Introducing: Everlane

We told you we would review Everlane, so we here we are reviewing Everlane!

For those of you that aren't familiar (are you living under a rock??), Everlane is the darling of oh so many bloggers and online articles. It came on the scene in 2011 with the philosophy of "Exceptional quality. Ethical factories. Radical transparency." Here's how they explain:

1. Exceptional Quality: The clothes are designed to last, so they source only the finest materials.
2. Ethical Factories: The company does a lot of researching before selecting factories. And even after choosing the factory, the company follows up with "compliance audit(s) to evaluate factors like fair wages, reasonable hours, and environment."
3. Radical Transparency: Learn exactly how much it costs to produce what you're buying. For each item, the site breaks down the cost of materials, labor, transport, duties, and hardware to determine the "true cost" of the item. Then it compares the Everlane price to the price you would pay for a similar item at a traditional retailer. (Where they get the "traditional" price isn't clear. In my opinion some are accurate and some are wildly inaccurate. I digress.) 

When they first started, the brand made very few pieces. Over the years, they have expanded their product line but still focus on classic, timeless pieces. If you'd never looked at the site, think button downs, sweaters, t-shirts, short sleeve dresses and basic pants. All in the most basic of colors. Instead of being boring, it gives the impression of  minimalism at its finest. Whenever they add a new item, it's pandemonium (think Target whenever there is a new designer collab). 

We realized that while we've heard of Everlane, we never knew anyone who actually purchased something from the site. So we took it upon ourselves to try it out and report to you, our somewhat loyal readers. (And by "we", we mean Katie 2.)

My favorite part of the Everlane site is "Choose What You Pay". It's basically the sale section, but where you actually get to choose what you pay. For each item, they give you three different prices and you select. I've been on the site multiple times. Sometimes it will indicate the discount ("45% off original price"). Other times, it has indicated what paying the selected price means (for the lowest price, cover production and shipping; mid price covers overhead for staffers; the most expensive goes towards investment and growth). Apparently people don't always choose the lowest price. (What the actual F, people?!)

I've actually had two separate Everlane orders. The first was around the holidays. I kept hearing about their amazing cashmere, so I wanted to try it for myself. In addition to the $100 cashmere crew in bone, I also picked up a white Pima Stretch Mid-Sleeve t-shirt and a double-lined silk v-neck cami. The Pima T was fine. I liked the length and the shirt was nice and soft, but I feel like it's a bit too see-through for my taste. The cashmere sweater is on point. I love the bone color, and the fit is just right. The sweater is a bit on the thinner side, but not too thin (a darker color would probably be a bit less see-through). It is superior to other $100 cashmere I've purchased in the past, and is probably right in line with $210 cashmere sweaters (which is what Everlane claims you would pay for this particular piece at a traditional retailer). The real winner of the day was the silk v-neck cami. It's cropped, which actually works perfectly for tucking into pencil skirts. It's long enough to where it doesn't come untucked, but not too long to where it bunches up and adds extra volume around the mid-section. I have a larger chest, and the cami doesn't come down too low. I do check it throughout the day, but I never felt inappropriate. The double-lined is great so you don't have to layer underneath.  

The second time around, I ordered The Cotton Crew (i.e. the world's most basic white t-shirt), the Silk Sleep Set, and the Cotton Long-Sleeve V-Neck Crop. I was most excited about the silk sleep set, because I loved my silk cami from the first purchase, and because it was only $54 for 100% silk. I have to say, I love the top every bit as much as I hoped I would. The silk is soft and it feels incredibly luxurious to lounge around in silk. The  bottoms, however are a different story. They are cut a bit small, which is disappointing because 1) you would think pajama bottoms would be cut generously and 2) I love the top so much I don't want to return in. Verdict is still out on what to do.

I'm going to call my issue with the Cotton Long-Sleeve V-Neck Crop my fault. Yes, the item name says it is a crop. But in the pictures, it doesn't look cropped at all. Well folks, it is. So this will be going back. I am a little disappointed, because I like the color and the knit is decent. 

The t-shirt was a total bummer. We recently mentioned that many bloggers recommend Everlane for t-shirts, so we figured this would be a clutch. The T fit true to size, and the cut is nice. But it. Is. Sheer. Seriously, bloggers. Who can wear this on a regular basis? Is it just me who doesn't want to have to wear a cami under a white t-shirt? I really am over this whole layering thing. It creates too much laundry.

Final thoughts? I have not completely jumped on the Everlane bandwagon like just about every other blogger out there, but what I've kept I have been  happy with. I will continue to peruse the site and go there for great basics at a reasonable price.

**Follow up: 

Y'all. After writing this post, I starting packaging up the sweater and pajamas to return. When I went to the returns section, it gave me the option of bringing my item to a "Happy Returns" location instead of packaging them up. The website said to bring my order number (and email address, but I didn't have to have that ready, I fortunately just know it). Happy Returns locations are physical locations that you can just drop off your Everlane returns, and they will process it for you. Because we are #dedicated to our reviews, we decided to try it out. It was painless! Oh, and I got the refund within an hour. It was like returning in store, but for a retailer that doesn't have brick-and-mortar locations. I will absolutely use it again to avoid having to package and mail off my returns.