

  Aftermath

  The store provided a prominent location for the brand’s tailored and ready-to-wear collections in central Sydney.

  Source

• 2024

  Kingston Farm conservation commitmentStrategy

  Background

  The company expanded its wool-sourcing relationship into biodiversity and habitat conservation.

  Action taken

  M.J. Bale committed up to A$300,000 over three years to Kingston Farm conservation programs, including native planting, shelter belts and ecological monitoring.

  Aftermath

  The commitment reinforced Kingston as both a sourcing partner and a conservation initiative.

  Conservation commitment. Up to A$300,000 (Three years from 2024)

  Source

• 2021

  Carbon-neutral certification strategyStrategy

  Background

  M.J. Bale assessed emissions from its products, organisation, manufacturing and supply chain as part of a broader environmental program.

  Action taken

  The company obtained Climate Active certification as carbon neutral for both its organisation and products, supported by renewable-energy sourcing and environmental projects.

  Aftermath

  M.J. Bale later withdrew from the Climate Active program in September 2024 while pursuing B Corp certification and other environmental initiatives.

  Source

• 2017

  Launch of Kingston single-origin suitingProduct launch

  Background

  The company sought to differentiate its tailoring through Australian wool provenance and a long-term relationship with Kingston Farm in Tasmania.

  Action taken

  M.J. Bale launched suits using superfine Merino wool sourced exclusively from Kingston Farm, with Italian weaving and Japanese manufacturing.

  Aftermath

  The collection became a visible expression of the company’s product-stewardship and biodiversity-conservation positioning.

  Source

1. 1M.J. Baleen.wikipedia.org