I love this community of slow fashion folks because you guys are recommending things all the time, and sometimes, like this Mona top from Linenfox, it’s a home-run! Sorry I can’t remember who recommended this, but they had mentioned that this Linenfox top is a dupe for the Elizabeth Suzann Georgia Tee (reviewed here). And was she right? Yuuuup it’s a dupe folks!
If you’re not familiar with Linenfox, they’re a slow fashion brand selling on Etsy, based in Lithuania, that focuses on making OEKO-tex high-quality linen items made-to-order. Read all about their values here. They are very much like the Etsy store notPerfectlinen, which I reviewed here. And I can confirm both brands source their OEKO-tex linen (meaning linen certified as being produced with a minimal amount of harsh chemicals) from the same producer in Lithuania (having gotten samples from both, the linen is identical). The styling of both shops are very similar as well and with similar prices.
So let’s talk about the quality of the linen. I had mentioned in my linen comparison post that Elizabeth Suzann linen is thicker than the Lithuanian linen that notPerfectLinen/Linenfox uses. A comparison of 241 gsm for ES linen and 185 gsm for nPL and Linenfox linen. In reality, you can only feel a slight difference between the two weights and 185 gsm is still dang good quality linen. And for some of you guys who live in really hot and humid regions, the slightly lighter weight (though by no means lightweight) linen might be preferred. The Lithuanian linen is a true midweight linen cloth.
{Wearing: Linenfox Mona Top, Elizabeth Suzann Linen Clyde Work Pants (reviewed here), Everlane Day Heels (reviewed here), Hermes Lindy 30 (similar here, reviewed here)}
I’m wearing a S/M size in the Linenfox top and it’s pretty much exactly the same size as the OS sized Georgia tee. If you look at the pictures below where I lined up the tops you can see the minor differences between the two. The Linenfox top is cut slightly narrower in the body while the Georgia tee is cut slightly narrower in the sleeves. Also my Gen 2 ES Georgia tee has a wider neckline, but I think if you have one of the newer Gen 4 tees it should be about the same. Lastly, the Linenfox top has a wide hemmed band along the bottom. This is probably for those who want less of a cropped fit, they have some wiggle room to let out the hem (which I think is a great idea).
Now let’s talk about price. This Linenfox kimono top came out to a total of $67.80 with the shipping and conversion from euros to dollors (as of March 2021 it is $72.54). The ES Georgia tee is $145 with free shipping. So you can see the Linenfox top is less than half of the Georgia tee. Now of course, a huge chunk of the difference is that you’re no longer buying in the US. However, there is the trade-off of supporting Oeko-tex certified linen producers in Lithuania. Also I support ES in buying a lot of their other wonderful high-quality items, so I have no qualms in supporting a small producer in Europe if I can get a similar item at a better value. Oh and when it comes to lead time+ shipping time, the Linenfox took a total of 1 month which is currently shorter than ES’s 6-7 week lead time and then 4 days or so for shipping (but this will vary: sometimes Linenfox’s lead time might be longer and Es’s shorter).
I actually liked this Linenfox Mona top better than my gen 2 version of the ES Georgia tee so I sold my Georgia tee. I don’t need 2 of the same top (especially when I’m lucky to have an overabundance of slow fashion tops), so letting go of the Georgia tee was an easy decision. I think if you’ve been eyeing the Georgia tee for awhile now but can’t quite get yourself to pull the $145 trigger, you won’t be disappointed in the Linenfox Mona top.
P.S. A note on sizing for the other items at Linenfox: from what I’ve heard everything runs larger than the labels and since returning things to Lithuania is a big PIA, I would recommend checking their sizing guide or contacting them directly with your measurements to ensure a good fit. And from what I hear it’s their dresses and skirt that seem to run large.
{October 2019 Update: For those who are interested, I recently reviewed the wide leg culottes from Linenfox here. Spoiler: I loved them!}
{December 2020 Update: As I was looking to write my review for their Anna dress (coming in 2021) I noticed they changed the name of this top from the kimono top to the Mona top, and have changed the name throughout this post. I have to say I’m glad they did since calling it a kimono top (after a traditional, very special garment in Japanese culture) is offensive. I’m glad they are aware and have made the change. I continue to love what this brand is doing and for the quality products that they make!}