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Pact Essential Hoodie and Drawstring short, flat lay style with glasses and a pink journal

Pact Apparel Review: Sweats to Live in All Day Long

Published by welcomeobjects

Even before shelter in place became the new reality in this coronavirus pandemic, I was already thinking about acquiring some more sweatpants. A few years ago, I began working from home. I’m not going to lie: I spend a lot of time in sweats. But I only had one pair of sweatpants, which made things tricky when I needed to launder them.

Surprisingly, it’s hasn’t been easy to find sweats that meet all my requirements. I want something well made and ethically made, in 100% cotton, and moderately priced. Oh, and of course they should be comfy.

This post contains affiliate links and gifted items. If you shop through my links, I may earn a commission. As always, all opinions are my own and I only write about items I’m interested in. Thanks for supporting Welcome Objects!

Happily, I found a winner in Pact, which makes organic cotton clothing, bedding, and bath items. They don’t use any toxic chemicals or dyes and are GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) certified. Manufacturing of their products take place in fair trade certified factories in India, which the company says is home to 74% of the world’s organic cotton. Pact doesn’t make a huge line of products, but they make a bit of everything (including clothing for babies and kids.) I find their prices comparable to Everlane. ($25 for a T-shirt, $45 for high-waisted leggings). Right now, the entire Pact site is on sale for Earth Day. Everything is up to 30% off.  

Pact kindly gave me some store credit to try out their products in exchange for giving them a shout out here. So the items I’m reviewing were acquired through a combination of gifting and my paying for some of it. I ordered three pieces in the same color so that I could mix and match and create different sweatsuits.

Essential Drawstring Short

Essential Drawstring Short – $36 on sale (usually $45)

The first item I put in my cart was the Essential Drawstring Short. These shorts have a relaxed fit with an elastic waistband. It has front pockets as well as cute small pockets on the back. The hem is unfinished, which might bother some people, but I don’t mind the casual vibe. The model above is 5’9″ with a 25 inch waist. She’s wearing a size S. Here’s 5′ 4″ me with a bigger waist wearing the same size. I’m generally a size 4 in pants.

There’s a small brand tag on a back pocket of the shorts and other pieces, which I don’t love, but isn’t a dealbreaker. I prefer things unbranded.

I was concerned that they might be too long since I’m petite or puff out unflatteringly since they’re relaxed, but they fit fine! These are quite comfy for lounging around in.

Essential Zip Hoodie

Essential Zip Hoodie – $49 on sale (usually $80)

The description for the shorts say to “pair with the Essential Zip Hoodie for the ultimate lounge set.” That’s exactly what I did. I deliberated between the hoodie and the sweatshirt but felt the hoodie might be more versatile for layering. The hoodie seems well made. The zipper pulls smoothly. It’s a bit long in the body for my petite frame; a couple inches shorter would be perfect for me. The sleeves are also a touch long, but nothing I can’t solve by pushing up the sleeves or folding back the cuff. One nice detail is that in addition to the two outside pockets, there’s an inner pocket.

The inside pocket on the Essential Zip Hoodie.

Essential Sweatpant

Essential Sweatpant – $40 on sale (usually $50)

Alright, what about the sweatpants, which is the whole reason I started shopping for sweats in the first place? Pact makes sweat joggers for women, but they’re out of stock. So, I hopped on over to the men’s section and found their Essential Sweatpant. I wanted a more old-school-looking kind of sweatpants with a straighter leg, anyway. I picked one up in size small.

Here they are on a 6′ man wearing size M.

And here I am wearing a men’s size S. (Yes, this is the very first time I’m comparing myself to a male model.)

Pact Hoodie // Pact Sweatpants // Everlane Trainer gifted [review]. This color is called Midnight Navy, BTW, though it reads more purple to me.

I was worried that they might be way too long on me. While they’re longer than I’d like, they’re also somehow fine! I’m wearing them a little scrunched up at the end here. Not bad. The inseam is 29″ on the S. There’s one pocket on the back.

I’ve only worn these pieces for a couple days so I can’t comment on their durability, but they seem well made. I have no reason to believe that they wouldn’t last a long time. The stitching looks straight and tight. They’re comfy and reasonably soft — not overly plush and fluffy. These are not the type of sweats lined in fleece for winter. They’re classic sweats in breathable organic cotton, suitable for living in all day long.

How Pact Sweats Compare to Other Brands

Before I decided to get these pieces from Pact, I considered other brands. I had my eye on Mate the Label, which makes their organic cotton sweats in Los Angeles. I love their array of earthy colors. But they’re $$$. A pair of jogger sweatpants will set you back $128. The matching sweatshirt: $108. I also looked at Entireworld, where each piece retails for $88, but their sweats have some polyester in them. These brands have a more minimalist aesthetic. I favor the details of their pieces a little more. (For example: a slightly wider neckline on sweatshirts, trouser pockets instead patch pockets, or drawstrings that match the rest of the garment.)

But I can get more for my money at Pact. The combination of ethical manufacturing, organic cotton, and lower price point is a good one for my budget. It’s a great place to pick up basics, like a V-neck T-shirt or a drawstring jumpsuit. (Hey, some of us consider jumpsuits wardrobe staples.) Personally, I am very tempted by these waffle bath towels. I keep reminding myself that I own enough towels. (Five towels for two adults is enough towels, right?)

Pact’s Earth Day sale runs from 4/22 to 4/26. For orders over $50, shipping is free. Free returns too. Use my coupon code WELCOMEOBJ15 to get 15% off your first order.

UPDATE 5/10/22 – It’s two years later now. I have worn these sweats often throughout the pandemic and they’ve held up great.

UPDATE 11/13/23 – OK, I’ve been wearing these sweats for more than three years now. The ends of the sleeves on the hoodie started fraying sometime this year. The other pieces are fine and don’t show much wear.

Reusable cotton facial rounds by Marley's Monsters in a variety of black and white prints on a wood background.

Low Waste Swap: Reusable Facial Rounds from Marley’s Monsters

Published by welcomeobjects

Hope you’re doing as well as can be during this pandemic. This feels like a weird time to write about reusable objects — especially since in some cases they’ve been temporarily banned. Here in San Francisco, reusable coffee mugs and shopping bags are not allowed in shops anymore out of caution for the coronavirus. I’ve been planning to write this post for a while, though. And frankly, it’s a small comfort to me to be able to share on the blog, so here is a review of some reusable cosmetic rounds that I hope you’ll find helpful.

These handmade facial rounds are 100% cotton flannel.

Back during Black Friday/Cyber Monday, I bought facial rounds from Marley’s Monsters, a small business specializing in reusable goods based in Eugene, Oregon. I’d been thinking about doing so for the better part of the year. But I had it in my head that I could make my own and had stashed away an old T-shirt for this purpose. One problem, though: I don’t really know how to sew (and I didn’t have the right equipment anyway.) Not surprisingly, this crafting project never got off the ground.

** some affiliate links below **

After the Marley’s Monsters rounds arrived, I kicked myself for waiting so long to buy them. I think they’re great! These handmade facial rounds are 100% cotton flannel. Each round is 2-ply and with serged edges to prevent fraying. At 3″ across, they’re larger than disposable cotton rounds. (I’m comparing them to what I had been using before: premium cotton rounds from Target.)

I use these for applying toner and for removing my eye makeup. My eye makeup routine consists of primer, eyeshadow, and eyeliner. The rounds work well for both.

I keep a mesh bag in my bathroom to collect the rounds as I use them. When it comes time to launder my bath linens, I simply toss the bag into the wash. The makeup doesn’t transfer to any of my other items. I am confident of this as I have washed the rounds with white towels.

Now, some makeup stains do remain on the rounds. I suspected that might be the case, which is why I opted for rounds in black, white, and gray prints instead of plain white ones. I figured the prints would mask marks a little better. As to drying them, I’ve tried both putting them through the dryer and letting them air dry. Both ways are fine, though I tend to air dry when I can.

(BTW, just so you know, the links to the Marley’s Monsters site are not affiliate links. I don’t make any commission from recommending them.)

Marley’s Monsters Facial Rounds: A brand new one versus a used and washed one.

Marley’s Monsters facial rounds cost $16 for 20 on their website (plus shipping) or $18 for 20 on their Etsy store (free shipping on orders of $35 & up). Taking the lower number, they’re 80 cents each before tax. The disposable Target cotton rounds cost 3 cents each. But of course, the reusable ones will last a lot longer. And in the long run, I’ll be using less cotton. I’ve been using them for four months now and so far, so good! They also come in fun colors and cute prints, like this set of rainbow colors or this vintage lemon print.

I think this is an easy swap to do for the environment. If you’re thinking about it, don’t waste time like I did. Just go for it!

The facial rounds after 4 months of use.

A bullet journal with a weekly view open on a desk. There is a small jar of flowers and pens.

Sheltering in Place

Published by welcomeobjects

Wow, what different times we are living in since I last posted in early March. We are now in the midst of a global pandemic. Here in San Francisco we’ve been sheltering in place for the second week. I already work from home, so that’s not a big change for me. Not that I’ve been able to do much work. I’ve found it difficult to concentrate. I keep scrolling through social media and news to read up on COVID-19, which puts me in a near constant state of rage and anxiety. Might have to get one of those Internet-blocking apps if I keep this up!

** affiliate links below **

I had originally planned to do one of my monthly shopping diary posts, but that feels frivolous now. It would have been about how ashamed I felt trying to use a $25 reward coupon at J. Crew. It took me over an hour to buy earrings that I didn’t need because I couldn’t find stuff I liked initially, but I felt like I had to spend the coupon! (For the record, I bought these acetate earrings and these pavé ones.) I felt pretty disgusted with myself for wasting so much time. Lesson learned: If I ever do this again, I’m setting a timer.

The pandemic has changed aspects of life seemingly overnight. Things I was worrying about a month ago (for example, Instagram growth) now seem silly. Things I was planning (trips to visit a friend and my parents) have now been dashed. The whole situation feels a little unreal, but it’s our new reality. I’m not sure if life will go back to the way it was before. This virus has revealed some major cracks in our society. I mean, never did I think that in one of the richest countries in the world I would have to dig up my small stash of N95 masks that I had bought for wildfires and donate them to a hospital. Because healthcare workers are begging for protective equipment. Because our federal government didn’t take this virus seriously at first and we are not prepared.

The United States lags way behind other countries in terms of policies that protect workers and families. We are seeing the ugliness of that right now. So many of the workers we depend on in this state of emergency — the people who grow our food, deliver it, work in grocery stores, make our meals — don’t have sick leave. Many of our major retailers don’t have paid leave for large percentages of their workers.

Maybe something will change after all of this? I have a tiny bit of hope that it might. I was heartened that some of the smaller (by comparison), more ethical brands I shop from did the right thing and closed their doors while continuing to pay retail employees. So many COVID-19 emails from retailers were about how they were sanitizing their stores. Everlane and Allbirds were the first in my inbox to say they were closing their retail stores (with pay for employees) — and this was before they would have been forced to do so by the city of San Francisco. (Allbirds and other brands have also donated shoes to healthcare workers.)

Anyhow, I can tell you that pandemic stress eating is a thing. (I’ve had carbs, lots and lots of carbs.) People are apparently stress baking so much it’s leading to an egg shortage. (Noooo!) My friend, a healthcare worker, has been pandemic stress shopping. Stress shopping used to be my thing, but I haven’t been as interested. (At least not right now.)

I did happen to order the Twisted Merino Cardigan from Everlane before the lockdown. I bought it after trying to shop secondhand first at some local thrift stores and consignment shops with no success. The Mister bought the Court Sneakers too. It feels so not worthy of discussion in these times of pandemic, but maybe it would be a distraction to review them here?

My sense of normalcy has definitely been eroding as time feels somehow longer these days. Perhaps it’s the grief. Our sleep schedules are off and tonight we ate dinner at 10:30 pm! (Spaghetti.) Gotta rein it back in. I continue to bullet journal to outline my weeks, though I haven’t been sticking to my plan that well lately. (You can see how I organize my pages in the header photo.) But I’m making an effort. We make sure to go for a walk daily (while staying 6 feet apart from other people, which means we sometimes end up walking in the street.)

I’ve experienced some loss in work because of the pandemic, but the Mister has a steady job with benefits and we’re lucky to have healthcare. We’ve been making donations to nonprofits, GoFundMes for the staff of favorite small businesses, and our local food bank. How are you doing during this time?

UPDATE – I wrote this last night. But today, customer service workers at Everlane who have been trying to unionize say they were laid off as were 180 part-time employees. This happened despite Everlane reassuring workers that business remained strong. WTF, Everlane! 🙁

Models wear the Everlane wide leg crop and the straight leg crop.

Everlane Review: Wide Leg Crop & Straight Leg Crop

Published by welcomeobjects

I bought a few pairs of Everlane’s Wide Leg Crop pants last year, so this review is long overdue. My thinking at the time was that I could use a pair of thicker pants that weren’t skinny jeans. After all, it was only relatively recently that I figured out how to wear this silhouette for my petite frame. Initially, I had dismissed wide leg pants as a no-go for short people. But I saw that under the right circumstances, they could work.

** affiliate links below **

So, I ordered the Wide Leg Crop Pant in my regular size, a 4, and one size down, a 2. The weight of the package that arrived surprised me. These pants are made out of a heavy cotton twill that’s 97% cotton and 3% elastane. They’re similar to denim in feel. While they’re thick, they’re also quite stretchy. The fabric has a washed-in look that lends it a casual vibe. (Everlane also makes a similar pant in a lighter weight fabric, the Lightweight Wide Leg Crop Chino.)

The thick waistband of the Everlane Wide Leg Crop

Everlane calls these high-waisted pants, “Our most flattering pant — ever.” (The rise is about 11.5″) This is what they looked like on a 5′ 10″ model. Is this supposed to be flattering? I wasn’t so sure.

And here’s what they look like on 5′ 4″ me. I’m wearing my regular size in the short inseam. (The short inseam is 24.5″ while the regular inseam runs 2″ longer.)

Everlane Wide Leg Crop // Everlane Tank // Muji Drape Cardigan [similar] // Everlane Bag [review] // Everlane Heel [review]

My first impressions: not bad, but I did’t feel sure about them. They looked cuter when I stood with my legs apart. But, uh, I don’t stand like that all the time.

With a more normal stance, the silhouette seemed a bit much on me. Even with the short inseam, these pants ran too long on me. I turned to Instagram for feedback and many people agreed that they needed to be shortened and that I should try sizing down.

Reviews on the Everlane site had advised to size down, but when I first tried the 2, I found them super snug. I couldn’t possibly wear the size 2, I’d thought. But it turns out the reviews were right. As you wear the pants, they stretch out a whole size. Here I am trying size 2.

This pair was regular length, so I folded the hem up in the second photo to see how it’d look above the ankle. I could see how a size down looked better. The wide leg wasn’t so overwhelming for my petite frame. While they were better proportioned, I still didn’t love them.

Oh women’s pockets, why are you so hard to get right?

For one, I had some some quibbles about the pockets. Oh women’s pockets, why are you so hard to get right? Usually when it comes to women’s clothes and pockets, I complain about the lack of them. These pockets are actually deep, but they bulged out a little as you can see above. You could sew them shut to keep them flat, but I’m a person who uses pant pockets. I also didn’t love the back pockets. They’re just so big.

In the end, I returned both pairs. Then I read this article in the Hairpin, “Please Stop Trying to Make the High-Rise Wide-Leg Crop Happen” and felt good about my decision. To be honest, I got swept up momentarily in the trend after seeing these pants everywhere online and in real life the last few years.

I’m usually good about resisting trends. In fact, I’m so rigid about sticking to what I know that it can take some serious finagling sometimes to get me to try a new style. This was a good reminder, though, that if you feel unsure about something when you first try it, maybe it’s not right for you.

So meh, I say, to the Wide Leg Crop. I’m going back to my skinnier leg.

If you like the thick fabric, but not the wide leg look, Everlane makes a straight leg version of these pants and a slim leg version too. (BTW, the straight ones come in tall lengths as well.)

I visited a store to try the Straight Leg Crop. (The slim ones were not stocked in store.) Here I am trying the sandstone color. I’ve gained some weight over the winter, so I’m wearing a size 4 here.

Note that the pockets are the same as on the Wide Leg Crop. Again, they pucker a little bit (at least on me.) Also, I don’t know if it’s because of the light color or the size of my thighs, but you can see the outline of the pockets on these pants. Overall, I don’t find these flattering on me either. I don’t think I’ll even bother trying on the Slim Leg Crop since this material and pocket situation doesn’t work for me. So, yeah, no. These pants are a pass for me. But I’ve seen these look good on other people, so YMMV.

If you’re new to Everlane, please considering using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Create your account before browsing.) This helps make my reviews possible. Thank you so much! You can find a directory to all my Everlane reviews here.

Everlane Soft Cotton V-neck Sweater

7 Ways to Wear a Boxy V-Neck Sweater

Published by welcomeobjects

For someone who lives in chilly San Francisco, I own surprisingly few sweaters. I’ve been slowly adding to my collection. Slow — because I want to ensure that any new additions will get a lot of wear. I’ve been looking for a V-neck sweater that’s not too long for my petite frame. It also had to be easy to style. What better way to test the versatility of a garment than by creating multiple outfits with it? This post is part review and part styling ideas.

** affiliate links below **

The Sweater

I went with the Everlane Soft Cotton V-neck. Its boxy cut appealed to me — I didn’t want something too clingy or tight fitting. I also liked its slightly cropped length. As a petite person, I love cropped lengths because that means that maybe the garment won’t be too long on me. (If you’re looking for a warmer sweater, Everlane makes a more standard cashmere v-neck sweater and an oversized one. Naadam also offers a very reasonably priced $75 cashmere sweater in a handful of colors, though it’s unisex sizing and seems long for a petite frame.)

I’m a dress size 4. I ordered both the XXS and XS to try on. The XXS felt tighter in the sleeves, so I went with the XS for a more comfortable fit. The sleeves, amazingly, are not too long on me. The weave of the fabric is the same as the Soft Cotton Boatneck (review) and the Soft Cotton Crew. It didn’t strike me as particularly soft, but sure, you can call it soft, I guess. It’s a medium weave — not loose, but not particularly tight. This sweater is on the thinner side, while not feeling thin per se. The weight feels perfect for transitional weather like spring or early fall days.

Closeup of the sweater in navy, a color which is nearly sold out at the time of this writing.

The v-neck placement is good; it’s not too low. Some people complain that the neck is too wide. And while it’s on the wide side, I didn’t find it problematic. The sweater covered my bra straps.

My only complaint is that it only comes in five colors at the moment: washed black (which reads as a dark gray to me), heather gray (on the model), light pink, blue melange and navy (though that color is almost sold out.) It also came in ochre and a mid blue, but those colors are gone. More colors, please! The sweater is available in XXS to XL and is ethically made in a factory in Fujian province, China.

I bought it in washed black in October and reach for it often. It’s definitely turned out to be a wardrobe staple for me. Here’s a few ways I’ve styled it. For reference, I’m 5′ 4″ and wearing the XS.

Look 1 – Skinny Jeans + Ankle Boots

This is the throw-on-some-clothes-and-run-out-the-door look because I have to catch the bus in 5 minutes. It’s casual, unfussy, and simple. I like the boxy shape of the sweater with skinny jeans.

Look 2 – Skinny Jeans + Heels

Soft Cotton V-neck // Uniqlo Jeans [ethical option] // Woven Heels [similar] // Baggu Purse [review]

For a more pulled-together look, I tucked the sweater into my jeans, swapped out the ankle boots for heels, and added a small leather bag.

Look 3 – Puffy Jacket + Sneakers

Swap out the heels for sneakers and add a puffy jacket for a sporty look on a crisp day. I wore this for a mid-day coffee run in the neighborhood with a friend.

Look 4 – Moto Jacket + Ankle Boots

Soft Cotton V-neck // Everlane Jeans [review]  // Club Monaco Moto Jacket [similar] // Ecco Boots [similar]

A boxy moto jacket makes everything cooler. Again, I tucked in the sweater — the proportions work out better with the jacket that way.

Look 5 – Pencil Skirt

Make it work appropriate with a wool pencil skirt. (Perhaps you are noticing that I wear a lot of black. Yes, I do. This skirt is technically dark gray, though.) Ankle boots and a minimalist bag complete the look.

Look 6 – Wide Leg Pants

Soft Cotton V-neck // Target Pants [review] [ethical option] // 3.1 Phillip Lim for Target Bag // AGL flats [similar]

Looking towards spring, this sweater is appropriate with lighter weight pants too. I tucked the sweater into these cotton twill pants, keeping the emphasis on the wide leg silhouette.

Look 7 – Layered Over a Tank Dress

Soft Cotton V-neck // Everlane Dress, old [review] [similar] // Allbirds Flats [review]

The sweater makes a nice layer over a tank dress. I wanted to shorten the sweater’s natural length to right above my waist for a more flattering proportion. Here’s a trick for that: I gathered up the bottom of the sweater, secured it with a hair tie, and then just tucked the bit that stuck out under the sweater.

In just a few month, this sweater has become a versatile building block in my wardrobe. Trying to imagine many outfits with a piece of clothing has been a great test for me to make sure I’ll wear what I buy. If you have other styling ideas for V-neck sweaters, I’d love to hear them.

First two images: Everlane site

If you find my reviews helpful and are new to Everlane, please considering using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Create your account before browsing.) This helps make my reviews possible. Thanks! You can find a directory to all my Everlane reviews here.

A pair of gray knit gloves with a snowflake pattern on a wood surface

January 2020 Shopping Diary

Published by welcomeobjects

Oh hey there. I haven’t posted much lately because it’s been surprisingly busy work-wise. The upside to a lot of work, though, is that I haven’t had as much free time to think about shopping. Hence I’ve been very good with my #20in2020 goal so far. The goal, which I decided upon while reviewing my 2019 shopping habits, is to buy no more than 20 items this year, and to make half of them secondhand.

Usually I take a look at post-holiday sales, but not this year — not on purpose anyway. While shopping at Muji for notebooks, I stumbled upon their winter clearance. I ended up buying a pair of wool blend touchscreen gloves marked half off. Plus, it was an extra 20% off if you bought two or more sale items. (They’re even cheaper now.) I picked up a pair in a different color for the Mister too. It’s true that we don’t really need to wear gloves all that often, if at all, in the San Francisco Bay Area. But these seemed like practical gloves for visiting colder climates.

My gloves replace another pair from Uniqlo that turned out to be a shopping mistake. They are in excellent shape — I’ve probably only worn them a handful of times (pun intended.) But, they are way too long in the fingers for me and somehow I did not pay attention to this when I initially bought them.

The Muji gloves remain the only thing I’ve added to my wardrobe so far this year.

I also took a quick inventory count of my wardrobe. I don’t have the numbers in front of me right now (I’ll try to share them in my next diary post). But it was an eye-opening exercise because it made me realize that I own a lot of tops. I have more than 50, and that’s plenty. I really shouldn’t buy any more, though I will make allowances for something versatile that I absolutely love. But anything I add pretty much needs to be perfect. A culling is probably in order too, even though I went through my tops not that long ago in the fall.

I did make some time last month to journal and reflect on what I want to accomplish this year. In this touching essay by the writer and poet Saeed Jones, he recalls how his mother made determinations, not resolutions. I really love this perspective.

Recently, I also got a bit into bullet journaling. Last year, I started keeping to-do lists in one large notebook. Every week I’d migrate the things I didn’t do to the new week. And while that’s been helpful, I wanted to organize my thoughts and to-dos even more. I’ve set up trackers for habits I want to encourage in myself (like planking on a regular basis). My pages are not pretty — some people really go all out with illustrations and washi tape (just search #bujo on Instagram) — but I’m really enjoying it. I find setting up a weekly view the most helpful. Some people set them up daily.

Welcome Objects 20 in 2020 Wardrobe Count To Date
Additions: 1 this month = 1 item total for the year
Subtractions: 1 this month  = 1 item removed from my wardrobe for the year

Everlane Boss Bag in black, a hobo leather bag, as held in someone's hand.

4 Things I Didn’t Buy From Everlane

Published by welcomeobjects

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

Everlane Air Cami as worn by a model

Air Cami – $22

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

everlane luxe cotton crop tee

Everlane Luxe Cotton Tee // Everlane Jeans [review] // Everlane Heels [review] (Uh, yes I am wearing all Everlane. Proof that I shop there frequently.)

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

everlane soft cotton crew in white as worn by me, a petite person with black hair.

Everlane Soft Cotton Crew // Uniqlo Jeans [similar, ethical] //  Eileen Fisher Shoes [similar]

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

everlane boss bag as worn by a model on her shoulder. She is wearing a trench coat.

Boss Bag – $225

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.

A hand holding the top strap of the Everlane boss bag

The panels on either side of the zipper on the top of the Boss Bag.

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

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

My Year in Shopping Less: a flat lay of clothing on a white surface, including gray boots, a brown sweater, navy sneakers, a floral print shirt, and a maroon leather bag.

My Year in Shopping Less & 2020 Goals

Published by welcomeobjects

2019 marks my third year of trying to shop more ethically and sustainably. I started off the year strong by not buying anything for my wardrobe the first three months. My first purchase of the year (in April) was the Everlane Form Bag, which I thought about for six months before buying. (Review here and also here — Yes, I wrote not one but two reviews.)

** affiliate links below **

But my shopping increased dramatically in the last four months of the year. My busiest shopping months were September (though one of those purchases was a medically-related buy) and December. Encouraged by a Cyber Monday sale at Everlane, I made some impulsive purchases. For sure I intend to return some things, but right now it looks like I’m keeping six December purchases, four of them from Everlane. (They include this puffy down jacket, this recycled cashmere and wool sweater, and this button up shirt. Two of the items were ones that I initially wrote fitting room reviews about (jacket here and sweater here), thus they were more considered purchases.)

The numbers

Looking back over the year, I added 24 items and spent roughly $1,500. This is a few hundred dollars more than I spent last year, but also the fewest number of clothing items I’ve bought in one year since I started tracking my purchases in 2011. (Last year, I acquired 31 items.) My count does not include underwear and socks, but it does include three items gifted from brands that are valued at $224.

Here’s a breakdown of what I acquired by category:

Shoes – 6
Tops – 7
Sweaters – 4
Dresses – 1
Pants – 3
Bags – 2
Outerwear – 1

Just like last year, shoes was one category with a high number of items. This is not surprising as I’ve always had trouble finding comfortable shoes that are cute. (I can already tell that I’m not going to keep two pairs of shoes due to fit issues.) I’m kind of surprised by the number of tops I bought, though, as I don’t think of that as an area where I really need anything.

The other purchases feel reasonable for the most part. Sweaters was a category I identified at the beginning of the year as lacking. My second bag purchase was a practical wardrobe staple. The one dress I bought this year is casual and comfy; I wore it often.

At this point, I think I’ll be keeping everything except the two pairs of shoes that don’t fit well. In that respect, I’m doing much better than prior years as well. Of course, only time will tell. Out of the 31 items I bought in 2018, at the time of my recap last year, I knew that three of them were failures. But I ended up not keeping six of them. (The additional three items were all shoes. Again, fit issues!)

As to where I shopped, half of the items were from ethical brands. This includes three secondhand purchases on Poshmark. This is a significant increase over last year, where about a third of my purchases were from ethical brands. As to the rest of my shopping, there’s a sprinkling of purchases mostly from Target, Muji, and Nordstrom.

I also removed about 47 items from my wardrobe this year. Many of these had survived prior rounds of culling, but I took a closer look and really questioned why I was holding on to them. I wore some of them out to remind myself why I wasn’t reaching for them. (Usually, the reason became apparent quickly.) So, I actually have 23 fewer items in my closet than this time last year.

Welcome Objects 2019 Wardrobe Count 
Additions: 24
Subtractions: 47

Some lessons from this year’s shopping

1. Be picky. Earlier this year, a boatneck sweater I already own and adore went on sale at Everlane. I tried to buy it in a second color, but the size I wanted was sold out so I bought it in a size up. When it arrived, I told myself that the bigger size looked fine. But deep down, I knew I wouldn’t be as happy with the larger size. I eventually returned it. Well, two months later, the boatneck sweater popped back into stock in my size. I snagged one! Moral of the story: don’t compromise on what you want. (Also, check back if something is sold out in your size at Everlane. You never know.)

2. If you know exactly what you’re looking for, why not search secondhand first? In the latter half of the year, I began to check secondary markets for the items I was interested in. All of my Poshmark buys were ethical brands, styles that were current or recent, and either barely used or new with tags. This is definitely a change in the way I shop. Not only is it more environmentally friendly to buy something pre-owned, but it saved me money too.

2020 Goals

Overall, the numbers show I’m doing much better! Though, of course, I can do better. Journalist Adam Mitner, who has reported on the the waste and recycling industries for nearly two decades says in this Fresh Air interview, “If you want to reduce the environmental impact of your consumption, the best way to do that is to not manufacture more stuff. In that sense, the best thing you can do is not buy more stuff.”

To that end, I’m challenging myself to not only continue to reduce my consumption (keeping it to 20 items seems doable), but to try harder at shopping secondhand. This will take some effort and time (which I find myself sometimes short on). I usually leave thrift and consignments stores empty-handed because it’s not easy to find something specific in the size, style, and condition I want. Shopping secondhand requires some patience. It’s so much easier to point and click on something brand new, but online marketplaces like Poshmark, thredUP, and The Real Real have made it easier. I know from my three Poshmark purchases this year that it’s possible. This year only 12.5 % of my purchases were secondhand. In 2020, can I make it half?!

2019 is also my third year of blogging. I’ve spent more time working on the blog this year compared to prior years. While I blog because I enjoy it, I also worry sometimes that I’m wasting my time. There are plenty of ethical style bloggers out there. While I try not to compare myself to others (an unhealthy habit!), I can’t help but notice that some bloggers who started when I did are way more successful. (If the measure of success is follower numbers and traffic.) Am I bringing anything fresh to the ethical fashion space? What do you like or dislike about my takes? Is there anything you’d like to see me write about?

If you are a regular reader of my blog, thank you so much for following along. See you in 2020!

Four items from Everlane, including a yellow sweater, jeans, an orange puffy jacket, and sneakers.

Everlane Choose What You Pay Sale – My Reviews

Published by welcomeobjects

Everlane’s year-end Choose What You Pay sale is on! Many items are marked down by as much as 30%. (With Everlane, you choose from several prices. Does anyone not pick the deepest discount, though?) I’ve reviewed quite a few of their women’s items, so I pulled together this post, linking to items that I have personally tried on. As always, my reviews are from the petite perspective. (I’m 5′ 4″).

** this post contains affiliate links **

Also, for the first time Everlane is launching a Final Sale section with items priced at half off. I am not a fan of not being able to return items. (Seems like it would add to waste if you bought something that didn’t work out.) But if there’s something tried and true for you in that section, perhaps it would be a good buy.

A reminder: just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean you should buy it! Remember to ask yourself these questions to think through if you should really buy something. I hope these reviews can help you in deciding which items (if any) you’ll get a lot of wear out of.

Sweaters

ReCashmere Vintage Crew – $67 (originally $98)

ReCashmere Vintage Crew – Only the bright yellow color is marked down. I thought this sweater had great proportions for petite frames.

Link-Stitch Crewneck – The rust and brass colors (both great, bold colors) are on sale for as low as $49 (originally $75). I had an issue with the sleeves, but otherwise liked this hefty cotton sweater, which is great for transitional weather.

Shoes

Day Glove – These are not my style, but I found them decently comfy during my try-on in store if lacking in arch support.

Day Heel – Two colors, including a metallic bronze, are on sale. These felt walkable out of the box for me.

Tread Trainers – Wow, a lot of colors are on sale, 11 total, for as low as $59 (originally $98). I own these in navy (on sale) and found them to be versatile and comfortable.

V Heel – There’s a handful of mustards ones in size 10 and it looks like they might be sold out, but hey, check back. You never know.  I really love the look of this shoe.

Leather Street Shoe – This gray on this tapered shoe is a great color. Too bad it doesn’t work for wide feet.

Form Crossover – There’s just a handful of sizes (size 5 or 11) in light blue or navy. In this review, I found the footbed comfy and the sandal stylish.

The Double Strap Block Heel Sandal – ’90s inspired square toe sandal with a walkable heel. Just the strawberry color is on sale. I tried this one on in store.

Denim

High-Rise Skinny Jean – The light blue, mid blue, and washed black versions are on sale. I bought and reviewed the same jeans in the dark indigo wash. Note that sometimes the different washes fit differently, though. (There is a mid-rise version of these jeans on sale as well.)

Authentic Stretch High-Rise Skinny – The above jean doesn’t have much stretch. For a stretchier jean, try these. The washed black is on sale, which is the color I tried in my review. (These also come in mid-rise.)

Tops

Clean Silk Relaxed Shirt – $59 (originally $98)

Poplin Belted Top – This was voluminous on me. Far too big for my petite frame, but the fabric was nice and crisp. Read my review.

Clean Silk Relaxed Shirt – The spring/summer colors of mint and pale yellow are on sale (and have been since summer). These shirts didn’t fit my petite arms, but if you’re rolling up the sleeves, then it shouldn’t matter too much. Review here.

Shrunken Cotton Shirt – OK, I haven’t written a review on this light, gauzy shirt yet. But I did just buy it and it fits my short, petite arms great! The reviews say to size down, but I ordered my regular size and it fits fine.

Clean Silk Short-Sleeve Square Shirt – Mint and yellow on sale. I couldn’t figure out how to make this boxy shirt work on me. Review here.

Pants

Slouchy Chino Pant – The off-white color is on sale. Honestly, I am not a fan as these were frumpy on my shape.

Dresses & Jummpsuits

Everlane choose you what pay 2019

Japanese GoWeave Sleeveless Wrap Dress – $65 (originally $100)

The Japanese GoWeave Essential Jumpsuit – A few colors of this sleeveless jumpsuit (olive, cocoa brown, haute red) are on sale. Wasn’t quite right for me, but I could see it being cute on someone else. My review here.

Japanese GoWeave Short-Sleeve Jumpsuit – Just the olive color of this is on sale. In fact, it went on sale shortly after this style was introduced. I guess they haven’t sold well, because this is now as low as 50% off at $65. My review here.

There are various versions of the Japanese GoWeave dresses on sale, including the Japanese GoWeave Tank Dress, the shorter mini version of it, the Japanese GoWeave Short-Sleeve Wrap Dress, its mini version, and the Japanese GoWeave Sleeveless Wrap Dress. Guess what, there’s a long sleeve version too. I reviewed some (but not all) of these dresses. Please note that the sizing is not consistent across dresses.

Coats & Jackets

Re:Down Puffy Puff – After trying this one on in the store, I ended up buying one for myself. (Full review coming!) But the summary is that I love it and it’s petite friendly. The dark spice color and cobalt blue are on sale for $118 (down from $168).

Final Sale

Authentic Stretch High-Rise Cigarette Jean – Not for me, but a great wardrobe basic buy if these work for you.

Shirred Silk Shirt – A feminine blouse with great details. Still a tad too long in the sleeves for me, but otherwise I loved it.

Clean Silk Boatneck – Another one that didn’t work for petite me. But for those with longer arms, it’s a beautiful blouse.

Cotton Collarless Belted Shirtdress – I own this in another color and wear it often in the summer, though I wish it were a little longer. The fabric is really nice.

Wedge – Cute! But tight in the toe box. Not for wide feet.

There’s much more on sale for both women and men, but these are just the items that I am familiar with. Also, a shopping tip: If you have your eye on something but it’s sold out in your size, check back again. I’ve noticed that sometimes sizes pop back up, perhaps as people make returns.

If you are new to Everlane, please consider use my referral link to make your first purchase. (Create your account before browsing.) Thanks! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

Vetta two-piece midi dress in yellow as worn by a model, a white woman, sitting on the floor.

Vetta Review: Two Piece Midi Dress

Published by welcomeobjects

One brand that intrigues me is Vetta, which creates capsule collections of items that are meant to be mixed and matched. Many of their garments can be worn several ways — an idea that I love. They also use sustainable fabrics and responsible factories; a family-run factory in New York City makes most of their clothing.

So, when Vetta offered a 20% off coupon to newsletter subscribers on Black Friday, I jumped at the chance to buy something as their pieces rarely go on sale beyond 10% off via their newsletter signup. For those buying an entire capsule, there’s always a discount. (For example the five items in the Everyday Capsule add up to $585, but if you buy them together, the total is $479, a savings of 18%). But I’ve never liked all five pieces in a capsule. So the 20% was a chance to pick and choose what I wanted at a discount.

The items I’d been eyeing (these pants, this top and this similar one) were either sold out in my size or completely sold out, so I made an impulse purchase and bought the Two Piece Midi Dress, which is part of the Refined Capsule. (I’m not proud of making an impulse purchase, BTW. I’m really trying to cut down on this behavior.) (UPDATE: I reviewed another item in the Refined Capsule, the Textured Shell.)

You can wear this dress with the V-neck or the rounded neckline in the front. The skirt also detaches so that you can pair it with something else. I’ve been thinking of adding a midi skirt to my wardrobe, so the fact that this one could do double duty as a dress appealed to me. It comes in three colors: black, gold (as shown in the first photo), and emerald. Usually, I’d go for the black. But I didn’t like how the buttons on the black dress were a contrasting color (brown). The only color with matching buttons was the emerald, so that’s the one I ordered.

The Fabric

When the dress arrived, I discovered that “emerald” was more of a dusty forest green. I know that monitors have different calibrations and it’s hard to know the exact color of an item you’re buying online, but from Vetta’s photos, I was expecting a brighter green and more sheen to the fabric. Had I seen this color in person, I would not have picked it.

A hand holds a closeup of the fabric used in the Vetta two-piece midi dress.

The emerald color, which is more forest green to me.

The dress is made out of Tencel, which is basically modal or rayon. This type of fabric is made made from dissolving cellulose such as wood pulp with chemicals. The pulp is then extruded and spun to create fibers. Tencel is a name brand that indicates the pulp comes from sustainably sourced trees. This Tencel fabric has a medium weight and draped nicely.

Sizing & Fit

I ordered my usual dress size, a 4. Getting into the dress took me a minute. I’m used to dresses with zippers, but the enclosures on this dress are all buttons. You have to unbutton the top portion and part of the skirt section and step into it. Throwing it over my head was not an option. It was too small in the waist to get over my head and shoulders.

The model above is 5″ 10″ and wearing a 0. Here’s 5′ 4″ me in a size 4. Of course, the length is longer on me.

Vetta two-piece midi dress in green as worn with and without a sash.

Wear the dress with or without the sash.

Of the two ways to wear the dress, I prefer the rounded neckline in the front. However, it’s a bit of a challenge to reach behind and button all the buttons by yourself. It can be done but it’s awkward and requires some dexterity.

The dress fit true to size. The measurements listed for size 4 are: 38″ bust, 27.5″ waist, 17 7/8″ length for the top, and 33.75″ length for the skirt. Measuring these pieces myself, I found the measurements accurate. Despite an ample bust though, the top felt strangely restrictive. I didn’t have full range of motion when it came to my arms, like I couldn’t lift them up all the way.

Vetta two-piece midi dress in green worn by someone who is holding up their arms to show that she can't raise her arms in this dress.

Help. Can’t lift my arms up all the way.

The Dress as Separates

The top detaches from the skirt via nine buttons.

Closeup of butons on the Vetta two-piece midi dress.

How the Vetta Two-Piece Midi Dress turns into two pieces.

Because the top is so short length wise, you can’t really wear it on its own with something else. I mean, you could, but most likely the buttons at the bottom would show. Here I am wearing it with high waisted pants.

Vetta two-piece midi dress, just the top part, worn with black high-waisted pants by someone with dark hair.

Vetta Top // Uniqlo Pants [similar style from Vetta] // Eileen Fisher Shoes [similar]

However, Vetta did design the top to button into another one of their items, the Button Fly Culottes, to create a jumpsuit, which is pretty cool.

The skirt portion was a great piece on its own. You can unbutton the buttons to create a higher slit.

Vetta two-piece midi dress, just the skirt, worn with a black t-shirt by someone with black hair.

Mott & Bow Tee [gifted] // Vetta Skirt // Eileen Fisher Shoes [similar]

While I liked the idea of the Two Piece Midi Dress, the restrictive fit of the top portion ruled it out as something I should keep. (Plus to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if I’m patient enough to deal with the buttons every time, though one probably gets used to it.)

I sent this dress back. In making a return to Vetta, you have three options:

  • Refund to original form of payment and pay a $7.95 flat shipping fee
  • Store credit, which includes free return shipping
  • Exchange, which includes free return shipping. However, note that if you make an exchange, “New items must be within +/- $10 of the full price of the returned item. No refunds will be processed for difference in price.”

I went with the first option since the other items I’m interested in are sold out and who knows when they’ll be back in stock. (In retrospect, I should have also ordered the Every Day Pants to try, which seems like a practical wardrobe staple. Exchanging the dress for the pants at this juncture doesn’t make sense though, since the dress is pricier.)

Though the Two Piece Midi Dress didn’t work for me, it gave me an idea. I realized that I should just shop for a black midi skirt. I already own several black tops and perhaps one or more of them would match closely enough to create my own “dress” look.

First Image: Vetta’s Instagram