Cuyana Classic Zip Around Wallet and Leather Envelope Clutch Reviews

Hi guys and we have another review (well actually 2 reviews) from a fellow blog reader today!  Thank you to Linda for her awesome review of Cuyana's leather zip around wallet and the leather envelope clutch.  I never really thought about Cuyana's clutch, but after reading her review I'm very tempted to get one for myself!  So without further ado, in Linda's words:

I decided to order the Cuyana classic zip around wallet to replace a Tory Burch wallet that had worn out. I had ordered the Everlane slim zip wallet as an option but ultimately decided to return it because I was worried that the smooth-grained leather would be scratched too easily (I don't baby my leather goods as much as I should). I decided on the Cuyana wallet first because I had heard great things about the quality of their leather goods, and second because I wanted a simple, classic wallet with the option to monogram.

I waffled over color and monogram options for awhile but in the end decided to go with a very timeless option: black leather (lined in bright red), with my initials in monogram. 

Size-wise, this wallet is about the same size as the Tory Burch wallet, and comparable to other zip around wallets I've looked at. It fits a TON of stuff - far more spacious than the Everlane option. I've crammed mine full, with many ID cards, credit cards, receipts and so forth, and it still never feels bulky and the slots haven't stretched out too badly. I also love that it has the separate coin compartment in the center - super functional and easy to use.

Pros: 

- Quality: Like other Cuyana products, the leather is super soft and smooth. I've had this wallet for about six months now, and even carrying it in my backpack every day to and from work, it barely shows any signs of wear; a few smudges here and there, but nothing a quick wipe with a damp cloth or leather conditioner won't remove. 

- Size: The perfect size if you are a chronic hoarder of IDs, credit cards, loyalty cards, receipts, etc. but still want to look chic and pulled together!

- Color and monogram: I love the wide variety of chic color options this wallet comes in; if I were more carefully with my purchases, I would have loved the stone or blush options. Also, the stamped monogram is totally worth the $10, in my opinion, as it's held up really well with no signs of wear. 

Cons:

- Nothing comes to mind!

Overall, I am extremely happy with my purchase, and I can see this wallet lasting me for years. I've received many compliments on it, and I'm planning on purchasing more as gifts for dear friends in the future!

I purchased the Cuyana leather envelope clutch in pebbled black leather. I wasn't really considering any other clutch options like this one, as I was really looking for something structured and simple for upscale evening events. I already have an oversized black leather slouchy clutch from American Apparel, so I wanted something on the other end of the spectrum of black leather clutches. (I'm not very adventurous in my accessorizing - thus, all the black leather!) 

Pros:

- Quality: As expected, the quality of this clutch is just beautiful. This leather seems firmer and more durable than that of the wallet, funnily enough given it's more of a special occasion item rather than an everyday item. The magnetic closure is well-made and holds the bag closed with a comfortable amount of resistance when opening. 

- Size (weight/shape): This clutch is very lightweight, as it doesn't have any hardware or decoration, and it's the perfect depth for slipping under your arm if you're carrying a drink or shaking someone's hand. 

Cons:

- Capacity: This clutch is really meant to hold just the bare necessities, as the magnetic closure won't shut if the clutch is too full, and there's only one card slot in the back. For an evening out, I can comfortably fit a lip product, my iPhone 6, a small Altoids tin, and my room key/ID/credit card in the card slot - that's it. The lack of capacity was a bit surprising to me at first, but I like that it forces me to streamline what I bring. That being said, if you're looking for more capacity, I'd consider the convertible clutch.

It doesn't appear that this specific option is available any more, but looking at the current options, both the black shimmer pebbled leather and the black pebbled/smooth leather clutches look pretty similar and both are gorgeous, of course.

Everlane vs. Equipment vs. Cuyana Silk Comparisons Review

I'm not sure how useful the Everlane cashmere vs. JCrew cashmere review was, but I really enjoyed learning a little bit more about the source and production of the materials of the clothes I buy.  And Everlane makes it even more interesting because of their radical transparency and thus their willingness to give consumers a lot of details.  So today I'm doing a silk comparison post as well.

{I read an older review post the other day on my phone and realized that these posts look really really long.  So long, I'm not sure I would even read it.  So for those who are in a time crunch here is the tl;dr version of this post: Everlane silk shirts are better than Equipment silk shirts.  But Cuyana silk shirts can't really be compared with either of the Everlane or Equipment shirts because it's a totally different kind of silk.  Whether you like Cuyana over Everlane or vice versa is a personal choice--and mine is Cuyana).  The details on how I got to this verdict below:

Cuyana silk shirt, Everlane silk shirt, Equipment silk shirt

First a little background on silk:

-Momme is a special weight measurement used for high quality fabrics and is used to indicate the heft and weight of the fabric. Higher momme weight means that more silk was used in the production of the fabric.

-The standard momme weight for silk ranges from 12-19.  Silk with a momme weight from 16-19 is usually considered high quality.  And anything 19-22 in momme weight is about the best of the best (momme=mm).

-Silk cloths also have a thread count and should be greater than 400.

-There is silk made from wild worms (usually Shantung or Tussah silk) and it's courser and more beige than cultivated silk which is smoother and whiter.  When you think silk, you're most likely thinking of silk from cultivated worms (like these 3 shirts).

-There are several types of silk: chiffon (the billowy one), china silk (also called habotai, about 5-12mm), and crepe de chine (12-15mm).

sources: 1, 2, 3

Bottom left is Everlane, bottom right is Equipment and top is Cuyana.

Now to compare the silk from Everlane and the silk from Equipment.  The silk of both shirts felt fairly similar--the type of silk that feels a little more velvety but thin.  Equipment doesn't give us any information about their silk, except we know it's made in China (from the tag).  Everlane's silk shirts also come from China (Hangzhou to be precise) and their silk is 16mm crepe de chine.

The only difference between Equipment and Everlane silk is the color.  Though both shirts are black, the Equipment one is not a true black, it's more of a gray.  But of course the biggest difference is the price.  I purchased the Equipment blouse for $208 while the same shirt from Everlane is $78.  With the same quality silk but at a much better price it's kind of a no brainer to go with Everlane over Equipment (on top of that Everlane does awesome things like give back to this silk factory in Hangzhou.  They funded the construction of solar panels so that the 240 workers who live and work at the factory can have hot showers.  Everlane was able to do this through their Black Friday Fund}.

Cuyana, Everlane, Equipment

From the pictures, you can clearly see that the Cuyana silk is quite different from both the Everlane and Equipment silk shirts.  It's a much darker color, but it's also of a much heavier weight.  Their silk shirts are made in the USA from 22mm crepe de chine.  That means a lot more silk went into the production of this shirt and you can tell.  It feels a lot more durable.  I love this silk shirt so much I'm considering getting this one in white (I feel like most white silk shirts are really sheer, but since this one is so much thicker it will probably be quite a bit more opaque).  But for more than twice the price (at $175) of an Everlane silk shirt, the Cuyana silk shirts are definitely more of an investment piece (best for those who truly believe in Cuyana's motto: Fewer, better things).  Still it's cheaper than Equipment shirts.  {Moral of the story here, no one should be buying Equipment shirts when there's so many better options around.}

So my final verdict: Everlane > Equipment; but Cuyana stands apart.  If I could only choose one?  It would be Cuyana.

Here's another blogger's review of Everlane and Equipment silk shirts and another blogger's review of Cuyana's silk shirts.  I purchased all items in this review for myself and this post is not sponsored, but if you'd like to help me purchase more Everlane items here's a referral link.  Thanks for reading!

{edit: I add Grana's silk into the mix in a Grana vs. Everlane vs. Cuyana silk review}

Cuyana Silk Tee and Scoop Tee Review with a comparison to Everlane's Silk and Cotton Tees

So now you all know I'm moving from 2500 sqft. to 250 sqft. next year (details here), so you would think that I've completely stopped acquiring things, especially clothes.  And I will...slowly... but I can't just quit cold turkey.  Plus I have some left-over store credit that I need to use up before I become technically home-less (though I'll be trailer-full).  Well that's what I was telling myself when I purchased a couple more items from Cuyana.  (I did a review of the Cuyana Classic Leather Tote).

If you haven't heard of this brand, I sometimes think of it to the older sister of Everlane.  Their clothes are a little less trendy and I think for a more refined crowd.  Their motto is "Fewer, Better" which is a bit different from Everlane's "Radical Transparency", yet both companies believe in quality items sourced and produced in a responsible manner.  Oh and Cuyana costs a bit more too.  Cuyana's silk tee runs you $155 while a comparable one from Everlane is about $75.  Cuyana's cotton tee is $40 while Everlane's is $15.  Those numbers alone would tempt some just to stick with Everlane (especially since what they're doing is not only socially responsible but their products are also really quite fantastic).  But Cuyana deserves an honest test-drive as well.

And this is what I thought: (also for those who are interested in the sizing of Cuyana's cothes, I am about a size 4 or small in most tops and I would say the sizing is pretty comparable to Everlane- ie an Everlane small is about the same as a Cuyana small).

First up is the Cuyana scoop neck tee.  I really love the fit of this shirt.  The scoop neck is just-right in that it's not so wide that you flash everyone with your bra when you bend forward.  Also, the sleeves are the perfect length.  And finally the shirt isn't cropped, but it's not too long either (it's hard to tell because the model has the shirt tucked-in on all the shots, but the shirt ends right below the waistband).  For a better idea, Everlane's shirts in a small are about 24 inches from shoulder to bottom hem while Cuyana's is 22 inches.  The material is also super soft, softer than Everlane's cotton shirts.  And that's because Cuyana's are made from 50% modal and 50% pima cotton.  (Also did you know modal is just another way of saying rayon?  I didn't because I never really bothered to know more about my clothes until recently).  So that means the care for this shirt requires laying flat to dry.  But I really don't have space anywhere to lay them dry.  Also this tee is $40, which is over double of Everlane's cotton tees.  So my overall verdict is to stick with Everlane for their tees (edit: but to be clear, it's mostly due to my preference for a no-hassle shirt that I wouldn't get too upset about if I got it dirty-which happens to my shirts all the time).

Everlane silk tee on left and Cuyana silk tee on right

But if I were to choose Cuyana or Everlane when it comes to the silk department, my vote goes to Cuyana's silk tee in black (in small).  I love love love it!  The silk feels amazing and is totally different from Everlane's silk.  This silk material is of a heavier weight and feels more durable.  It reminds me of the kind of silk that kimonos are made of (I know that's not super helpful, but I really don't know too much about silk).  It's hard to describe the difference, but I plan to write a more in-depth post about the different kinds of silk and compare the silk from Everlane, Equipment, and Cuyana.  As for the shirt itself, the cut is really flattering.  I like the extra length in the back and also the sleeves, which I didn't think I would like because it almost looks like cap sleeves.  But the sleeves are cut a little longer so it actually looks quite flattering (still hides any flabby triceps, though I like how the Everlane silk tees have a longer sleeve overall).  For almost double the price, the Cuyana silk tee might seem like less of a value than Everlane's silk tee.  However the silk tee from Cuyana is of a higher quality and seems like it would last longer.  If your goal is truly to have fewer but better clothes then Cuyana's silk tee is the better choice.

So I would say give Cuyana a chance, especially when it comes to their silk items and their leather goods.  Those items are truly made with a higher quality and are worth the extra dollars if you plan to use these items for years and years.  Like all my reviews, I purchased items for myself and have not been paid for any of my opinions.

{edit if you're looking for more silk reviews there's the first one- Everlane vs. Equipment vs. Cuyana silk review; and the second one- Grana vs. Everlane vs. Cuyana silk review}