It’s sweater weather, so I thought I’d review a few Everlane sweaters I tried on in the store. I’ve been on the lookout for a cozy sweater that I can throw on — something that’s casual and not fussy, but still chic. I actually don’t own that many sweaters — only four pullovers, two cardigans, and one short sleeve one that I treat more like a shirt. So even though I’m trying to own less, this is one spot in my wardrobe that I can add to.
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Oversized Alpaca Crew
I was intrigued by this sweater because it’s made out of alpaca fibers. Everlane claims that they’re better for the environment. “Alpacas are soft-hooved and gentle grazers, which makes them easier on pastures than other herd animals.” Is that true? A 2014 story from Quartz seems to confirm this. “The widespread ubiquity of cashmere, the wool spun from soft under-hairs of Asian cashmere (or Kashmir) goats, is no longer sustainable,” the reporter writes. Basically, there are too many goats and not enough grass, so as goats overrun grasslands in China and Mongolia, they’re turning them into deserts.
Alpacas, on the other hand, live in highlands of the Peruvian Andes, which are “for now a less fragile ecosystem.” And that part about their soft padded hooves being more gentle on the terrain is also true. They “graze without destroying root systems,” the article says. Plus, alpacas are cute!
Photo by Katherine / Flickr
Look at this baby alpaca! Awww.
OK, back to the Everlane sweater. First impressions? It’s chunky but also lightweight and fluffy. I thought it felt very nice. It definitely checks the cozy box. However, I checked the fiber content and though the sweater is mostly alpaca (60%), it also contains nylon (30%) and wool (10%). Doing some more reading, I learned that alpaca fibers stretch after the first wear, so it’s often mixed with other fibers. But damn it, Everlane, why nylon? I’m trying to avoid needless plastic.
Alright, how about the fit? Well, here it is on a 5′ 10″ model wearing a small.
And here is an XS on 5′ 4″ me. (I think I’m wearing the same color, the heather charcoal.) I generally wear a S or XS in Everlane, depending on the item. Since this sweater is oversized, I decided to go with the smaller size, which seemed fine.
I like the loose fit in the body. Though I’m generally not a fan of ribbed sweaters (just a personal preference), here the ribbing is slight and adds textural interest. And I love a roomy sleeve on a sweater. These sleeves end in a fitted wrist. But of course the sleeves were too long because I’m petite. Sleeves are almost always too long on me. Overall, I thought the cut was alright on me. Not bad! Would be cute tucked in too, though there’s a good deal of material to tuck in.
The main issue, though, is that I found it to be super prickly. I tried this on by itself over bare skin, not over a shirt. As soon as I put it on, I thought, “Nope! Take it off!” Then again, my skin is sensitive. Other people seem to think it’s comfortable. There are hundreds of reviews on the Everlane site and it’s rating a 4.65 stars out of 5, so clearly I’m in the minority.
It was quite warm, though. I felt very toasty in the few minutes I had it on.
Cashmere Rib Round Crew
Next up is this ribbed cashmere sweater. I didn’t have high hopes as I’ve found Everlane’s cashmere to be scratchy in the past. (I’m not kidding about my sensitive skin.) Not as itchy as the alpaca, though, which bothered me immediately. With Everlane cashmere, the scratchiness creeps up on me.
But I went ahead and tried it on because bloggery. First impressions: nice medium-to-heavy weight. It seemed denser than the alpaca, so it’s a bit heavier.
Here’s a 5′ 10″ model wearing the XS in a gray called loden.
And here I am wearing it in black. I’m wearing the S on the left and XS on the right.
Again, the sleeves are too long on my short limbs and would require some folding over. I felt that it was OK-looking but I wasn’t excited about it.
Hmmm. I feel like it’s going to be harder than I thought to find a sweater. These seem just OK on me and I’m not sure why. Maybe I need to look for something specifically made for petites. It did seem like a nicely made sweater, though, and the fiber content was grade A Mongolian cashmere. No nylon in this one. Compared to the alpaca one, it wasn’t as warm.
My favorite Everlane sweater is still the Soft Cotton Boatneck (review here), but it doesn’t work as well for colder months, so I’ll keep looking.
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