Everlane Goes Global…for one week

So just last week, I went to Everlane.com while browsing for Christmas presents for my boyfriend and was bummed to find out that they didn’t ship to Australia. Boo. Australia never has anything cool. Rage. Etc. But then I get an email today – Everlane has $15 international shipping to Australia for 1 week only. Hooray!

I assume this is Everlane dipping their toes into international waters to see whether it’s worth the investment and risk that comes with a global e-commerce business. So WE NEED TO GET BUYING and let them know that it will work! Australians are desperate for stylish, quality, affordable and transparent fashion alternatives.

Backing up a bit – the low down on San Fran-based Everlane…

Their schtick is “Radical Transparency”, which sounds a bit like buzzy Silicon Valley nonsense, but makes a lot of sense. They spend time finding factories and building relationships with manufacturers to ensure a quality product with (a relatively) transparent supply chain. Not only do they provide information about the factories (including images from the production line, information about the owner and number of employees), they are also upfront about the exact cost and mark up of each item, which is pretty revolutionary in fashion.

For example, for this fairly chic, minimal dream of a tee

They provide this breakdown of costs:

Cool, huh?

I haven’t actually bought anything from Everlane before (see above re. no international shipping) but from all reports, quality is good.

The range is very minimalist, very basic. Nary a print in sight. If you’re not after white, grey marle, black or chambray, you probably need to look elsewhere. But there is a timelessness about their product and I love how they obsess over every design detail. They make and market clothes how clothes should be treated – with attention, care and thoughtfulness. There is no sense that their product is disposable or only made to keep up with trends.

I think they are especially nailing accessories, where clean lines and good quality are often hard to come by without a $1000+ price tag. My favourite pieces from the whole range are their Chelsea boots (made in Italy) and their Petra bag collection.

It’s a really cool concept and I hope they do well. I would love to see more information on the brand’s environmental impact and where they source their fibres from. Cut and sew factories are only one stage in a long journey for any garment, but hey, it’s a really good start. Anything that disrupts fast fashion’s unsustainable but insanely profitable business model gets two thumbs up from me!

Here are a few of my picks from Everlane’s range.