I made my way to Everlane recently to return the Wide Leg Crop pants I wasn’t sure about. While I was there, of course I tried on a few of their new offerings including the Linen Split-Neck, the Shirred Silk Shirt, and some sandals. I’ll try to review each of these as time allows. Today, I’ll start with the items I was most excited about initially: Everlane’s new Japanese GoWeave jumpsuits.
** this post contains affiliate links **
I bought my first jumpsuit in 2014 and have been a jumpsuit convert ever since. Yes, it’s a pain when you need to take care of business in the restroom. But I love the convenience and pulled-together look of a one-and-done outfit. As someone petite, I’m also generally a fan of monochrome outfits (or wearing one print head to toe) as that helps create a vertical line.
What is GoWeave?
Let’s start with the fabric, Japanese GoWeave, which Everlane touts as drapey and wrinkle-resistant. I’ve covered this in detail before in a review of Everlane’s wrap dresses, which are made out of the same material. To summarize: Japanese GoWeave is triacetate aka cellulose. In this case, the cellulose is derived from trees. To turn wood chips into fabric, they first need to dissolve the chips with chemicals.
I have iffy feelings about this. I’ve generally been avoiding synthetic fabrics under the impression that they’re worse for our planet and because I don’t want to contribute any more microfibers to our environment. I guess triacetate is not plastic, which is a pro? But it involves lots of chemicals in its manufacturing. There’s so much I don’t understand about the true impact of different types of fabrics. And it all depends on what you’re measuring as we found in the studies over plastic versus cotton tote bags.
Wearbility-wise though, GoWeave does have some advantages. The material is breathable. As it resists wrinkling or pilling, this makes it a good choice for packing in a suitcase. Everlane describes the fabric as light, but I think it’s more like a medium. There’s a bit of heft to the fabric, which does lend it to draping nicely. OK, now on to the fit.
Japanese GoWeave Essential Jumpsuit
Everlane named this V-neck jumpsuit the Essential Jumpsuit. It’s an apt name as it does seem like a wardrobe staple (that is, if you consider jumpsuits a staple). If you’re just going to have one, a sleeveless V-neck one is probably the way to go. It’s easy to dress up or down or even for the office with a blazer.
Both jumpsuits I’m reviewing today are available in sizes 00-16 and come in three colorways: black, olive, and a dusty light blue. The model above is 5′ 11″ and wearing size 0 in the olive. Here is a size 2 on 5′ 4″ me.
I’m wearing one down from my usual size. This fit me well in the bust, but the arm opening was tight and uncomfortable — a deal breaker. So I tried my usual size, a 4, in the dusty blue.
I was on the fence about the wide leg on the 2, but wow, the legs are way voluminous in the 4. Of course it’s also supposed to be cropped, so it’s too long on me, adding to the volume. But I don’t know that hemming would solve the problem. This is just not a silhouette that works for someone petite. At least not on petite me.
There were some things that I do like about it: First the V-neck is not too low. As someone who doesn’t like to show cleavage, I appreciate that. The design has a V on the back as well, which makes it feel a little fancier. Did I mention it has pockets?!
Everlane says the belt is optional but there is no way I’d wear this without a belt. It looks like weird onesie without a belt defining the waist.
Japanese GoWeave Short Sleeve Jumpsuit
Everlane also made a short-sleeve version. Like the V-neck version, the short-sleeve one is similarly constructed in that there’s a seam running down the center. I don’t love the center seam and the black colorway makes it less apparent. (I prefer the black anyway since it looks the best out of the three colors for my skin tone.) Above is a 5′ 7″ model wearing size 10.
I tried on a 2 in this one and it seemed like the right size for me. It seems to runs a little bigger than the V-neck one. I actually like this cut better on me, but the legs still seem too wide for someone of my stature.
Here’s the back, which is the same as on the Essential Jumpsuit. There’s a short zipper which is easy to zip up by yourself. I also like the sleeve length, which hit me at the elbows. The longer sleeve length makes it feel more sophisticated.
Yes, this one has pockets too!
I actually carried this one around the store for a while trying to decide whether this was The Jumpsuit For Me. In the end (after a texting consult with a friend), I felt like the leg wasn’t the best look for me. I prefer a straighter leg, or a more tailored one for a crisper look. Something like this (the leg part, not the top). So I passed. (Though I do still wonder if it would look different to me hemmed to a cropped length.)
But it could be cute on other body types. Another woman, taller than me, was also trying on the Essential Jumpsuit in the fitting room, popping out every now and then to show her companion. Dear reader, she rocked it.
If you’re new to Everlane and find my reviews useful, please consider use my referral link to make your first purchase. (Create your account before browsing.) You can see all my Everlane reviews here. Thanks!
