Since I’m trying to cut back on my clothes shopping even more in 2020, I thought my first blog post of the year should be about some of the things I DIDN’T buy. Or rather, I bought them, but returned them.

As I noted in my recap of my 2019 shopping habits, I shopped the most in the last four months of the year. Towards the end of the year, my resolve to shop with intention deteriorated and I made some impulsive purchases. Now I examine why. Even though I returned things, I shouldn’t have bought most of these items in the first place because it still takes resources — both in terms of the fuel and labor required to ship something out and my own time and energy in returning them. After learning how some brands send their perfectly fine returned goods to the landfill because they don’t want to bother with the labor of examining returns, I’ve resolved to choose even more carefully when shopping.

I’m assuming Everlane, with all its declarations of striving for sustainability, doesn’t do this. All the items below are from Everlane because that’s just a reflection of where I shop. Since I started paying more attention to the ethics of clothes manufacturing, I’ve probably shopped the most with them because they fit my budget and I wanted some wardrobe basics. It also helps that they opened a physical store in San Francisco that I can visit. (However, the recent news that some Everlane employees say the work environment is toxic, prompting them to try to unionize for better working conditions, has soured my feelings towards the brand.)

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The Air Cami

Why I bought it: I admit to be being influenced! I saw another blogger wearing her gifted Air Cami in a post. The light brown toasted coconut color caught my eye and is what got me to throw it in the cart. I also liked the symmetry of the U-neck on both sides.

Why I returned it: This was just unflattering on me. It seemed to add pounds to my upper body. Plus, it’s also more low cut than I’m comfortable with. The curved hem also doesn’t do any favors for my shape. I know that I don’t like curved bottom hems already, but somehow didn’t pay attention enough to realize that this tank top had one. BTW, the model is 5′ 8″ wearing a S and I am 5′ 4″, a dress size 4, and wearing XS.

Lesson learned: Just because it looks good on someone else doesn’t mean it will look good on me. Duh. Also, pay attention to what you’re buying, because maybe it has a feature that disqualifies it.

The Luxe Cotton Crop Tee

Why I bought it: Out of all the purchases in this post, this is the most reasonable one and the only one I think I should have made. After trying on Everlane’s Luxe Cotton dresses, I was impressed by the fabric, which is densely woven and smooth to the touch. Everlane categorizes this as a T-shirt, but the fabric feels too nice for just a T-shirt. The silhouette (boatneck-esque, loose around the belly, long-ish sleeves) is also very much me.

Why I returned it: The cut wasn’t quite right on me. I wish the neckline was even wider (honestly the opening was kind of small for my head) and the sleeves a touch shorter. Also, they’re not kidding about it being cropped. My usual Everlane size of XS was too short and showed my belly button. I’m wearing an S here. The model is 5′ 9″ and wearing an XS.

Lesson learned: If you don’t love something right away when you put it on, you probably won’t ever. Even though this seemed like my style, the details weren’t right. I knew that I wouldn’t reach for this much.

The Soft Cotton Square Crew

Why I bought it: The Soft Cotton Boatneck and the Soft Cotton V-neck are both in heavy rotation in my wardrobe, so I thought I’d try another sweater in this series.

Why I returned it: It’s not petite-friendly, as you can see. Yes, it’s supposed to be an oversized fit, but I’m just swimming in it. (I’m wearing the XS. The 5′ 10″ model wears a S.) The sleeves, while intentionally long, are way too long on me. Because of the slightly loose weave of the fabric, I don’t think it would stay up that well cuffed.

Lesson learned: I had the sense from the model photos, reviews, and my own disinterest in this shape that I wouldn’t like it. Yet, I still ordered it, much to present me’s bafflement. If you know a shape doesn’t work for you, avoid it. (Again, duh!)

The Boss Bag

Why I bought it: One word: sale. Everlane put it on sale for one day on Cyber Monday and that was all it took for me to add it to my cart. I had been curious about this beautiful bag and had never seen it before in the store. (But that is not a good reason to buy something!)

Why I returned it: Almost immediately after I bought it, I realized this was a ridiculous thing for me to do. Did I not just sell a hobo bag a few months ago because it was too big for me and I never used it? (Yes, I did.) This bag is even bigger than the hobo bag I sold. Not that I was 100% sure about that. You see, there are strangely no dimensions of the bag on the Everlane site. By my own tape measure, it’s about 14″ wide, 15″ tall and 4.75″ deep.

This bag is also heavy-ish, which is a big no-no for little me. (I already carry a lot of stuff as it is.) I couldn’t quite get it all on my postal scale, but it weighed roughly 1 pound 12 ounces. It might possibly weigh more, so we’re looking at about 2 pounds of leather.

I also had quibbles with some of the design details. For example, the strap is quite short and not adjustable. When the bag is held, the body of the bag creates a U shape. From the top point of the handle to the lowest point in the middle of the U curve is about 12″. While I could get it under my arm, I found that I wanted a little more strap length.

The strap also gets in the way when you’re trying to access the bag. It’s directly above the zipper. A better design would allow the strap to pivot so that it could fall to either side of the zipper. Lastly, there are two triangular pieces of leather on either side of the zipper. Because they’re structured, they feel awkwardly stiff under your arm when you’re carrying the bag on your shoulder.

Lesson learned: Before buying something, ask yourself: Do I own something like this already? Or, did I own something like this and get rid of it?

I hope these mini reviews are helpful to you. And I hope that reflecting on my returns will help me pay more attention the next time I get that impulsive shopping feeling. I’m not saying don’t ever shop on a whim. I’ve come across some things randomly that I ended up loving. But take a moment to think before buying. What was your last impulse buy? Did it work out?

First image is from the Everlane site

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If you’re interested in more Everlane reviews, I’ve written a lot of them and they’re all listed in this post.