Brand Review: Everlane

While we are just in the early days of this journey to become a more conscious consumer, I have already learned some very interesting about myself-- I am incredibly judgmental when it comes to clothing. I have put myself in a dressing style of sorts and look askance at anything that falls outside of that prescribed box. Sure, I dabble here and there… but I mostly have a formula that I stick to indubitably.

That’s nice for the daily work of getting dressed. It’s less nice when you write off entire brands and styles because your inner monologue has declared “That isn’t you.” Well, I have decided that’s just so rude of my inner me and it’s time to stop being such a judgmental person who talks to herself. (Although the talking to myself bit will be much harder to solve...)

Case and point: Everlane. Cool people wear Everlane. Cool people who like loose fitting stylish fabrics and mostly sensible yet fashionable shoes wear Everlane. I do not perceive myself as that sort of cool person. I therefore had told myself that I do not wear Everlane. That buck stops here.

You may be wondering, why the sudden urgency to wear Everlane? Because browsing their website gives me the sort of joy that is why I started this blog. Based on the principle of Radical Transparency, Everlane shares more about their clothing than any other brand I have encountered. Whenever I click on a beautiful frock or shoe, Everlane tells me EVERYTHING! They include a breakdown of the true cost of making the good, including materials, hardware, labor, duties, and transport. Then they compare the Everlane cost to the traditional retail cost-- which makes you feel like you are the savviest most wise shopper in the entire world. But what I love even more than the costing snapshot is the glimpse that Everlane provides into the factories.

Factories are complicated and not just because of the machinery. The jobs that a factory can provide are critical to many communities, both inside and outside of the developing world. However, workers are often exploited, over-worked, and put into unsafe conditions. I find that mix of good and bad to be very confusing. When I lived in Africa for a bit after college, a factory next to the township of my school closed down. While the factory had been employing under-age labor and had some pretty questionable practices, the loss of the jobs was devastating for my students and their families. For these reasons, companies most often put a Trump style wall between the consumer and the factory. And we as the consumers have traditionally adopted a what we don’t know can’t hurt us attitude about it until the next scandal breaks and we momentarily pause to consider the impact of our consumption, whether it's moments like Kathy Lee Gifford's child labor scandal or the horrible Rana Plaza collapse.

That is what makes Everlane so unique. Through the See the Factory link on every single product page, you get the story of how Everlane found the factory, what ethical standards they maintain, the training process and the factory owner. Bright photos, weather reports, local time, number of employees, and year established round out what a picture of the person who is making your clothes in what context. In real time from a million miles away, I feel connected to the factory and its employees... and isn't that what being a conscious consumer is all about?

It's not just all feel good shopping either. The clothing is beautiful. Smart, wardrobe-necessity pieces that blend from work to play and back again. And, as I mentioned above, you will look cool. A cool that we can all pull off. (I promise!) And feel like you scored a deal because you are paying a fraction of what the traditional retail item would cost. What I also found unique about Everlane was the incredibly robust community-- just scroll down to the reviews on the item you love. For those longer standing items (i.e. does not apply to new arrivals) there are so many people there who want to tell you about their experience and help you make wise shopping decisions.

ONE: If someone asked me what I stood for in the world, I hope I would say something incredible poignant (Equal opportunity! Childhood! The death of cilantro!) But in truth, I think what I really stand for is PJ sets. That might sound insane, but hear me out. A PJ set says I am so pulled together that I even match in bed. And those are the sort of mind games that I play with myself to produce an invincibility cloak that everyone deserves as they catch their zzzzzs. This perfect set is every bit I am going to conquer the day feel plus a dash of conscious consumerism and a pinch of representing the factory workers in Hangzhou, China.
TWO: My back is a minefield of long held stress knots and heavy shoulder bag carrying scars. At the suggestion of many wiser people than me, I recently started carrying a backpack and it has changed everything—plus giving me a hands free commute which is marvelous. This backpack is durable (look at the bottom!) with a stow away place for my laptop and all my essentials. Save you back and the world!
THREE: I would be embarrassed for you to open my closet and see how many white shirts I own. In my defense, I wear them ALL of the time. And despite my addiction, this one seems like a perfect addition. Awesome for summer months, perfect for layering under sweaters, and the right “give” for wearing no matter how you are feeling about yourself that day.
FOUR: Full disclosure: I am currently wearing a pair of white wide leg crops as I type this. They are not Everlane. But if I could go back and change things, I would own THIS pair of wide leg crops. Everlane is constantly praised for their pantaloons and these are no exception. Don’t be afraid. I was timid about the trend and really regret my lethargy for getting on board.
FIVE: These remind me of the Hermes sandals I can never justify buying but with a social mission and happy, laughing people in Italy making them who I can SEE on the website. They come in many wonderful colors that will perfectly round out any summer wardrobe.
SIX: The best part of a work dress? That it makes one look like a baller who knows exactly what they are doing with those spreadsheets while in reality it only took one overhead trick to get this show on the road. Plus, this one in navy says "Hey, today I’m totally wearing color. An entirely sensible color that is almost black, but isn’t, so clearly I have a fascinating personality and also did you see this spreadsheet?"

As always, here is a breakdown of just how Everlane is doing more: