After about a week under shelter-in-place, I decided I wanted to up my loungewear game. I didn’t want to wear PJs all day anymore, but I didn’t want to wear jeans and sweaters. So it was time to “invest” in loungewear. I only have one sweatshirt (the Ciao one I purchased from Crossroads in February—thank goodness I have at least one). So it was finally a good excuse to try out MATE (also called Mate the Label) who’ve been on my radar for a really long time.

If you haven’t heard of them before, MATE is a Los Angeles brand that makes casual loungewear from GOTS certified organic cotton (grown in India). But all dying (with low-impact dyes) and manufacturing (in accordance with California law) are done within a 10 mile radius from their headquarters. They are conscious about the carbon footprint of the manufacturing and shipping of their clothes.

And as much as I love what they stand for, tbh their prices are quite high. I mean I get it, it’s GOTS certified organic cotton and pretty much everything is made in LA, and that’s not going to be cheap. So for my first foray into the brand, I decided to go secondhand (which is also a great sustainable option). I snagged my first item Terry Raglan Sweatshirt (formerly called the Vintage Pullover) from eBay. I got it in medium and I think it’s the perfect size. Slightly oversized so it’s loose and comfy but I’m not swimming in it. The organic cotton french terry fabric is soft and lightweight, which is perfect for the warmer California weather. I like the bigger collar since it makes it easy to put on/take off even while wearing makeup (sometimes I find the neck hole of some sweatshirts so tight). It’s super soft and really does feel like a favorite vintage sweater. I’ve been basically living in it nonstop since I got it. Since it’s white, I do get a lot of little stains on it. But I find a quick swipe with a stain remover (like this one) does the trick.

After trying out the sweatshirt, I was won over by Mate and quickly purchased two more items: the Organic Terry Front Pocket sweats (formerly called the Edin crop) and the Organic Thermal Henley (formerly called the Elliot thermal—now sold out but they do have the Organic Thermal Crew). So for sizing on the Terry Front Pocket sweats (pictured below), I went with a medium. I’m usually a size 6 or 28/29 in jeans and I found the medium to be tight. The elastic was a little constricting, and I’m pretty sure it’s not because of the quarantine-15 since I can still fit into my jeans (though they are admittedly tighter now too lol). Also as you can see, even though they’re a “crop”, they’re a full length pant on me (for reference I’m 5’4”). And since the Front Pocket Sweats are a tad longer in the back, they drag on the floor a bit. I’m probably going to take a pair of scissors to them and cut it to make it even. Anyway for the bottoms, in terms of sizing, if you’re looking for a 100% comfort I would size up. Also this bone color is a tad sheer so if you don’t want people seeing your underwear, a nude color underwear would be best (though who really cares if it’s just loungewear lol).

For the Organic Thermal Henley, I decided to try out a small since I’m usually a small in most tops. Again the small was a tad snug, especially through the arms and wrists. But the body portion is loose. I like the dropped shoulder on this as well the wooden buttons. It feels very homey and comfortable. Oh and the top is slightly cropped to make it a touch more feminine than a regular thermal top.

Then after trying these all out, I was able to snag another Mate the label sweatpants on eBay: the Kayden Crop Flare (no longer sold) in a size large. And I have to say, I love them. For me, the large sweatpants are as comfortable as sweatpants should be. I also love the flare and the detail of the reversed french terry running down the sides of the legs. I got them in a gorgeous rust color that goes really well with my Vintage pullover in bone. As you can see in the pic above, the Kayden crop flares are also not cropped on me. But I think they look great as is. I think these are probably my most favorite pair of sweatpants ever (but granted, I haven’t owned a lot of nice sweatpants in my life).

And as much as I love Mate for their efforts in consciously made, super comfy casual wear, I do have to point out that I'm a bit disappointed in their size inclusivity. If I’m most comfortable in a large, and I’m usually a size 6, this does not bode well for women larger than me who want to try out this brand. On their website, they do have an XL option, but it looks like it’s “X”ed out for every pants. Which means if you’re a size 8 or larger you probably won’t find pants that fit you in this brand. I do hope to see size inclusivity be something they work on in the future, because really, I do love their stuff!

{December 2020 Update: So it’s been awhile since I revisited this blog post and I thought I would update it since my love for my Vintage Pullover (now called the Organic Terry Raglan Sweatshirt) is still going strong. I loved it so much that I bought two more since writing this post: one in rose and another one in bone but with a graphic on it (that’s my favorite). In fact I’ve added it to my Most Worn Items of 2020 post because I wore it almost everyday when I was at home (which as you can imagine was a lot during 2020 lol). Mate has also changed all the names of their items so I tried to update it to the new names but if I missed any I hope you don’t get confused. I also wanted to update this post because Mate has heard their customers’ feedback and they have made their sizing more inclusive! I now see that their sizing goes up to 3X for their tees, sweatshirts, and thermal wide leg pants and good thing too since everyone should be able to enjoy comfy, stylish organic cotton loungewear!}

{Update: I was just recently accepted to their affiliate program (I don’t think there was one when I wrote this over 8 months ago). So I’ve updated the links with affiliate links. If you make a purchase with these links I will make a small commission, but of course all opinions are my own (and I haven’t edited the content other than the names since I wrote it before joining the affiliate network). If you do purchase through my link, thank you as always for supporting me and this blog!}

{January 2021 update: So Mate sent out a 2020 Impact Report and I have to say I’m impressed. I wish all brands did this (even if it is just for PR) because honestly it shows that they are constantly working to be a better company. It addresses things that they need working on and are consciously improving upon. I gotta admit this makes me love them a little bit more. Even though I’m not currently in the market for loungewear (because seriously their stuff is made to last), I definitely know where I’m going to the next time I need more!}

{December 2021: So after wearing my two organic terry raglan sweatshirts constantly for almost 2 years, I finally bought two more (one from eBay and another from Mate's 30% off Black Friday sale). I am still 100% in love with these sweatshirts. I even bought one for Emi so we could twin if we wanted to lol. I have to say if you are in the market for Mate the Label and can wait, their black friday sale is probably the best discount you’re going to get. Oh and I should mention that I never really ended up wearing all my other items from Mate so I sold them on eBay (quite easily I might add) for a decent price.}

{June 2022: If you’re interested in Mate’s fleece items, Kristy does a great review of them here.}

{October 2022: As the weather cools down, I’m bringing out my Mate sweaters again and falling in love with them again. They are holding up really well and continue to be my go-to’s when I need an extra layer. And as I was exploring their site (and wow have they really expanded their offerings!), I stumbled on their 2021 Impact Report. I continue to be impressed with their efforts to be more sustainable: getting B-corp status next year and starting a take-back program for full circularity with their products. I’m eyeing a couple more things come their Black Friday sale this year!}

{October 2023: Maybe adding to this Mate the Label Review is becoming a yearly thing, but if you’re interested here is their 2022 Impact Report. And I’m also happy to say that they got their B-corp certification (which means they meet “high standards of verified performance, accountability, and transparency on factors from employee benefits and charitable giving to supply chain practices and input materials”). I should add that sadly most of the items I’ve reviewed here (that are my favorites) are no longer being sold. Mate has moved on to mostly cotton fleece rather than a terry-style sweatshirt. But I’m still a fan of the brand and will probably purchase more from them again when the need arises. Also I was told that Organic Fleece Oversized Sweatshirt or the Bubble Sweatshirt are similar alternatives to my favorite Terry Raglan Sweatshirt.}