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A snakeskin patterend belt in the front, with shoes and a matching bag in the background.

Selling on Poshmark vs. eBay

Published by welcomeobjects

One thing about striving towards sustainable style and trying to be pickier about what I keep in my wardrobe is that I’ve expelled quite a few things from my closet. I donate some of those items, but some things I hold on to for clothing swaps or to sell. I like to sell, not just because of the potential to recoup some of my costs, but because the clothes will go to someone who wants it. (The vast majority of clothing sent to charity thrift shops don’t sell. As much as 80% go to textile recyclers.)

I started off selling clothes on eBay, but in 2012 I joined Poshmark. Last year, after 5 years on the app, I became a Posh Ambassador (what they used to call a Suggested User). A friend asked me for tips, so I began writing this guide for her, but figured it would be useful for others.

Sceenshot of a Poshmark closet for user Melissita, showing some items for sale.

If you’ve never used Poshmark before, there are some things you should know about it. I think of Poshmark as a mobile app, though you can also open it up on a desktop browser. In that way, it feels like it was designed for ease of use — and I do find it easier to use than eBay. (Yes, eBay has a mobile app, but I’m not a fan of it.) How do the two platforms compare?

1. Listing an item for sale is easier on Poshmark.

On eBay, there are lots of fields to fill out before you get to your item description. Depending on what your item is, it will ask for various details. Let’s say you’re selling some shoes. eBay asks for brand, model, product line, material, color, MPN, occasion, style, heel height, width, pattern, features (ankle strap? bows? crochet?), toe type, and so on. Sure, many of the fields are optional. And yes, these fields exist to make it easier for folks to search. But wow, so many fields. With Poshmark, you upload your photos, write your title and description, and fill out 8 fields, 4 of which are optional.

(Yes, I just got these shoes, and no I’m not actually selling them. Just showing you the interface.)

One quibble I have with Poshmark is that there’s a character limit to the descriptions. Usually this isn’t a problem, but I like to go into detail sometimes, especially if there are features (or flaws) that I want to point out. (On eBay there’s no limit.) So sometimes I have to spend time editing down a listing.

But, overall, Poshmark wins in this arena as I generally think it’s less of a hassle to list there. One handy thing in the Poshmark interface is that it tells you right away what you’ll make from a sale.

2. But photos are generally easier to deal with on eBay.

One advantage to eBay is that its photo quality is better. It posts photos at a higher resolution than on Poshmark. eBay also hosts up to 12 photos, whereas Poshmark allows 8 per listing, though if you really wanted to get around this, you could create a second listing with more photos. Poshmark also crops everything into a square, so ideally, all your photos should fit into a square. You could upload something that doesn’t fit into a square, but then it generates a distracting black background around it. To get around this, I downloaded another app that helps add white space to a background and resizes photos to fit into a square. (UPDATE 5/5/21 – Poshmark now has room for 12 photos, as well as video.)

3. Poshmark takes the guess work out of shipping.

On eBay, you have to figure out the shipping situation. How much does it weigh, roughly? Which service will you use? Will you offer free shipping?

Shipping details on eBay

Shipping is a flat rate on Poshmark through the U.S. Postal Service. At the time of this writing, everything costs $6.49 for Priority Mail, no matter the size and weight, unless you go over 5 pounds. Taking the shipping guesswork out of it means one less thing for me to think about as a seller — and no surprises. I’ve definitely undercharged for shipping on eBay and have been unpleasantly surprised at much something actually cost to ship. With eBay, I have to weigh my package and make my own shipping label. (Or in the olden days, take it down to the post office and stand in line!)

When someone buys your item on Poshmark, a shipping label gets generated and emailed to you. One con, though, is that $6.49 can feel like a lot to pay for a smaller item that weighs less than 13 ounces and can be shipped for less via First Class mail. That high shipping cost can deter someone from purchasing your item. On eBay you can offer different shipping options at different prices. But it does take more work. On the flip side, that $6.49 shipping on Poshmark looks great when you’re mailing something heavier like shoes. Shoes usually cost between $8 and $15 to mail if you’re doing it yourself, so $6.49 is a deal. UPDATE 5/5/21 – Earlier this year, shipping increased to $7.45.

4. The fee structure on Poshmark is more straight forward, though it’s also higher.

Poshmark has a simple fee structure. For all sales under $15, Poshmark takes a flat commission of $2.95. For anything that sells for $15 or more, Poshmark takes a 20% commission. What’s the cut on eBay? Well, it depends. I don’t actually know off the top of my head because calculating what I’ve spent on an eBay transaction takes work.

eBay charges an insertion fee (though every month 50 listings are free, which is more than enough for me). Then there’s the final value fee on the item itself, usually 10% for clothes, and then a final value fee on shipping and handling. (Yes, eBay takes a cut of what you receive for shipping, though you also get a discount on shipping costs.) Oh, and a PayPal fee of 2.9% when you receive money. I had to make a damn spreadsheet just to track all these fees. Although it sounds like the total fee should be around 13%, in practice it varies. Sampling a few clothing items on my spreadsheet and taking shipping into account, total fees I’ve ending up paying have been as high as 20% and 30%. In general, eBay’s fees are lower, but not always.

5. Poshmark is a time suck.

Built into the Poshmark universe is a social aspect. Like Twitter or Instagram, you follow other people and people follow you. In order for your items to gain notice, you have to share them. You can share them at any time to your followers. You can also share them during certain times of the day to “parties,” real-time virtual shopping events. There are several per day, some themed by type of clothing (shoes and plus size clothing in the example above) or certain brands. There’s one each evening at 7 PT that usually has a theme so broad that anything can be shared to it.

Sharing an item frequently also ensures that it shows up near the top if someone searches for it. For example, let’s say someone is looking for a trench coat from +J, the Jil Sander collaboration with Uniqlo. The coat that was shared an hour ago will show up higher in the feed than the coat that was last shared a week ago.

Poshmark rewards your participation. There’s an etiquette of sharing other people’s items. If I share someone’s item, often the other person will return the favor by sharing one of my items to their followers. You can also connect your Poshmark closet to Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and other social media channels. So there’s the opportunity for your items to be seen by more people if you actively engage on the app.

However, do I really want to spend my time doing more social media? No, I do not. Poshmark can be a time suck. When I first started out on the app, I spent way too much time on it. I joined share groups (where people promise to share items from each  other’s closets). Those are hours of my life I can’t get back. If this were the main way I made a living, that’s one thing. But for me it’s not a job.

So I limit the amount of time I spend on the app. I think of it as maintenance so that my items stay fresh and visible. I’ll open up Poshmark and share items if I’m waiting for the bus or in a line to pick up a prescription. If I’m at home, I definitely timebox it and try to spend no more than 10 minutes on it a day. (That’s still more than an hour a week if I look at it every day — and that doesn’t include the time it takes to list an item.)

Of course, there’s no social aspect like this on eBay, and I consider that a good thing. You list an item and then you don’t need to check back in on it. (Well, for the most part. eBay does this very annoying thing where if you set up a Buy It Now listing and don’t accept offers from buyers, it changes it to accept offers without your permission. Bitch, if I wanted this listing to accept offers, I would have set it up that way in the first place! You change it back, and then they’ll change it again. Ugh.)

6. Miscellaneous considerations when it comes to seller protection.

So, it’s time to talk about a sucky thing about selling, which is scammers and non-paying buyers. More than once I’ve had to deal with an eBay buyer who ghosted. When that happens, you have to wait a certain number of days to allow the buyer an opportunity to pay. And then you can file a report to get your final value fee refunded. On Poshmark, users have to connect a credit card, PayPal, Apple Pay, or Android Pay, so people pay. Once the buyer has accepted the package (which they have 3 days to do), the funds are released to you.

I’ve heard from other sellers on Poshmark, though, that buyers sometimes scam sellers. They’ll file a claim saying that you sent them a completely different item and send in a photo of that other item. Or they’ll claim there’s some flaw. Poshmark customer service will adjudicate. On eBay, there’s some indication of how trustworthy a buyer is through their feedback and you can block buyers with low feedback. I haven’t encountered that kind of scamming behavior on eBay, but then again, eBay is not a social platform where I might get wind of bad apples. But now, regardless of platform, I take video of myself packing up each item I sell in case I ever need to defend myself against a fraudulent claim.

Another con to Poshmark is that there are buyers who go around low-balling you. They’ll offer $5 for something, which is just ridiculous considering the $2.95 commission. No, I’m not going to pack this up and go down to the post office to mail it to make $2. Buyers can make offers on eBay as well, but you can set a minimum to reject offers immediately that don’t meet your threshold. That’s a time-saver.

7. Which platform to use depends on what you’re selling.

In general, I’ve found that clothing sells better on Poshmark. However, certain things sell better on eBay. You have to consider which platform the audience for your item likely uses.

My mother asked me to sell some of her barely-used Coach bags. I listed them on both platforms and for whatever reason, most of them sold on eBay, not Poshmark. Men’s clothing also sells better on eBay. While I bet Poshmark has taken a lot of business from eBay when it comes to women’s clothes, men have not migrated to Poshmark as much. (Poshmark added men’s and kids clothing categories in 2016.) Certain brands like Madewell sell quickly on Poshmark.

Work clothing (like dresses) sell better in my experience on Tradesy, another site that I tried. UPDATE: I no longer use Tradesy as sales have been slow there for me and the return policy means things can get sent back to you. A buyer returned an item and I learned that while Tradesy will cover the cost of shipping the item back to you, the seller is out the money spent shipping it out to the buyer in the first place. I have now lost money on this transaction.

(An aside on Tradesy: I find its interface more clunky than Poshmark and it also has a convoluted fee structure that requires some work to figure out how much of a cut it took. Like a consignment store you get more value when you keep the money as credit to spend on the site as opposed to withdrawing it. Also, you can’t write your own titles on Tradesy, which irks me. Tradesy creates titles based on info that you enter in its fields.)

screen shot of 4 items which have sold on poshmark: a shirt, two pairs of shoes, and men's jogger pants.

Poshmark is also only available in the U.S. — and limited to clothing, accessories, and new makeup. (Um, I’ve seen someone trying to sell a showerhead on Poshmark, but that’s against the rules.) So if you think an item will do better with an international audience, use eBay.

If you have something that’s highly coveted, then selling on eBay might be the way to go. People go to eBay to search for something specific. My vintage items sell better on Poshmark, and I think that’s because more browsing happens on the app. eBay buyers seem more serious than Poshmark buyers to me, yet I’ve made more sales on Poshmark. Overall, when it comes to clothing, I prefer selling on Poshmark to eBay and Tradesy due to how straightforward it is, even though I have to maintain it.

I started this post with the intention of writing some tips on how to sell, but I’ve already written more than 1,800 words! I’ll stop here for today, but I’ll share those tips in an upcoming post.

Brand new to Poshmark? Consider using my code, MELISSITA, when you sign up to get $10 off your first order.

UPDATE 1/17/2019 – Part 2 of my Poshmark guide, with tips about how to sell, is now up!

UPDATE 3/31/2019 – Some recent experiences with eBay have really soured me to the platform. eBay continues to to change the format of my Buy It Now listings to ones that accept offers. Another thing that happened recently is that eBay restricted my account so that I can now only list 15 items for sale at a time. Why? Because someone else opened an account that led them to believe that I had opened a second account (which is against their policies). I absolutely did not open a second account and was alarmed that someone may have stolen my information!

When I called eBay about it, they wouldn’t tell me what type of information was similar. Was it my email? My personal information? Something financial? They just kept saying, “Don’t worry” and that they would file an appeal. Yet I haven’t received any notification of an appeal. The other account has now been shut down, yet my account is still restricted. I looked on some forums and apparently this is not an uncommon occurrence. I have been selling on eBay for more than 15 years and have an excellent feedback score, yet when I report fraudulent activity — someone who has enough info to pretend to be me — they don’t seem concerned and continue to punish me by restricting my listings. It’s time to take my business elsewhere.

UPDATE 6/11/19 – Poshmark has added a new category: home decor, which includes bedding and bath. Glad to have another marketplace that’s not eBay when it comes to those types of items.

Stock photo of the Everlane Clean Silk Boatneck blouse in mustard gold.

Fitting Room Review: Everlane Clean Silk Shirts

Published by welcomeobjects

My cousin was curious about Everlane’s Clean Silk line, so I went to the San Francisco store to try them on and report back. What’s Clean Silk? It’s what Everlane calls their line of silk products made by a producer in China who uses safer dyes in an energy efficient LEED certified factory. That’s just the first part of their silk initiative. You can read more about how they plan to become even more sustainable with their silk production in this article in Fashionista.

** this post contains affiliate links **

The Clean Silk Short-Sleeve Square Shirt

I didn’t have high hopes for this shirt because of how boxy it is. I know it’s designed that way but I was afraid it would just be too much on petite me, and it was.

On the left I’m wearing my normal size, a 4. On the right, I’m wearing a size down in the 2. They were both too big on me; the ends of the sleeves nearly hit my elbows. I guess I could have kept sizing down. Maybe I should have tried that. I think I’m just not tall or long-limbed enough for this shirt so it’s kind of overwhelming on me. (I’m 5′ 4″.) The front is a little bit shorter than the front. I could see it being cute in that oversized way on someone taller.

The Clean Silk Boatneck Blouse

Next, I tried the boatneck blouse. As I professed in my review of this Everlane boatneck sweater, I love love love boatnecks. So, I was excited to try on this boatneck blouse, which seems so chic and elegant.

Again, this shirt wasn’t made for someone petite. Wearing my usual size on the left and a size down on the right. In both cases, the sleeves are too long. Spouse actually liked it, but it’s a no-go for me because the sleeves! (Also, I shouldn’t have worn a dark bra to try on light-colored silk. Oops.)

The Clean Silk Relaxed Shirt

This basic button down silk shirt is a wardrobe classic. It’s great in the spring by itself and perfect for layering in the colder months.

Given that it’s relaxed, I went down a size, which is what I’m wearing above. Oh hey, look at that: the sleeves are too long. Surprise, surprise. I roll up a lot of my shirt sleeves anyway — you get used to that when you’re petite — but that makes it harder for layering.

You can probably guess that I didn’t get any of these. I reported back to my cousin — and now to you — that these shirts don’t work as well for petites. If you’re taller, check them out. One refreshing thing was that none of the button down shirts had that gaping problem over your chest as shirts sometimes do. As to the fabric itself, it was light, soft, and on the sheer side. It seemed of good quality and that it wouldn’t wrinkle too easily. I love that these pieces are more sustainably produced and hope Everlane offers petite sizing in the future.

UPDATE 12/18/18 – Went back to Everlane and tried on the size 0 in the Short Sleeve Square Shirt. I still don’t understand this shirt.

Everlane authentic stretch high-rise denim review: a person taking a selfie in a fitting room mirror wearing blue skinny jeans and a black shirt.

New to Everlane? Please consider using my referral link to make your first Everlane purchase. (Set up your account first before browsing.) Thank you! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

2 espresso cups, a measuring cup, and a cup with a pear pattern on it on a wooden table.

Thanksgiving KonMari-ing

Published by welcomeobjects

Hope everyone had a good Thanksgiving and safe travels. While I did indulge in a little Black Friday shopping (hitting up a few businesses on my ethical holiday sales list), I only bought two things. Instead, I spent most of the weekend doing the opposite: trying to get rid of stuff. For some reason, I felt the urge to purge. One thing I write about in my About page is how this blog is about my struggle between loving stuff and my desire to pare down. I hardly ever write about it, so I guess today’s the day I do.

** this post contains affiliate links **

I grew up in a frugal immigrant family where we saved nearly everything because it might come in useful. My parents weren’t hoarders exactly, but they kept a lot of stuff. Our garage became the resting place for anything that they couldn’t let go of: college textbooks, pretty much every toy my siblings and I had ever played with, stacks of paper grocery bags, decor. It was a 2-car garage and at one point, they could only park 1 car in it because of all the stuff. I grew up with the same attitude until one year in college when I moved 5 or 6 times in one year. That quickly made me a believer in downsizing.

I fantasize about being a minimalist, but I still love things, especially well-designed things. And now that I’m more settled in one place, I can’t believe the amount of stuff I’ve accumulated. It’s a privilege, of course, to be in a position to have stuff. But we also live in a consumerist culture that is always enticing us to buy things.

Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by my stuff. Part of my brain is constantly trying to declutter. I read Marie Kondo’s book when it first came out and though I don’t like all her methods, I agree with the basic premise of it: you should only surround yourself with things you love. Her method of holding each object and asking if it “sparks joy” is something I was already doing in my own way. She promises that if you KonMari your home in one go (however long that takes), then you will only be surrounded by things that bring you joy and your life will change.

Well, I started KonMari-ing 3 years ago and I never quite finished. Books and music were not easy exactly, but I managed. The easy stuff for me is kitchen and clothing. I’m always reconsidering the items in my closet, actually, which is why I have a pretty active Poshmark store. But getting to a quality-over-quantity wardrobe is just one piece of the picture. I never got through the last stage of KonMari-ing: photos, letters, mementos from projects I’ve worked on, etc, the personal stuff that’s meaningful probably only to me. (If you have a good method of handling this kind of stuff, let me know!) Meanwhile, things slowly creep into the home.

So, I kicked a bunch of things out of my kitchen this weekend. That red vacuum coffee carafe? Used it once. Espresso cups? An impulse buy at Ikea because they reminded me of a trip to France, but I never make espresso. Those Orla Kiely for Target plastic glasses that I was so stoked to find? Getting a little worn; I have too many glasses anyway. Kondo says that you should thank your items for their service when you let them go and I like this part of her ritual. I removed about 20 items from the kitchen, but then I went and ordered placemats on sale from Target because I have a weakness for woodgrain patterns on textiles. Doh.

A cabinet with white plates and drinking glasses

A kitchen cabinet, post-Kon-Mari-ing.

There’s also things I own that don’t spark joy, but it seems wasteful to replace them. For example: a pizza cutter that I bought from Target when I was in my early 20s. It’s cheap and not aesthetically pleasing to me, but it works fine. I don’t know what the pizza cutter of my dreams would look like. Is it even possible for a pizza cutter (or a wrench) to spark joy?

I also started going through my office, and that was harder. Parting with something that I think will be useful is still a struggle. For example: art supplies. I mean, the whole point of art supplies is to have them on hand so that you can use them, right? But I have supplies I haven’t used in years. What to do? I’m sure Kondo would tell me to throw it all out; I could buy those supplies again when I needed them in the future. But ugh, that seems wasteful. In the end I told myself I could only have 1 box worth of art supplies. So I removed some things, mostly frames, fabric, and gift boxes (which I’ve been saving because maybe I’ll need to put something in a box and I’ll have the perfect one.)

As the spark joy method doesn’t work with everything, I’ve gone back to my experience of moving 6 times in one year. Now I also ask myself: Is this something I would take with me if I moved to another city? More often than not, the answer is no.

I also make an effort to try to find the best use for the things I decide to discard. I hate to think of things just going to the landfill. Here in the Bay Area, we’re lucky to have some great places to donate your unwanted goods to. So, I’ll end by mentioning a few of them. In addition to the usual suspects, like Goodwill, there’s also:

Community Thrift – San Francsico – This local thrift store gives its proceeds to more than 200 local charities. You can even pick which charity you want your earnings to go to.

SCRAP – San Francisco – A nonprofit org that takes your art, craft, and office supplies and sells them for cheap to artists and teachers. They also give them away on a regular basis to public school teachers. (My pile of gift boxes and fabric will be going here.) SCRAP is also one of my favorite places in San Francisco to wander around.

East Bay Depot for Creative Reuse – Similar to SCRAP, but located in Oakland.

Friends of the San Francisco Public Library – San Francisco – They take books and media for their Big Book Sale, which raises funds for the public library.

St. Anthony’s – San Francisco – Donations of clothing to this charity go to its Free Clothing Program for those in need.

Freecycle – Informal email lists where people list what they are giving away or what they’re looking for. I’ve given away items here that are still in good working order but maybe aren’t in nice enough shape for the thrift store. Or they’re not things that would sell in a thrift store. My last giveaway was 30 identical jars.

If you know of more spots, let me know in the comments.

Ethical Cyber Monday: a keyboard and mouse on a clean surface, with a pen and notebook nearby

2018 Ethical Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Published by welcomeobjects

We do very little gifting of objects in my family for the holidays. I grew up with practical parents who preferred to give us cash for gits. And while I always appreciated it, I also thought it was no fun. Now that I’m older, though, I recognize this no-nonsense approach as optimal for not contributing to stuff that people don’t want or need or for taking up time making returns or exchanges.

But that doesn’t mean I don’t like to surprise someone with a present now and then. Or, um, buy something for myself.

I’m starting my ethical holiday sale list early this year because one particular maker I love has a sale right now. I’ll keep updating this post as I learn about more Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.

** this post contains affiliate links **

Amour Vert – Based in San Francisco, Amour Vert makes the majority of their clothes in the area. As their name implies, they’re inspired by French style. In addition to their own clothes, they also carry shoes, bags, and jewelry by other brands, like Coclico shoes. 20% off everything with GREENFRIDAY through 11/26.

And Comfort – Minimalist plus size clothing. 15% off with THANKS15 through 11/26.

Baggu – My favorite reusable bag! They also make leather goods, like this circle purse I adore. 20% off sitewide. 25% off orders of $50 and more. 30% off orders of $100 and more.

Bash + Sass – Minimalist and gender neutral tees, hoodies, and rompers for babies and toddlers. Made in San Francisco. 20% off with PUMPKINPIE through 11/26.

Carol Young | Undesigned – Sustainably designed clothing for women made in Los Angeles. 20% off with THNKFUL.

Coyuchi – Minimally processed and ethically sourced bedding and textiles. (I keep eyeing one of their blankets but they’re still expensive. Sigh.) 25% off, ends 11/26.

East Fork – Earthy ceramics made in Asheville, NC. 20% off non-pot items with TRIMMINGS through 11/26. (Sucks that it doesn’t seem to apply to ceramics, though.)

Erin Templeton – This Canadian brand makes bags with minimal hardware, some of them out of reclaimed leather. 20% off with BLACKFRIDAY18 through 11/26.

Everlane – Leave it to Everlane to do things a little differently. Their tradition is not to hold a sale. Instead, they contribute to a Black Friday Fund to raise money for a cause. One year, it was helmets for their factory workers in Vietnam. This year, they’re donating $13 per order, up to $250,000, to the Surfrider Foundation to clean up 20,000 pounds of plastic off beaches. $13 is the cost of cleaning up one pound of plastic. They do, however, hold periodic “Choose What You Pay” sales and one is taking place now and includes the V Heel, which I reviewed recently. Curious about how something fits? Check out my reviews of Everlane items.

Graf Lantz – Bags, laptop sleeves, accessories, and housewares made in Los Angeles. I love the simplicity of their merino wool felt placemats and coasters. 30% off with THANKS30 through 11/27.

Midcentury modern style plant stand with white cylyndrical pot and a snake plant.

Hook & Stem – The makers of the midcentury modern style plant stand I raved about earlier this year, started Black Friday early with 25% off their stand and cylindrical pot combo! For example, a 10″ pot with a short stand is now $73.49 instead of $97.99 (before shipping). And if you want just a stand, they’re 15% off. The sale goes through 11/26.

Hopp Studios – This brand of comfy shoes is made in Texas. 30% off with CYBER30 through 11/26. The discount applies to sale items too. I may or may not have just ordered some wedge shoes.

Ilano Design – This Oakland-based brand partners with artisans in Mexico and the Philippines to make their sandals, bags, and rugs. 40% off with THANKFUL through 11/26. Plus, Ilano will donate a portion of proceeds to Al Otro Lado, which provides pro bono legal services for asylum seekers and deportees in Tijuana, Mexico.

Jenny Lemons – Limited edition clothing and textiles in whimsical prints that are hand painted or block printed. 20% off with THANKS18 through 11/26. Applies to their workshops too, which are held in San Francisco.

Lo & Sons –  Makers of stylish travel bags. Some items are marked up to 50% off. Also, enjoy extended returns (60 days instead of 30). Sale ends 11/26.

Londontown – I was impressed by this cruelty-free, 9-Free nail polish brand in a recent review. 40% off polishes and nail care with code EARLY40. Free shipping on order $30 and up.

Marley’s Monsters – Reusable goods for the home like washable “paper” towels, cosmetic rounds, and baby care. 25% off with GIVETHANKS through 11/26.

Nettle Studios – Small batch production of flowy clothing in natural fibers. Made in San Francisco. 10% off $200, 15% off $250, 20% off $300, 24% off $400. Through 12/3

Ethical Black Friday and Cyber Monday: Woven loafers with a stick of holiday leaves and berries.

Nisolo – This ethical shoe maker has put a selection of shoes and sandals on sale. Plus, take 15% off with EXTRA15.

North of West – Based in Portland, OR, this retailer offers simply-designed women’s clothing and kids clothes in fun prints. Housewares too. 20% off with SHOPLOCAL.

Nordstrom – Items marked down up to 60% off. Plus, if you spend $250 online, you’ll receive a $50 egift card in January. Through 6am PST on 11/28. I look for the ethical brands, like Eileen Fisher, Baggu (pssst, this Duck Bag is 50% off), Rachel Comey, and Reformation.

Reformation – Speaking of Reformation, everything is 30% off on their site. Many sustainable brands have a minimalist aesthetic going on, but not Reformation, which I think of as certain kind of L.A. style. Get your form-fitting tops and dresses with high slits here.

Pigeon Toe – Ceramics made in Portland, OR. 25% off site-wide through 11/26.

S’ip by S’well – My favorite reusable water bottle. (Review here.) 20% off with BF2018 through 11/26. Their sister brand S’well is offering

The Stowe – Leather bags ethically made in Spain. 20% off with TGIF.

Stratia – Mark your calendars for 11/26. That’s when skincare brand Stratia is putting everything on sale at 20% off (except for gift cards.) I’m a fan of their Liquid Gold moisturizer which strengthens your skin barrier. Yes, it really works, at least on me.

Taylor Stitch – Responsibly-made men’s clothing. 20% off through 11/25.

First Image: Amy Hirschi/Unsplash

2 models wear wrap dresses

Fitting Room Review: Everlane Japanese GoWeave Wrap Dresses

Published by welcomeobjects

Oh hey, it’s November. When did that happen? I should be reviewing sweaters, coats, and the like, but I have a backlog of items I’ve been meaning to review, things that I tried on and took notes on, so I might as well share my thoughts. So here goes my seasonally inappropriate post. Everlane released their Japanese GoWeave wrap dresses back in May. They have that minimalist thing going on and seem like they’d be easy to wear casually or dressed up with accessories for an event. I love the idea of being able to dress them up or down, so I went to try them on.

** affiliate links below **

The Japanese GoWeave Tank Wrap Dress

The dress retails for $100 and comes in six colors. I especially like this plum. There’s also some bright colors, like a lovely poppy.

Everlane GoWeave wrap dress as worn by a petite person taking a fitting room selfie.

Apologies for the fuzzy photo.

I tried on my regular size, a 4, and it was just a disaster around my bust area. I tied the ties as tightly as I could, but there was just too much material. It wouldn’t lay flat, exposing my bra on one side.

I don’t think I could have sized down; the way it wrapped around my rib cage felt like the right size. Perhaps the straps are too long for me; I bet shortening them would solve the bra exposure problem.

Overall, the proportions were wrong for me; it’s quite long for a petite. (I’m 5′ 4″ and the models in the first photo are 5′ 10″ and 5′ 8″ respectively.) If I had this dress, I’d not only have to alter the straps, but hem it by quite a bit. On me, the hem doesn’t land at a flattering spot. There’s a shorter version of this dress, the Japanese GoWeave Tank Mini Wrap Dress, which falls above the knee on the model, so it would fall at the knee on me probably and look better. Still, there’s the pesky strap/bust fit issue.

The Japanese GoWeave Short-Sleeve Wrap Dress

Next, I tried on the short sleeve version. This one ran big, so I went down a size.

Everlane GoWeave Wrap Dress as worn by a petite person taking a selfie in a fitting room.

It’s OK. Not bad, but nothing special. Again, on petite me, it’s too long and a bit overwhelming on my frame. There’s a mini version of this dress as well. This version of the wrap dress did have pockets, so at least there was that!

Both dresses are made in an 800-person factory in Suzhou, China. Both dresses have tie belts and inner ties that seem secure. I wouldn’t worry about either of these dresses accidentally unwrapping on you. The GoWeave fabric felt like a good weight; it was a medium to slightly heavy weight, didn’t cling, and draped nicely.

But what exactly is Japanese GoWeave?

So, what is this magical Japanese GoWeave that’s drapey and wrinkle-resistant? 100% triacetate as it turns out, a synthetic fiber that’s similar to acetate, but more heat-resistant because of acetylation. And what the heck is acetylation? According to Wikipedia, it’s “the process of introducing an acetyl group (resulting in an acetoxy group) into a compound, namely the substitution of an acetyl group for an active hydrogen atom.”

Err, I don’t really understand what that means, but I do know that these fabrics are derived from cellulose, which is wood pulp. Wood pulp undergoes a lot of chemical processing to make it into a fiber though. Through a chemical reaction, it becomes a flake. Then, the flakes are dissolved and filtered to make a solution. The solution is extruded through a machine with tiny pores to make yarn.

What chemicals do they use? Are they bad? I don’t know. This chemical engineer on Quora says no. Of course, chemicals are not absent from the making of natural fabrics too. Cotton, grown the conventional way, uses tons of pesticides. Conventional textiles-manufacturing is a dirty business, though some small companies are trying to change that.

I don’t know how I feel about this fabric. On the one hand, triacetate is durable, mildew-resistant, and doesn’t pill much so if you bought this dress and then wore it for decades instead of consuming other things that fell apart more quickly, well, that doesn’t seem like a bad thing. On the other hand, it’s synthetic. Trusted Clothes, an ethical and sustainable fashion organization, gives triacetate an F grade.

If one of these dresses looked amazing on me and I could see myself wearing it repeatedly for years to come then I’d be more willing to overlook the fabric. (I think the most sustainable approach to shopping is to stop consuming so much in the first place.) However, these dresses looked meh at best on me. So that’s a big pass from me.

Though these particular cuts didn’t work for me, I’m glad Everlane made wrap dresses since the style flatters many different body shapes, but I’d like to see them in natural fibers. (And shorter lengths!)

If you find my reviews useful and are new to Everlane, please consider using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Set up your account first before browsing.) Thanks for your support! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

stock photo of everlane relaxed cotton tank in poppy, an orangy color

Wardrobe Staple: Everlane Relaxed Cotton Tank

Published by welcomeobjects

I was going review the Everlane Relaxed Cotton Tank over the summer, but … time got away from me. Still, it can be a useful piece for layering in the fall, so here’s a short and sweet review. I used to wear a J. Crew Perfect Tank, but I purged it from my wardrobe earlier this year by reselling it on Poshmark. It was not a perfect fit for me because the neckline was cut a bit too low for my liking and showed the top of my bra.

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I turned to Everlane since I’ve had luck with their T-shirts. The Relaxed Cotton Tank is made out of a thin cotton, similar in thickness and feel to the Cotton V-Neck, and comes in four colors: poppy (my favorite and often sold out), white, gray, and black and white stripe, which costs $2 more.

The tank top retails for $18 to $20, which makes it less of a deal than the tank dress, which goes for $25 to $28. According to Everlane’s transparency info regarding their costs, the dress costs about $1 more in fabric and $2 more in labor. So, it costs about $3 more to make the dress. Yet the price difference between the tank top and dress is $8, not $3. So, there’s more of a markup with the tank.

I deliberated over over which size to get. I wear an XS in the Cotton Tank Dress (reviewed here) and assumed it would be the same in the tank top, but after trying them both on, I went with the S. I’m a dress size 4 for reference. (Excuse the wrinkly bottom third of the tank top. I had it tucked it originally, but then decided to leave it untucked for these photos. However, I was too lazy to iron it. I really hate ironing.)

side view of everlane cotton tank top worn

I was afraid that the XS would be too tight and high in the pits. But actually, after wearing the size S for a while, the fabric stretched — to the point that it showed a bit of my bra from the side. So, perhaps either size would have worked. I wanted to make sure the tank wouldn’t be too clingy on me though (and show my food baby), another reason I went with the S.

everlane relaxed cotton tank review as viewed worn from the back

I love that the scoop neck is low but not too low — and the scoop looks good from the front as well as the back. The length works well for me (I’m 5′ 4″) though honestly, I tuck it in most of the time.

Everlane Relaxed Cotton Tank // Halogen Pencil Skirt // Baggu Leather Pouch (similar)

It’s a versatile basic piece that I can even wear with a dressier outfit, like a pencil skirt. And it’s great for layering.

I liked it so much, I got it in the black and white stripe as well. Overall, while this isn’t a terribly exciting piece of clothing, it’s a basic that I reach for often in my wardrobe. My only complaint is about the underarm area stretching out a bit, though it seems to shrink back after washing. In general, I’m pleased with it and think the cut is great.

UPDATE 6/6/19 – Now that I’ve worn these for a while, I find that they do stretch quite a bit. I think I should have gone with the smaller size! Doh.

If you find my reviews useful, please consider using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Set up your account first before browsing.) Thank you! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

Two bras against a red background.

Lively Revew: Mesh Trim No-Wire Bra and All-Day Bralette

Published by welcomeobjects

I’ve had such a good experience with the Lively T-shirt bra (reviewed here) that I decided to give a few of their other bras a try. I ordered the Mesh Trim No-Wire bra and the All-Day bralette.

Shipping went smoothly. Lively’s packaging has changed since the last time I shopped with them. They ship in just one box now (instead of a shipping box containing a box with a magnetic lid inside). That’s fine by me since I don’t need the magnetic lid box. Less packaging is always better in my book (unless we’re talking about something fragile.)

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The Mesh Trim No-Wire

The Mesh Trim No-Wire seems like it would serve as a good good every day bra. Like the T-shirt bra, it’s tagless, has front adjusting straps, and a J-hook on the back to convert it to a racerback.

The back of a bra, showing the clasp

It has gold tone hardware and lightly molded cups.

The inside of the cup of a black bra.

I ordered my normal size. However, Like its cousin the All-Day Deep V No-Wire bra, this just wasn’t made for me. The middle front of the bra gaped and didn’t stay flat against my body. I had this same problem with the Deep V. Alas, I found the band uncomfortable and had to send it back. But your mileage may vary, so it could work well for someone else.

The All-Day Bralette

Lively offers several styles of bralettes and it was hard to narrow down which one to try. I ultimately went with the All-Day Bralette because of the name, which implied you could wear it all day. Visually, I also liked the contrast colors where the cups were one color and the band and strap were another.

The back of a bralette, which has a clasp

Based on the size chart, I ordered a small, which fit fine. Unlike other Lively bras, the adjustment on these straps are on the back, which I don’t prefer. I think it’s much handier to adjust from the front. However, I do appreciate the the bralettes all have clasps on the back. I hate pulling bras over my head.

The cup of a bralette, which is flat.

The cup is made out of a rayon spandex blend. It’s pretty soft and comfy, but shapeless.

Closeup of a tag on a bralette

Unlike other Lively bras, this one does have a tag, so if I were to keep this bra, I would most likely cut it off.

However, I didn’t end up keeping it. Here’s why: While the bralette fit comfortably all around, including around the band, it has a seam running right down the middle of the cups, which seemed like awkward placement over the nipples.

Also, after trying it on, I realized that I just didn’t understand what the bralette was for. It’s lightweight and not that supportive. It’s thin so your nipples can show through it. I can’t imagine a scenario in which I’d wear this. The copy on Lively’s website says the bralette is for “running errands, working, lounging… almost anything tbh!”

Um, no thanks. I’m definitely not wearing this to work or out to run errands with the possibility that my headlights will show. Some people don’t care about that, but I’m self conscious about it. And if I’m going to lounge around at home, I’m just not going to wear a bra. But then again, I’m not that busty. If you’re busty and need support throughout the day, then a bralette could be a more comfortable alternative to wearing your regular bra at home. Lively makes a bralette specifically for those who are size DD and DDD called the Busty Bralette.

A Note About Pricing and the Rewards Program

I returned both bras. A note about pricing, by the way. Each bra is reasonably priced at $35, but if you buy multiples, the price goes down per item. So 2 bras is $55, 3 are $75. I used a combination of points from their rewards programs and a credit card to pay for my bras and learned that if you return something, the points don’t go back to your account. They’re like a coupon, so you lose them.

For example, for one of my orders I bought two bras, which cost $55. I used $40 in points, so that brought my total to $15. Because the order was less than $40, I had to pay for shipping, which was $7.95. I kept one bra from that order (a T-shirt bra), and sent the other bra back. Lively refunded me 50% of the cash I paid — $7.50. So the total cost for the one bra I kept was $15.45 — a great price! But I lost my points.

Had I used my $40 in points on two bras that I kept, then each bra would have only cost me $11.25! So, to get the most out of your points, I recommend using them on things you know you’re going to keep. I think for me, I’m sticking to the T-shirt bras. I noticed that Lively has a new T-shirt bra: the All-Day T-shirt Bra, which doesn’t have lace on the straps like their first T-shirt bra. This is a practical move I appreciate since the lace peeks out sometimes with sleeveless shirts.

Since I last wrote about Lively, it appears the online brand has expanded into partnerships with other brands as well. You can now buy Lively from Nordstrom and Madewell, for instance.

UPDATE 2/24/19: Looks like the prices have gone up a bit (2 bras for $60, 3 for $80). Also, Lively and Nordstrom expanded their partnership as the department store is carrying more more Lively items and a few locations also have a Lively shop inside.

If you found my review helpful and want to try Lively, consider using my referral code, which will give you $10 off your first order. You can also read all my other bra reviews here.

A hand holding a brown square-shaped leather bag.

Minimalist Style: The Everlane Form Bag

Published by welcomeobjects

Love at first sight exists. I know because I fell in love hard with the Form Bag when I first saw it announced on Everlane’s Instagram (pictured above). The bag, released in August, is made out of soft leather with an adjustable fabric strap in a 31-person factory in Prato, Italy. I went to the San Francisco store to check it out in person.

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The Everlane form bag, a square shaped leather bag, hanging on a display rack.

The Form Bag – $235

Aesthetically, this is everything I want in a bag. It’s sleek and smooth without any loud logos or heavy hardware. There’s a subtle brand stamp near the bottom of the bag. While the Form Bag has structure and keeps its shape, it doesn’t feel too rigid. I find the shape simple and elegant. It comes in three colors: black, cognac, and dark green.

The interior of the Everlane form bag, stuffed with paper.

Inside there is one slip leather pocket. The closure at the top is magnetic, a pair of magnets on each end. I love the ease of the magnetic closure and how quickly you can pop the bag open or shut. However, a few folks on the Everlane site did complain that the magnets are not strong enough to keep the bag shut when worn crossbody.

The form bag, a square leather bag, as worn on the shoulder of someone in the everlane store.

Everlane Cotton Relaxed Tank [review] // Uniqlo Chambray Shirt // Uniqlo Joggers [review]  // Everlane V Heel [review]

Everlane says this bag fits a 13″ laptop horizontally, but I think that might be without a sleeve because it seems like a really tight fit. The measurements are 13″ tall x 10.5″ wide x 5″. Yes, it’s 10.5″ wide but apparently can fit a 13″ laptop. (A 13″ Macbook Air is 12.8″ across). I’m a little confused by the math. I’m guessing that width measurement doesn’t include the gussets of the sides?

While the leather seems nice, I can’t speak to how well it would wear or stand up to daily abuse. The leather is smooth and soft, and I fear that it would be easy to scratch. One of the samples in store already had a scratch across the front, though it wasn’t too deep. The corners are reinforced with stitching, so that’s a good sign.

everlane the form bag review in cognac

The strap is looped through each side of the bag instead of being stitched in place. Some people might think a fabric strap is a cop-out to using leather, but I like how easy it is to adjust it. You can wear it on your shoulder, as a crossbody, or carry it in hand. A fabric strap also weighs less than a leather one, which is a plus in my book.

As I mentioned in my review of Everlane’s Twill Zip and Pocket totes, keeping a bag as light as possible is important to me, and I’ve been waiting for the right lightweight leather bag to come along. I think this might be it! I was pleasantly surprised by how light the Form Bag was for a leather bag of its size. It feels like it weighs no more than a pound and a half. (Yes, I know what 1.5 lbs feels like.)

I can’t think of much I’d change with the design of this bag. Some feet would be nice. Perhaps a slightly wider width to accommodate a laptop sleeve (though that would change the shape and I do like the shape the way it is now.) And it sounds like the magnetic closures need to be stronger (or they need to add more of them). I’d love to see it in other colors like a red-brown and dark gray.

A person wears a large tote bag and holds up the square-shaped Form bag to compare sizes.

Size comparison: Twill Zip Tote vs Form Bag

Speaking of Everlane totes, this is how it compares size wise to my Twill Zip Tote: not as big, of course, but still a decent size that can hold a good amount. (The Twill Zip is 13.5” tall x 17″ wide x 3″ deep for reference.)

I’m smitten! And I think the $235 price tag is reasonable. As I did with the V Heel, I’m making myself wait before buying this to make sure that I really want it and still love it after I’ve thought about it. (It’s my new rule to reduce frivolous shopping). I also have a bad habit of buying handbags I never use. (Hello vintage handbags that are way too small to be practical and this AllSaints bag that I splurged on, but then barely ever use because it was a splurge. Ridiculous, I know.) If I do end up getting it, I’ll update this post.

UPDATE 12/7/18 – Everlane has added two more colors: burgundy and navy.

UPDATE 2/15/19 – Spring colors are here! The Form Bag is now available in ice and bone, plus they brought back the mini version, which had originally been a limited edition run. Also, it’s been five months since I first wrote this post and I still want this bag, so I’m buying it. Check back here for an updated review!

UPDATE 5/25/19 – Well, I finally did it. I ordered this bag. Check out part 2 of my review, where I write about what fits in it and how it’s held up.

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

Shelves with shoes on display at Everlane. They are of various colors: orange, pink, green, blue.

First Impressions: Everlane Day Glove & Form Sandal

Published by welcomeobjects

When I walked into Everlane’s San Francisco store recently to check out the V Heel, I took a look at some other items. (Of course.) Here’s a quick first impression review of a few shoes: the Day Glove, the Form Crossover Sandal, and the Form Two-Strap Sandal. (I will be updating my V Heel review by the way. I loved them in the store, but made myself go home to think about it first. Well, I thought about it and ended up buying them.)

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The Day Glove

This past spring, Everlane released the Day Glove, its answer to the ballet flat. As others have noted, they look suspiciously similar to the Martiniano Glove Shoe. But at $115 they’re about a quarter of the price. At current count, the Day Glove comes in 10 colors, including a lot of great neutrals. (I’m rather fond of the mauve.)

Most Everlane shoes feel stiff, but the Italian leather on the Day Glove is superbly soft. The sole is rubber — a first for an Everlane shoe — so they’re an all-around flexible shoe. The footbed is cushioned, there’s a tab on the back to get them on easily, and the shoe is lightweight. It seems like Everlane put a lot of thought into how to make these shoes comfortable. They’re made in Santa Maria a Monte, Italy (just down the street from the factory where they make the V Heel).

Close up of the vents, two small holes, on the side of the Everlane Day Glove shoe

There are two vents on the inner side of each shoe for air circulation. I guess this is a good thing, though I don’t like the look of the little holes and am skeptical as to how much they could actually help. Size wise, my usual size fit. I have slightly wide feet and didn’t feel the need to go up in sizing.

My feet appreciate arch support, but the Day Glove lacks it. So while these may seem comfortable at first, I’m not sure how they’d feel over time for me. I’ve tried the Cece ballet flat from J.Crew, which features similarly soft leather and a similar rubber sole. Those seemed great out of the box, but I found that couldn’t really wear them for very long. My feet felt tired after a while. I needed more support.

The vamp is cut quite high on the Day Glove and covers a good portion of the top of your foot. But I don’t love the look; I prefer a little toe cleavage. Also, the leather is thin and I could see every bump on my foot — even the toenail of my big toe pushing against the leather. This is not flattering!

Even though the Day Glove seems comfortable, they’re not for me.

The Form Crossover Sandal & Form Two-Strap Sandal

Everlane released the Form Crossover Sandal back in May 2017, so it’s probably old news to a lot of you, but I’ve never tried it. I just didn’t think I’d need a slide sandal in temperate (and often chilly) San Francisco. But hey, there they were in the store, so I tried them on.

Given my track record with Everlane shoes (not good), the comfortable footbed on this shoe surprised me. They’re molded — kind of in the way that Birkenstock sandals are — but they’re way more attractive than Birkenstocks with their simple, minimalist aesthetic. The molded footbed offers some decent arch support too. Hooray!

Everlane The Form Two-Strap Sandal – $118 (Please excuse my old nail polish job!)

There’s also a version of the Form Sandal that features two straps across the top. These have the same molded footbed and same comfort level. The uppers of both Form sandals are Italian leather. The leather isn’t super soft like the Day Glove. It’s a weightier, harder leather that keeps its structure — hence the uppers will probably need some break-in time. These sandals are made in a factory in Lastra a Signa, Italy.

One downside to the Form Sandal is that it only comes in whole sizes. Since I usually wear a half size (6.5), I tried a 7, which worked for my slightly wide feet. The length seemed a bit long, but not in a deal-breaking way. The other downside is that they’re a little heavy, especially compared to Birkenstocks.

Out of the two designs, I personally prefer the crossover look on myself, but it’s nice that Everlane offers options. The Form Crossover currently comes in more colors (8) than the Form Two-Strap (3).

DV Addie Sandal – $22.99

Even though I was impressed by their comfort and minimalist look, I didn’t buy them. I just couldn’t see myself wearing them since I live in year-round 60-degree weather. But soon after I tried them on, I visited New York in late summer and it was fricking hot and humid. Though I had packed a pair of wedge sandals with ankle straps, I found myself wanting something easy to slip into. (The heat made me lazy.)

So, I ran into Target and bought the slide sandals above by DV, which are not bad. They’re perfectly fine for an an emergency shoe buy and I was able to walk around Brooklyn without issue. The molded footbed of the Form Sandal would have been much better, though. I guess I do have a use case for them after all!

If you find my reviews useful, please consider using my referral link to make your first purchase. (Set up your account first before browsing.) Thanks! You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

Four women models wear Prologue from Target.

Fitting Room Review: Prologue at Target

Published by welcomeobjects

Target bills its latest brand, Prologue, as “trend-forward pieces and timeless essentials” for mixing and layering. The collection has lots of basics and a modern minimalist modern vibe. I do love a modern minimalist aesthetic, so I set out to take a look in person.

First, though, a confession: I have a Target habit and I’m trying to break it. I know that Target clothing is far from sustainable. It definitely falls under fast fashion. I’m on a budget though, so I can’t always spend money on an ethical brand. What’s a conscious consumer on a budget to do?

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I try to buy items made out of natural fibers instead of synthetics, shop secondhand, and shop less in the first place. Fashion is a wasteful industry. According to this HuffPost story about fashion brands destroying their unsold stock, consumers spend 60% more on clothes now than we did in 2000 — and get less wear out of them. Americans also throw out 70 pounds of textile per person each year. So, I try to make sure that I buy items I’ll get a lot of use out of. For example, earlier in the year, I bought this cotton shirt from Target’s Universal Thread line (review here). I’m happy to report that I wear it all the time.

I’ve also cut down on window shopping quite a bit. The problem with Target, though, is that I’m often there to pick up toothpaste or cleaning supplies and then, “Oh look at that cute dress.” Oops.

So there I was at Target.

The stock photos from Target made this collection look chic, but in person it just seemed cheap.

This tweed overcoat? Mostly made out of polyester with a small amount of wool. It’s scratchy feeling — a deal breaker.

This dress reminds me of something from COS, though at a much lower price.

In person, you can see it’s made out of flimsy polyester.

Drapey T-Shirt – $17.99, Cargo Pants – $29.99

More wrinkly, cheap polyester — this time in the form of pants. The T-shirt is made out of Lyocell, a form of rayon that’s formed from dissolving bleached wood pulp. I guess that’s a better option than polyester, environmental-wise, as it’s not plastic.

This top seemed like it could be cute on, but it’s also made mostly out of polyester, so I didn’t try it on.

Don’t see this shirt on the website yet.

There’s just an awful lot of polyester in this collection, a fabric I’m avoiding because it’s basically plastic and won’t biodegrade. There’s also attempts at dressing up basics with details that I just find weird — such as the sleeves on this shirt.

Balloon sleeves abound in this collection. I’m not sure who they’d look good on.

Honestly, this shirt doesn’t even look good on the model.

There were only a few items that seemed decently made as well as made out of natural fibers.

This brown wrap skirt is mostly cotton (though it too has some polyester in it) and the fabric was of a decent weight. I love the earthy color.

These pants were 100% cotton. They have a high waist, pleats, and a cute tie at the waist. However, the tie could be tricky to style sometimes (and you can’t take it off; it’s attached.) They’re supposed to be ankle length, though on 5′ 4″ me, they are regular length. The fabric was a little on the thin side though. I passed since I already have these wide leg, high waist pants from Who What Wear (another Target brand) that fit well and seem more versatile. BTW, I went up a size in the tie front pants. They run snug.

A woman with short black hair takes a selfie in the fitting room wearing a light gray sweater.

A lot of the sweaters in this collection intrigued me with their shapes — like this dolman sleeve boatneck sweater — but I passed on them since most of them were made with acrylic (another synthetic I’m trying to avoid). The one exception was this cotton, wool blend sweater (mostly cotton), which is not on the website yet. But the sleeves were too long and the bat wing shape was not flattering on me.

All in all, this collection did not impress me. Made out of cheap fabrics, these pieces didn’t seem like they’d last long. I like the idea of an affordable minimalist line — it seems more fashion forward than Target’s usual offerings — but this collection is mostly a miss in execution.

P.S. How ethical is Target? Looks like they are taking it seriously. But they’re still a fast fashion retailer.

UPDATE 7/3/19 – On a recent Target run, I bought a Prologue dress. I was surprised to find it was made out of 100% cotton. Before buying it, I flipped it inside out to inspect the seams, and it seemed decently made. (There’s still quite a bit of synthetic fabric in the collection though.) So far, I love the dress and can see myself getting a lot of wear out of it. Moral of the story: shop carefully.