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}

Everlane Sweater and Silk Shirt Review {updated March 2017}

{update 3.2.17: As some of my friends (ok just one friend, hi Tiff! lol) call me Ms. Everlane Guru, I have amassed 50 (maybe 60?) reviews of Everlane items that can be found here sorted by clothing type, or here sorted by my favorites->least favorite}

So this is part 2 of my Everlane clothing review.  Part 1 was the Everlane tee shirt review and before that, I reviewed the Everlane Petra Magazine Tote.  I also have the Everlane Modern Loafer and I the Everlane Street Shoe on the way so I'll be doing reviews about their shoes next.  What can I say, I'm semi-obsessed with their stuff.  But I promise that's it...until I buy anything else from them (though looking at what's coming, I'm a bit iffy about Everlane's next releases).  Hopefully this review will help you figure out your Everlane sizing.

Like the tee shirt review, I'll be listing what I have, a quick note about quality, and what size I wear (I'm usually a size 4 or small on top, size 2 at places like GAP or sometimes Jcrew){note: I like my sweaters on the looser side, so if you are fit and like them fitted I say size down}:

- My first sweater and all-time favorite item from Everlane, is their seed-stitch sweater.  Unfortunately it's no longer being sold, but I would say the closest cousin is the Cotton Crew Neck Sweater.  But the weaves are different and it looks like the Cotton Crew might stretch out a bit {but I don't really know since I've never tried it}.  My black seed-stitch sweater is pictured below.  It's the perfect weight for a layered look during the summer in San Francisco (which as I type this post is a very cool 58 degrees).  I got it in a small, and it's still over-sized, but it's perfect for wearing over a collared shirt for a preppy look.  I've washed this numerous times and it stayed perfectly in shape.  I really hope Everlane brings back this sweater!

- My next purchase was the Everlane Short-Sleeved Sweatshirt (pictured in navy on the model in the top picture).  I purchased it in black and in a small.  The fit, again, is oversized but I think it works well with the look (as long as you're wearing skinny jeans).  The quality is again excellent, with a heavy cotton weight.  I don't wear it as often as I'd like because it's hard to find the right temperature for a sweatshirt but also short sleeves, but I still love the look.

- I also have the Everlane Crew Sweatshirt in Grey Marled (pictured on the model on the right).  I got this in an XS, but wish I had gotten it in the S.  It comes up a bit short around the waist on the XS size, but the fit is boxy.  I think if it's going to be an oversized fit, then it would look better longer than too short.  Quality is also great and I would say the price is reasonable for $40.

-The last sweater I bought was the Everlane French Terry sweater in both cool grey and heather brick.  I bought the heather brick in XS, but it was too snug and I didn't like the color.  So I tried again with the French Terry in grey size small.  But unfortunately I don't really like that one either though the fit was a little better.  The material is wonderfully soft so I could still wear it as loungewear during the winter, however the way the sweater falls on the body is not flattering unless you're literally a model {specifically, if you have any hint of a muffin top, the bottom hem of the sweater kind of clings to it--ick not flattering at all}.  Also the maintenance of washing by hand is just not for me (it's made of polyester, rayon and spandex). 

For other peoples' take on Everlane's sweaters: Review of their cashmere sweater, and another one about cashmere, and a review of their crew sweatshirt. 

I also have Everlane's silk sleeveless blouse in black (on the model on the the left in the picture above).  It's the only silk thing I own from Everlane.  I think the quality of the silk is great; it's feels pretty thick and durable.  It's not cheap for $60 but worth it.  {When writing this post I just took a look at the item on their website, and who knew it only costs $27 to actually produce this item (and $33 for long sleeves).  Just think about the mark-up at places like Equipment, which sells silk shirts for at least $200.}  I bought a size small and it fits perfectly.  I'm eyeing the modern point silk shirt and might do another separate review of their silks if I get that one as well.     

For my other Everlane reviews (on shoes, shirts, and their Petra tote) the links are listed on the right if you're on a computer, or scroll to the bottom if you're on your phone (all reviews are done with items I've purchased for myself and are not sponsored, but if you'd like to help me purchase more items to review, my referral link is here, Thanks!).