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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 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.

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.

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.)

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.

** This post contains affiliate links **

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, a square leather bag, in cognac, as displayed on a wooden shelf.

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.

Find a directory to 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.)

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!

View from above of feet in light blue sandals with two straps going across.

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).

UPDATE – I ended up buying the Form Sandals nearly years after I first wrote this review. They’ve proven to be comfortable.

A perspective from above looking down onto yellow-sandals-clad feet on black and white tile.

Find a directory to 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?

** this post contains affiliate links **

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 (seen on me 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.

A sleeveless maroon dress hanging on a white hanger in a store.

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

A rack of clothing in Target featuring black tees and cargo pants.

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. But it does take a lot of chemicals to make rayon.

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.

A light blue long sleeve shirt hanging on a rack at Target.

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.

Three bottles of nail polish by Londontown lay flat on a light-colored wood table.

Nail Polish Review: Londontown Lakur & Instant Smudge Fix

Published by welcomeobjects

I’m not a beauty blogger, but I do enjoy nail polish, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on some new (to me) products I tried from Londontown USA.

Most of the nail polish that I’ve purchased over the years have been Essie or OPI. Those were the brands I saw in salons and they were easily obtainable at Target and drug stores. I wanted polish that was cruelty-free and 3-free, meaning that they didn’t have the “toxic trio” of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), formaldehyde, and toluene. Both brands met these criteria.

However, earlier this year I learned that Essie and OPI, owned by L’Oreal and Coty, respectively, had both entered the Chinese market. China requires cosmetics companies to submit to animal testing, which meant that these brands were no longer cruelty-free. While I didn’t throw out my nail polish (that would be wasteful), I vowed to stop buying these brands and to find new ones.

I checked out Cruelty-Free Kitty’s nail polish list and other blogs. Somewhere along the way, I heard about Londontown. This brand is not only cruelty-free, but 9-free, which means in addition to the “toxic trio,” its products are also free of formaldehyde resin, camphor, xylene, ethyl tosylamide, parabens, and acetone. (For a skeptical take, read this piece by a Refinery 29 writer who asks if 9-free is a gimmick).

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Londontown’s origin story centers on a family botanical formula called Florium Complex. It’s in every product and supposed to improve the quality of your nails and manicure. Here’s what I tried:

  • Lakur Nail color (Lady Luck)
  • Kur Protective Top Coat
  • Kur Instant Smudge Fix
londontown nail polish review

Londontown Kur Protective Top Coat – $18, Kur Instant Smudge Fix – $14, Lakur in Lady Luck – $16, Essie Grow Stronger Base Coat

Application

Here’s how I tested them. I cleaned my nails as I normally would with rubbing alcohol and applied an Essie base coat. (Hey, I have half the bottle left to go.)

I then applied two layers of Lady Luck, which went on pretty opaque. It wasn’t streaky as some nail polish can annoying be.

londontown nail polish review

I’m pretty average at doing my nails. I have graduated from applying light colors only, and will attempt bolder colors. But, results vary. Often, I fuck up a nail with a smudge or dent and have to start over on it.

londontown nail polish review

But that’s what the Instant Smudge Fix is for so, I gave it a try.

Dear reader, it worked. I was amazed.

Here’s what you do: While the smudge is fresh, brush over it several times with Instant Smudge Fix and watch it melt away. It’s as magical as it sounds.

If you have a very deep dent, it may not work as well. But in this test (and other applications later), it worked!

londontown nail polish review

Here’s a before and after photo. See, the dent is gone!

The nail color dried relatively quickly — I wouldn’t say super quick, but respectably quick, and had a glossy finish. The Protective Top Coat (one coat) made it even glossier. Prior to the Londontown top coat, I used Essie’s Gel Setter top coat. They’re similar in glossy level, but I feel like the Londontown one dried faster, though I can’t be sure.

Results

Here’s my fresh manicure. (Don’t look too close; I’m still practicing.)

londontown nail polish review

Around the fourth day, it started to chip around the edges of my index finger.

By the seventh day, it looked like this:

londontown nail polish review

That’s pretty good for me. Usually, my manicures are destroyed within a week. This lasted longer than the usual home manicure and about the same length of time as a salon manicure. Considering that I have middling nail-painting skills and applied the coats thicker than they should have been, this is actually pretty great. Maybe it would have lasted even longer if I used all Londontown products, including the base coat.

Though this brand is pricey (a regular nail color goes for $16), I think it’s worth it. It’s made in the USA too. I’m currently coveting this mauve color and curious about their Kur Gel Genius Top Coat. I’ve found Londontown to be the highest-quality, longest-lasting nail polish out of all the brands I’ve tried (not that I’ve tried a lot, but I’ve sampled about 7 to 8 brands).

A pair of mustard colored suede Everlane V heels lay on a blue and white rug.

Vintage Vibes: The Everlane V Heel

Published by welcomeobjects

When I saw promo photos of the Everlane V Heel, I have to say, I felt kind of giddy. As much as I love Everlane, I don’t own any of their shoes. They’ve never worked out for me. The Street Shoe? Too narrow. The Modern Point Flat and Editor Heel? Uncomfortable. The Day Heel got close. It was the first Everlane shoe that felt comfortable on. But I didn’t love the way it looked.

I very much love the way the V Heel looks though, with its sexy V-cut vamp and almond toe. (Pointed but not too pointy.) It’s got a vintage vibe that I adore.

And it looks like it has the same stable block heel as the Day Heel, which means that it might be comfortable too. We’re lucky to have an Everlane store here in San Francisco, so I stopped by to investigate.

The V Heel is only available in suede and it comes in four colors: black, mustard, light blue, and light pink. I’d love to see Everlane make this shoe in regular leather too. It has a 1.5″ heel, which is half an inch shorter than the Day Heel.

Everlane V Heel as seen worn from above and reflected in a mirror

I tried on a pair of these Italian-made babies and damn, if it didn’t transform my wide-ish, not particularly attractive platypus feet into lovely, dainty feet.

You might be wondering how the V Heel compares to the V Slingback, a flat which Everlane released earlier this year. The vamp and almond toe are pretty much the same. (Looks like they’re made in the same Santa Maria a Monte factory in Italy as the slingbacks.) Slingbacks are not really my thing, though. (I don’t really like the look of slingbacks, plus they rarely stay put on my feet.)

In the V Heel, I tried my usual size and a half size up and they fit true to size. Even with my wide-ish feet, I felt my usual size fit best. It was tight in the toe box, but will probably stretch. I walked around a bit and … my feet didn’t hurt. They felt fine. The footbed feels more cushioned than the slingback version (though I wouldn’t describe it as particularly cushioned, if that makes sense) and the heel is very walkable. To me, it felt more comfortable than the Day Heel — and without the pesky elasticized back.

Could this possibly be true? Has Everlane finally made a pair of shoes that work for me? Hooray!

Even though I’m in love with this shoe, I didn’t buy these right there on the spot because well, I’ve made a rule for myself. In my ongoing attempt to buy less, back away from fast fashion, and be a better consumer, I now make myself go home and really think something over for a while before I buy it. (One exception to the rule is if I’m shopping at a place like Nordstrom Rack where there’s only one of an item and you have to snag it before someone else does. But even then, I think it over when I take the item home.)

Also, I already own quite a few shoes, so I told myself I had to take a shoe inventory first.

I have a feeling that I will be buying a pair though. (When I do, I will update this review.) What color should I get? Decisions, decisions.

How the Everlane V-Heel Wore

UPDATE 10/14/18 — Well, I spent a few weeks thinking it over, decided that I still liked the V Heel, and felt that it would work well in my wardrobe, so I ordered the mustard. Shipping took a reasonable week or so.

A pair of yellow suede Everlane V Heels in a gray shoe box.

The shoes arrived with a sticker and plastic layer on the bottom to protect it. They’re ethically made in a 45-person factory in Santa Maria a Monte, Italy, where they also make the V Slingback and the new Boss Flat, Boss Mule, and Square Toe Slingback.

View of the bottom sole of an Everlanen shoe. There is sticker that says, "What is this? Your shoe is protected by this sticker to avoid scuffing during shipping. Please keep it on if you need to return the shoe. Otherwise, remove for wear and enjoy."

I put them on, and boy, they were tight, especially in the toebox — at least for my slightly wide feet. So the first thing I did was put shoe stretchers in them overnight. I have two kinds and prefer the wooden one on the left, similar to this stretcher, for the simplicity. The other kind has an additional piece to stretch the shoe length wise, but I never have that problem with shoes. They I sprayed a suede protector on them to protect them from stains.

Two suede mustard yellow-colored shoes with shoe stretchers in them

If you, like me, have wondered if suede protector actually does anything, the answer is yes, I think so. I was a bit nervous buying the mustard because I’m hard on my shoes and was afraid that I’d scuff them up badly. On a color like mustard yellow, that would show up easily.

Sure enough, I got a scuff within a few days of wearing them. I rubbed a little soapy water on the spot and poof, it went away! (I’m not sure if that’s what you’re supposed to do, but it worked for me. You can also remove dirt by gently brushing the shoe.) This is not definite proof, of course. I didn’t have a similar untreated shoe with the same scuff to test against, but I think the suede protector helped to make the scuff easier to remove.

Upon wearing the V Heel out for the first time post-stretching, they were still tight, though not as tight as when they first arrived. The first 30 minutes or so of wearing them, they were weirdly making my feet itch. (I think that was due to the tightness.) They also felt stiff, but they relaxed and loosened up a bit with wear.

I’ve been wearing them for about two weeks now. They did require some break in time. While they didn’t give me blisters, they came awfully close. One evening, when my feet were swollen as feet tend to be at the end of the day, I could feel my big toe on my left foot rubbing against the side. Luckily, I was close to home, so I averted a potential blister situation.

As public transit is my main mode of transit, I walk a fair amount. The heel height is quite walkable. I even ran half a block to catch a bus in them no problem. I love how they look and the yellow is surprisingly easy to wear with many colors. They look really cute with jeans and pants. They go with skirts and dresses too, but a version that was three-quarters of an inch to a full inch taller would be even better for that.

Some downsides: the sole on the V Heel is stiff (and makes a crisp clicking sound against the pavement) and that hasn’t really changed over time. It also doesn’t have great arch support, and I wonder if the stiffness of the sole has anything to do with that. This shoe is not an outlier for me in that way — lots of shoes feel like they lack arch support. So I’d say they’re average in that way. But if arch support is a big issue for you, these may not work for you. I added adhesive arch supports to them, but honestly, I don’t think it helps that much.

Still, I’m glad I got them. I really love the look. I’m able to wear them most of the day, though my arches are tired at the end of the day, so I wouldn’t wear them two days in a row. These would not be the shoes I’d pack for a week-long vacation where I had to walk a lot. But they’re a stylish option for a typical day around town and I find them fine for a light amount of walking.

I like them so much I might buy them in another color. Everlane probably won’t make these in an animal print — that’s not really their thing — but I’d love to see that.

View of shoe as worn from above. Shoe is against a black pavement with white paint lines.

You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

A model, a light skinned black woman, wears the everlane cotton tank dress in navy.

Weekend Wear: Everlane Cotton Tank Dress

Published by welcomeobjects

Today I’m reviewing a laid-back dress that’s perfect for weekend wear or vacation: the Everlane Cotton Tank Dress. As I wrote in my post about packing light for vacation, I love maxi dresses for their versatility and comfort when traveling. So I was glad to see that Everlane reprised their tank dress. (They’ve made a version of this dress in prior years.) It’s sweet and simple.

Let’s pause here for a second to acknowledge that this model is not 5′ 10″ and stick thin like most Everlane models. I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen a model on their site who is 5′ 4″ — like me!

The dress is priced very reasonably at $25 for solid black or navy and $3 more for black and white stripes. It’s produced in this factory in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

A black and white striped tank dress from everlane folded into a rectangle.

Everlane Cotton Tank Dress – Stripes – $28

As always, I debated which size to order. I am a dress size 4 and wear a small in Everlane’s Cotton V tee (reviewed here), but sometimes I go down a size. Once I even went down two sizes. So, I ordered both the XS and S.

A comparison of the Everlane tank dress in 2 sizes as modeled on someone and seen from the front.

Wearing XS and S

Here’s a side-by-side comparisons of the sizes. I’m wearing XS on the left and the S on the right. As you can see, the S is a few inches longer.

A comparison of two everlane tank dresses in 2 different sizes, worn by the same person, and viewed from the side.

Wearing XS and S

From the side, the S has more of a tent shape. I appreciate that this dress falls far enough away from the body that it doesn’t cling to you and show every bump. Me and my food baby are thankful.

A comparison of the Everlane tank dress in two sizes, worn on the same person, as seen from the back.

Wearing XS and S

From the back they seem pretty similar, except again for the length. The dress has a relaxed fit. Both sizes feel comfortable, but the S was looser all around and seemed too big around the armholes for me. I decided to keep the XS. It’s slim in a size down, but not in a way that makes me feel self conscious.

Someone wrote in a review on the Everlane site that she uses her dress as sleepwear and I can see why. It’s super comfy. The fabric is 100% cotton and thin — but not too thin. It’s not as thin as the Everlane Cotton V Tee and it’s thick enough that you can wear regular undies, not seamless ones, with it. I like that the rounded neckline is low, but not too low that it shows cleavage. (Speaking of boobs, I found the fit across the chest fine, but if you’re busty, it will probably be too tight.)

There’s no slit on the dress, so I have to take smaller steps than I usually would in this dress. That doesn’t bother me too much; I don’t feel restricted by it. But I can see how someone could find that annoying. Overall, I’m pleased with the cut and the quality so far. Some people have said that their dress shrunk a bit when they tumble dried it. I’m a fan of hang drying most of my clothes and didn’t experience any shrinkage that way. (Hang drying or laying flat to dry saves energy and helps your clothes last longer.)

A woman wears the striped Everlane tank dress with a straw hat, a brown belt, and sandals.

Everlane Cotton Tank Dress // The Flexx Sandals // Uniqlo Braided Belt [similar on sale]

You can run out the door in it just the way it is with sneakers or sandals for a super casual look. But there’s so many ways to style this to elevate the look. I like accessorizing with a belt high on my waist to create the illusion of longer legs.

A woman wears an everlane tank dress in black and white stripes with a denim shirt and peeptoe sandals.

Everlane Cotton Tank Dress // Uniqlo Chambray Shirt //  Baggu Circle Purse [review] // Target Polka Dot Wedges

I also think it’s cute with a denim jacket or a chambray shirt tied at the waist for those days you want an extra layer. This is such an easy dress to wear. No wonder it’s sold out in a few colors and sizes already!

You can find all my Everlane reviews here.

Flatlay of a dark blue puff sleeve sweater from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale

2018 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Review: Halogen Sweater & Tops

Published by welcomeobjects

My order from the Nordstrom Anniversary sale arrived, so here’s a quick update from my first post. It’s easy to get carried away with all the sale hype, but I am getting better at resisting! I think that’s the most important thing to remember when trying to shop sustainably. A few years ago, I would have ordered a bunch of stuff, and then I would have ended up not wearing a chunk of it. This time I ordered true wardrobe staples: a few tops and a sweater.

Halogen Boatneck Cotton Top

Two boatneck tops laying on a surface. one is blue and the other has black and white stripes.

Halogen Boatneck Cotton Top – $24.90 (regularly $39), comes in petite and regular sizing

First up is this Halogen boatneck shirt. I originally saw a version of this shirt in a sweatshirt-like material in the store and ended up ordering the 100% cotton version online.

I’m wearing the XS petite here. (I’m a dress size 4 for reference.) It feels a bit big. While I love an elbow length sleeve, the sleeves seem too long.

For some reason the same shirt in the same size but in stripes made me look wider. I should have sized down. The shirt is currently sold out, though I’m sure they’ll restock it as people like me return their orders. (But the sale might be over by then. Prices go back up on August 6.)

The shape of the shirt reminds me of some of my recent Uniqlo collaboration purchases (like this Marimekko one and this Supergeometric one). Like the Uniqlo ones, the Halogen shirts are made out of a medium-weight cotton fabric that feels smooth. The Halogen ones are made in Vietnam, the Uniqlo ones in China.

Closeup of the split side of the Halogen boat neck top. It is lined in ribbon on the underside.

One difference is that the Halogen shirts have a split on each side, and the underside of each split is trimmed in thick ribbon. I prefer the Uniqlo shirts, though, for fit and price. I measured the Halogen tops and the Uniqlo ones and they’re both about 18″ across the chest in XS. This surprised me since the Halogen ones seem so much wider. This is proof that the cut makes all the difference!

At $15, the Uniqlo ones are $10 cheaper than the sale price of the Nordstrom ones. And it’s not like the Halogen ones are organic cotton or produced in an ethical factory. At the moment, Uniqlo doesn’t carry their boatneck tees in solid colors. I think I’ll wait and see if they make a similar tee with a boatneck.

Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater (and some thoughts on materials)

Stock photo of a model wearing a crew neck sweater with puff sleeves.

Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater – $45.90 (regularly $69), comes in petite and regular sizing

Next up, this puff sleeve sweater, also by Halogen, which comes in 10 colors and is still in stock.

They weren’t kidding about the puff sleeves. This is more drama than I’m used to, but I am into it. Again, I’m wearing the XS petite. The material is thin yet warm. It’s half merino wool and half acrylic, which sucks because acrylic is a synthetic fiber.

I know I’ve said this before, so please bear with me if you’ve heard this. Not only do synthetics take a lot of chemicals to make — though it’s true fabrics of all kinds involve chemicals in the process; cotton is guilty of this too — but washing synthetics pollutes our water and wildlife with tiny plastic fibers.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was still buying synthetics like the cute floral print dress in this post. I would think, “Oh, this is cute. It fits me. It’s in my price point,” so I’d buy it. Now that I know how horrible plastic is for the planet and how much of it there is, I’m trying to reduce my consumption.

But I’m not going to purge everything with synthetics out of my wardrobe because that seems wasteful. (It would also leave me with no bras or swim suits!) I try to steam clean my synthetic clothing instead of throwing them in the wash, but sometimes you have to throw things in the wash. I just learned that Patagonia sells a mesh bag called The Guppyfriend that’s supposed to catch microfibers. I’m going to try one out and will report back. [UPDATE: here’s my review of the Guppyfriend.]

Anyhow, this is all to say that now that I read clothing tags for fabric content, I realize synthetics are everywhere. They’re often blended with natural fibers, like this sweater.

Me, a woman with black hair, wearing a puff sleeve sweater and pencil skirt.

Halogen Puff Sleeve Sweater // Uniqlo Pencil Skirt // Vionic Ankle Boots [similar]

I really like this sweater. Look how cute it is with a pencil skirt! I guess I could buy this cashmere one from Chloe instead. (Just kidding, I don’t have $800 to spend on a sweater.) Sigh. I’m torn. I want to keep this. It fits well, is cute, and in my budget. But I’m trying to have principals. Fall is coming, so I’m sure other brands will make puff sleeve sweaters too. Pssst, Everlane. I have an idea for you!

A woman wears brown wide leg trousers with a striped shirt.

Wearing Wide Leg Trousers When You’re Petite

Published by welcomeobjects

As I mentioned in a recent review of linen pants, I’ve been skeptical of wide leg pants on petites. I always doubted I could pull off the look. As a skinny jeans devotee, the farthest I’ve strayed is an occasional pair of joggers (such as in this review and this one). But sometimes, you don’t want your legs encased in close-fitting pants, especially in the summer. Wide legs convey effortless elegance and I wanted that look too. Could I wear them even though I’m not tall and willowy?

** this post contains affiliate links **

On a recent trip to Target, I saw this mannequin’s outfit, which made me think I should give wide leg pants a try. My size was unavailable at that store, so I went home and jumped on my computer. That’s when I discovered that these pants, by Who What Wear, also come in olive green. Decisions, decisions.

Who am I kidding? I ordered both colors.

Who What Wear Trouser // Uniqlo Shirt // Eileen Fisher heels [similar]

My first impression of the pants is that they seem surprisingly well made (they were made in China). They looked more expensive than the $32.99 price tag. The pants are 100% cotton, a medium weight, and while not stiff, they had some structure to them.

Who What Wear seems to run a tad smaller than other Target brands. My normal pants size fit, but I wouldn’t want to visit an all-you-can-eat buffet in these. They are a touch snug at the waist and the fabric doesn’t have any give, but one size up was definitely too loose. Described on the website as mid-rise, these trousers actually seemed high rise to me. I measured the rise and it’s about 12″ and they go up to my navel, even a little above it.

They held up well after a day out and about. Yes, they wrinkle a little bit. After all, they are cotton, but yay for cotton! (I’m trying to stop buying synthetic fabrics as they’re bad for the environment.)

Who What Wear Trouser // Uniqlo Shirt [similar]

Why These Wide Leg Pants Worked on Petite Me

  • The inseam was about 25″ and while the pants fall higher on the mannequin and the 5′ 10″ model, the length is not bad on 5′ 4″ me. I think the trick is that they fall just around my ankle bone.
  • The high waist gives the illusion of a longer leg.
  • Wearing a shoe that exposes the top of your foot also helps — anything to elongate the leg!

I’m pleasantly surprised that these work on me. A petite person can wear wide leg pants after all!

If you’re interested in these cropped trousers, I’d snag them while you can. At the time of this post, the olive is available, but the brown is already running out of sizes. They seem like a good wardrobe staple that you can easily build outfits around.

P.S. How ethical is Target? Looks like they are taking it seriously.