M. Gemi Felize Loafers Review {Updated August 2017}

I've always wanted a pair of Tod's Gommino driving loafers ever since I saw a particularly chic classmate of mine from grad school wear them.  But at $495 a pair, it seemed quite a bit for a pair of shoes I wasn't sure I could pull off (they seem a bit of a granny shoe).  So when the Felize loafer kept poppin up on my radar (damn you Facebook ads and sponsored posts by other bloggers), I knew I had to try them out.  At $178 a pair and Italian-made, these shoes are in my comfortable price-point range (much like Everlane's Italian made shoes).  So here is my totally unsponsored review of M.Gemi's loafers.

Because I kept seeing sponsored blog posts and Facebook ads for M.Gemi, I originally felt that these shoes must be a gimmick or not that great (or why else push so hard on the marketing?).  BUT I was pleasantly surprised to find these shoes to be AWESOME!  

But first a note on sizing.  I ordered these in a 38.5.  I'm usually a size 7.5-8, and always an 8 in Everlane's narrow shoes.  M.Gemi has a great fit finder link on their site that will help you find the right size, and I have to say they're pretty accurate.  

Ok back to the awesomeness of the shoe!  This is a really well made Italian leather loafer.  I chose the bright blue color (because why not, plus I wanted to be the least granny-ish as possible).  But I love that they have so many colors for this one style (which also comes in suede now).  What I love most about this shoe though is that it's fairly wide especially near the front of the foot.  No squeezing or rubbing since the very beginning, so that means no breaking-in period.  I wore this out the door the first day I got it and haven't had a blister yet (compare this to Everlane's modern loafer which still gives my blisters a year later, which is why I'm probably going to be selling it soon).  

I also love the black rubber nubs on the bottom of the shoe (which come up on the outside of the heel in a very Tod-esque way).  The black grippies (as I like to call them), prevent the shoes from being too slippery (a problem with almost all of Everlane shoes, but it does cause some squeakiness on smooth concrete floors) At the heel inside the shoe there's a bit of suede to keep the shoe from slipping off (and prevents blisters).  

The only negative thing about these shoes is the lack of arch support.  But that can be easily remedied by hidden arch supports like these.  But other than that, this shoe is wonderful.  I'm excited to try out some of M.Gemi's other offerings.  

{Updated Aug 2017: So I've had these Felize loafers for over a year now and since I'm still getting people finding this post (hiya newcomers), I thought I might as well let you know how these shoes are wearing.  So after I got these blue ones, I bought the antique pink in suede and then another pair in regular leather in the light beige color.  I trashed the blue ones walking around in wet weather and on muddy forest floors (I know these are city shoes and not outdoor hiking shoes.  Let's just say I loved them so much I forgot that they won't work for all occasions).  I never really use the suede ones since the suede gets so dirty quickly.  So I end up wearing the beige ones the most.  They've stretched out and formed around my foot so it's a bit lumpy looking (not a smooth round edge) from my toes (maybe I have a weirdly shaped foot?).  Anyway my love for these are still going strong and they're the perfect shoe for fall (as long as you have a mostly dry autumn).  Also they are the perfect driving loafer since the nubbies grip the pedals easily and they're just so comfy overall!}

If you're interested and want $50 off your first M. Gemi purchase, email gardner_maureen@ymail.com to get your coupon code!

Everlane Review Luxe Drape Cropped Scoop Neck Tee

Last week I reviewed Everlane's luxe drape muscle tank dress (which I thought was so-so).  But I think Everlane's luxe drape crop scoop neck tee is more like something I would wear.  This 100% lyocell tee is super soft and I love the way it drapes. This tee is a good option for those who like a tee that looks and feels better than the cotton tees from Everlane.

First off, I got this in a size small which fit perfectly (I'm usually a size 4 on top).  I thought the cropped fit was just right on my 5'4" frame: it hit right at the belt line.  It wasn't actually all that cropped  (I guess because I'm short-ish).  I also really love the length of the sleeves which slims down my "chicken wings" (aka triceps).

The luxe material itself (the lyocell) is super soft and silky.  But the washing instructions are hand-wash cold, which is again something I'm not into.  I was really on the fence about whether or not to keep this top, but with the washing instructions and a $35 price tag for a tee (plus with an overflow of tees in my closet already), I ended up not keeping this one.  

If you want to see what this top looks like in the lighter colors, Grechen does a review of it here. 

As usual all reviews are not sponsored.  You can find all my other Everlane reviews.

My Favorite Phone Accessory

Since I'm a reviewer at heart, I would be remiss not to review one of my favorite phone accessories in recent memory.  So here it is, ta-daaaa:

What is that you ask?  Just an ugly black button on the back of my phone?  Well yes, but even better it pops out!  Lol, so I got this PopSocket after I saw it on my friend's phone, and what I love about it is that it allows me have a better hold on my phone (I no longer need to curl my fingers over the edges of the phone nor do I have to rest it on my pinky).  It doesn't seem like a big change, but trust me it's a much easier way to hold a phone (especially those 6+ iPhones).

Other Pros:

~ It can also be used as a stand to prop your phone up

~ Also can be used to wrap your earbuds around so no more tangled cords

~ Really easy grip for selfies especially

~ And it pops back in so when you're not using it, it's really quite unobtrusive (about 5mm).

~ Theoretically they're easy to remove and reattach (even though I haven't tried it yet).

~ And they have a bunch of different designs to choose from

~ Plus for a fidget-er like me, its addictively fun to keep popping the socket, lol

I was always thought the plus series of iPhones were way to big to hold comfortably so I I stuck with the regular sizes even though I would love a bigger screen and carry my phone around in my bag (as opposed to a pocket).  So a plus sized phone would be perfect for me, but especially now that I can use my popsocket.  Trust me, it's worth the $10.  And of course as usual this review is not sponsored, it's just something that I love and want to let people know about!

P.S. I've removed this popsocket numerous times now, and currently it's sticking directly onto my iphone sans an iphone cover but there's never a sticky residue left.  Also it's really easy to get it off and on, with the help of a butter knife (just wedge it underneath the socket to get some leverage and then use your fingers to gently unstick the rest).

Another Season of Fashion Week

SOURCE

If you're a fan of fashion bloggers, you're probably aware that it's fashion week again in NY (to be followed by all the other fashion weeks of course).  And now with Snapchat and Instagram stories, we get to see what the bloggers are seeing.  But I don't know if I'm just getting older but I'm getting more and more disinterested and jaded about fashion weeks.  I'm just not in the mood to look at clothes 1) I would never wear, 2) could never afford to buy, and 3) probably wouldn't come in my size (that or I would need to shorten everything).  Sure it looks all glam and who doesn't like to look at what some designers are creating but I find that it's really quite irrelevant to my daily style.  I guess you could argue the whole "high fashion becomes mainstream fashion after a couple of months" (ala The Devil Wears Prada).  But these days I try not to follow the trends (well I purchased one of those trendy off the shoulder looks this summer but just didn't find a time and place to wear it.  I think the look just isn't for me).  And I'm always tempted to try some of these trends (interesting bell sleeves are calling my name right now), but more often than not those trendy pieces come from fast fashion and once that trend is over a lot of those pieces will end up at Goodwill or landfills.  And if I'm trying to keep my purchases sustainable and socially-conscious I really don't want to give my money to those kinds of stores.  So in the end I guess what I'm trying to say is it's okay not to pay attention to fashion weeks and still love fashion (and follow trends that are produced in a conscionable way that suit my style, thank goodness there's Everlane).  Also let's just pay more attention to all the different forces in our lives that stimulate creativity to our style (which isn't to say I still won't troll Shopbop for trendy pieces (mostly) made in the USA or Netaporter for some inspiration).

P.S. Having just finished all 3 seasons of Penny Dreadful + the current Netaporter edition of Edit has got me thinking I need to dig up my favorite velvet dress and add some Victorian-esque ruffles or lace to my life (which is coincidentally everywhere on the blogs--ah well guess I'm susceptible to the trickle down effects of fashion weeks and bloggers afterall , lol).

P.P.S. If this post sounds a little convuluted and confusing I apologise.  I guess it reflects what I feel about Fashion Weeks (ie I dislike it but end up following some trends anyway). 

Everlane Luxe Drape Muscle Tank Dress Review

Hi guys, it was a brief hiatus but we're back on the Everlane review train (also I've updated my Ultimate Everlane Reviews page with the latest reviews if you want to take a peek).  Today we have the Luxe Drape Muscle Tank Dress.  I recently reviewed Everlane's linen muscle tank and I came to the conclusion I just wasn't a muscle tank kind of gal.  So for the same reasons I'm not a huge fan of this dress either.  But to be honest I'm not a huge fan of this material either for a dress and here's why:

Cons:

~ The Luxe material is very thin so 1) you can definitely see some VPL if you're not wearing the right underwear and 2) there is a slight sheerness (the kind where if you are standing with your legs apart you can see through the dress a bit).

~ The Luxe material also hugs all the curves (or you could call them love handles)

However, if you're less on the curvy side and have some good underwear, you might like this dress because:

~ The Luxe material is quite soft and smooth.  It feels really nice to the touch.  And it only requires washing on delicate (yay no hand-washing required).

~ The length of the dress is nice and would show off your toned arms (if you have 'em)

~$35 gets you a whole dress (vs. $30 for just the top).  This might look really cute layered with tights, boots/booties, and a blazer or a sweater for the fall.  It's a pretty good foundation piece.

Oh and I should mention I ordered this a size up from my usual (I got a medium instead of a small) because it looked like the small might be too fitted for such a thin material.  And I think I got the right size, but this dress just isn't for me.  Anyways if you're interested, you can purchase the top at Everlane.

An Introvert (in an Airstream) at Burning Man

The temple at BM 2016

If you've been following my Insta stories, you know I went to Burning Man (BM) last week.  Words can't really describe my experience but as a blogger, I feel I should at least try.  So here goes nothing...

This was my first burn and as a BM virgin, I wasn't sure what to expect but if I'm being honest I semi-expected to dislike it.  I'm not a fan of heat, dust, desert weather, and large groups of people.  But being in the RV business on the west coast, you are definitely going to be sold out during BM week and we wanted to know what BM was like to better prepare our Airstreams and customers for the experience (plus my husband has been dying to go to BM for awhile now).  So we got vendor tickets and were super lucky to make friends at RV-rental school (yep it's a thing), and so we had a camp to join.  From the very first this camp was some of the kindest and generous group of people we've ever met.  Little did we know that BM attracts such like-minded generosity in general.  

And if I had to distill my first experience of BM into one  word it would be generosity.  There is a spirit of generosity there that I haven't yet found anywhere else.  Of course you could say it's because money has no value out on the Playa (that's the land that BM is on-- a dried lake bed).  Plus BM is all about the gifting economy: if you're an artist you gift your art; or camps gift food and drinks (yep all alcoholic beverages are free); or some camps bring fun games and such.  But that's just the beginning.  There's a generosity of spirit, a tolerance for everything, and a celebration of all the quirks found in humanity.  There's no judgement (or at least no judgements expressed).  Everyone there was being as open-minded as they personally could be.  It's a safe place to express whatever you want, whenever you want.  

And this generosity ties into the BM principle of radical inclusion (there's 10 principles of BM).  Everyone is welcomed at BM, even an introverted city-girl like myself.  BM is really what you make of it, and so for me I needed a day to stay indoors and practice my own creative craft (writing).  And I appreciate BM more for it.  I didn't have to be a partyer (though if you are, BM has some of the best variety of parties I've ever seen) to have a great experience.  I just had to be myself (in my Airstream).  There's some Burners (that's people who live the BM way) who think going in an Airstream, hooked up to a generator, and staying indoors with air-condition as not a true BM experience.  But this is just who I am and what I need.  And then if I can go out to the Playa a happier and more giving person myself, then I think it's exactly what BM is about.

crazy dust storms means full protective gear

Now I'm a huge fan of BM and can't wait to go back.  I'm already planning out how I'm going to deck out my trike (yep I'm going to get a tricycle for next year since I've only learned how to ride a bike a year ago and can't really bike for the life of me) and I l already have a wishlist on Amazon for costumes.  And I'm already thinking of all the ways I can gift on the Playa next year (I'm playing with the idea of something to pass out on my trike).  So if you ever have a chance to go to Burning Man, take it!  I promise at the very least you won't regret it.  

Minimalism, styling, and a purse collection

Two of my favorite style/ethical fashion bloggers Andrea from Seasons+Salt and Grechen from Grechen's Closet started a really interesting dialogue about minimalism/capsule wardrobes and being a fan of clothes and fashion (if you haven't read their posts yet, def make some time to).  It does seem impossible to love fashion and practice minimalism at the same time.  Andrea has some great tips on her post, which I agree totally help finding that balance between practicing what you like (styling) but at the same time not going overboard.  

To me it's about finding what is your point of "enough".  Now you might find this ironic coming from a person with a pretty extensive purse collection.  I've always been a fan of handbags (ever since my first Coach clutch in high school).  I've definitely struggled with minimalism here (and continue to do so) since I'm always falling in love with new bag styles and brands (hello Mansur Gavriel).  My love for purses is unexplainable (especially to my mom who views it as a real waste of money).  But it's like asking a runner why he loves running or a writer why she loves writing.  It's just hard-wired in us.

This was my half of my bag collection before I moved into an Airstream

I used to feel so guilty about the privilege of buying expensive designer bags (and still do) but at the same time, could not stop myself from obsessing and purchasing new bags.  But as I get older and see that this purse love is not going anywhere, I've learned to accept that it's part of who I am, my style, and it's my hobby.  But I now live in an Airstream, with the closet the size of half a linen closet.  So not only do I want to practice minimalism, I need to.  Which means my purse collection has shrunken quite a bit and to me, that's my "minimal".  It may not look like your minimal (or any normal person's minimal) but that's why we each have our own point of "enough".  And this point will ebb and flow due to circumstances and life events, which is only natural.  But I agree with Grechen, you should never have to deprive yourself for the sake of minimalism.  Just do your best finding what's enough for you so that you can live a life focusing on who and what you love.

P.S. So in practice minimalism+tiny closet+bag collection means I end up selling a lot of my bags through eBay as soon as I find that I no longer love or need it.  This allows me to buy and keep what I love while trying to cut down on the excess.  If you're ever interested in a bag I have for sale on there just shoot me an email and I can always give you a blog reader discount ;) (and of course all my bags are authentic-- fake bags are a true waste of money).

P.P.S I also did try the whole bag renting thing (via bag borrow or steal), but I have to say its not for me.  It's just not the same when you know its not yours to keep.  I buy plenty of pre-owned bags and don't mind that.  I think it's the fact that you're just keeping it for a certain period that makes you not get attached to the bag.  Or maybe when you spend a lot of dough, you automatically will cherish the bag more?

Everlane Linen Muscle Tank Review

So this post for Everlane's linen muscle tank has been sitting in my drafts section for awhile now so it's about time I post it (before summer ends!).  I'm a huge fan of Everlane's linen scoop neck tee and their linen dolman dress, so I definitely like the type of linen they use, which is the same for their muscle tank.  The linen is thin but of quality and at first a bit scratchy but softens after the first wash.  

I ordered this in a small, and as you can see it's a bit more fitted on me.  I think if you want the looser look like that of the Everlane model, you should size up from your normal Everlane size.  In general though I wasn't a huge fan of this top mainly due to the really small neck-hole and the sleeveless look (which is duh what makes it a muscle tee).  So now I think I'm just not a muscle tee kind of gal (probably cuz I'm lacking in the muscle department, lol).

Grana Review Pima Slub V-Neck T-Shirt

I've had this Grana pima slub tee for awhile now but it somehow got lost in the mix of all the things I wanted to review.  If you've read my Grana pima cotton tee review, you know I love love love that tee (and I've purchased multiples of them).  And well, I like the pima slub tee but I wouldn't say love.

First off, I purchased this in a medium, like I do all of Grana's tees (for reference I'm usually a small in Everlane or a size 4 on top).  And I think the medium is the perfect fit since I like my tees on the looser side.  

So the reason I love the pima tees more than the pima slub tees is that the regular tees are just a lot thicker and seem more durable.  Also since the cotton material is thicker the regular tees are less likely to wrinkle.  The pima slub tends to wrinkle more and as you can see in the pics below, the collar sometimes crinkles up a bit.  But the pima tee does have more texture if that's your thing.  

As for me, I think I'll be sticking with the regular pima tees (in fact I'm slowly starting to get rid of my Everlane tees through slowre since I just find myself always reaching for my Grana tees more).  If you want a set of your own Grana tees, use this referral link to get 10% off your first purchase!

Everlane Japanese GoWeave Back-Zip Tee Review

I know y'all have heard of buyers remorse but do you sometimes get returners remorse?  Well I definitely have a bit of returners remorse on this Everlane Japanese GoWeave Back-Sip Tee (and now this white version won't be in stock until November).  And here's why:

~ This Japanese GoWeave material is really awesome with a nice weight to it.  It's not sheer at all, with a nice smooth and soft texture.  Plus it doesn't wrinkle easily.  It's the perfect top for traveling.

~ There's a zip at the top and at the bottom with a gusset underneath so you can subtly change the style of it with a bit of unzipping (like in the picture below where I unzipped the bottom to make a little tail).

~ The sleeve length is perfect at elbow-length.

~ And even though it costs a bit for a top ($88), it also cost Everlane a bit to make it ($60) so the mark-up is actually quite minimal.

{Here I am trying to get away from the mirror propped up on a mattress, lol}

{Also for sizing I used my Everlane rule of thumb: if it looks a bit oversized, size down from my normal size.  So I'm usually a 4, but I got this in a 2.}

But in the end I returned it because 1) I can't keep a white shirt clean for the life of me and I don't know how this fabric will take stains (I have a feeling it's near impossible to get stains out of this); 2) related to that is the cleaning instructions: must be hand washed, not even dry cleaned; 3) this kind of top would be great if I worked in an office, but since I work in a garage, this top would be for "going out" occasions (ie relegated to a box, only to be worn once in a blue moon).  Ah, now I remember why I returned it and I have returners remorse no more (thanks blog post for reminding me, lol).  But hey if you live a different lifestyle and don't mind some hand-washing, like I said this top is pretty awesome.  

Grana Silk V-neck Slip Dress Review

So if you've read my review on Grana's silk V-neck tank, you know I'm a huge huuuuuge fan of their new georgette satin.  So it's no surprise that I'm also a ginormous fan of their V-neck slip dress.  And in fact I like the slip dress more just because it's an easy and super comfortable outfit in just one piece.  Add a cashmere sweater to this and you're ready for fall!

First off, I ordered this in a size small and it was the perfect size (I'm about a size 4).  I think my only negative about this dress would be the length.  It's a bit long for my 5'4" frame but it does look about right as a midi-length dress on me.  And I don't mind the extra length so much because there are some sexy slits on the sides that hit at just the right spot (about middle/upper-thigh).  If the slit was any higher it might be too scandalous for everyday wear.  But as it is, it's the perfect amount of modesty and feminine sexiness.  

I think my favorite thing about this dress is that the upper portion is just right for me.  I don't have any issues with the straps falling down (in fact I was moving Airstreams in the dress--ie hard manual labor-- and didn't have any trouble with the straps).  So this dress is perfect for us small-bust gals, but if you're on the larger side you might find it a bit tight on top and might need to go a size up.  The top portion is also double layered silk so it smooths any bumps you might get from an ill-fitting strapless bra.

I loved it so much I bought two, one navy and one black.  I had just gotten the black when Stephanie from @ifonlyihadsomewhere asked about it on intagram so I posted some pics on my insta story with it styled in that 90's look going around on the blogosphere.  All I need is a black velvet chocker and some round sunnies, lol.  (And yes, my mirror is propped up on a mattress.  A bit ghetto but storage for an extra mattress for an Airstream is hard to find so behind the mirror it goes!).  

So if you're looking for a high-quality silk dress that's super affordable ($80 for a silk dress!), then this might be the one for you.  I'm so in love with this I'm contemplating getting one more, buuut I need to slow my roll on these things.  How many silk dresses does one girl need?  Anyway if you're interested, you can get 10% off your first Grana purchase with this referral link and you can find my other Grana reviews here.

Everlane Modern Smoking Loafer Review

Everlane's Modern Smoking Loafer seems to have been upstaged by its younger sister, the Modern Oxford, at least when it comes to attention and press given by Everlane.  But I'm always in the market for a good smoking loafer so I ordered this baby as soon as it came out.  And the quality and craftsmanship did not disappoint as usual.  But (and you knew there was going to be something), it's quite possibly the most uncomfortable loafer-type shoe made by Everlane to date (ok well I'm just comparing it to the modern loafer and the modern point).   

First off, I ordered this shoe in my normal Everlane shoe size of 8 (my usual shoe size is around 7.5 but because I have wide feet and Everlane shoes run narrow I always go a half size up).  And the 8 fit length-wise but it was still a bit narrow for my feet.  The leather on these shoes are really beautiful but aren't like the super stiff smooth leather of the modern loafer or the softer pebbled leather of the modern point.  It's a lot like the leather they use for their boots.  It's smooth but also very stiff and structured.  And since these already squeeze my foot quite a bit I would imagine that it would take awhile for these to break in.

I'm also not a fan of the stitching that's around the edges that meet the foot.  I know this is what makes the smoking loafer look, but for some reason they just keep rubbing the tops and sides of my feet with each step.  

Ah, I wanted to love this shoe so much.  And I do love the look but I'm not willing to put the time and pain into making these shoes more comfortable.  So I am for sure sending them back.  I guess my quest for the perfect smoking shoes continues. 

Everlane Card Case Review

Hi guys, here's another quick Everlane review since this item is no longer available on Everlane.  But if you ever get a chance to buy it second-hand (depending on the price) it might be worth it.

So the quick run down:

Pros:

~ Well-made leather accessory.  Both the pebbled and smooth leather are gorgeous and I love that they used both for the card case.

~ Love that the slits are at a diagonal (though functionally it doesn't really make much of a difference).

Cons:

~ There's not a whole lot of cards you can fit in it since there's only 3 slits, the two on the front and a main compartment in the middle.  The simple back looks nice but it's not very functional.

Did anyone else grab the card cases before they sold out?  How do you like them?

You can find all my Everlane reviews here and Everlane products here.

The Whole30 diet (ok well the Whole14 for me)

The Whole30 snack staple: almonds.  And salty/sauerkraut-y kombucha shots at the top (which I love).

So right when my leg infection started growing (I swear this is the last time I'm bringing this up), I was feeling like I needed to do something to make myself better.  The oral antibiotics weren't working and I wanted something to make me feel like I was in control of my health again (or at least do something that I thought would make me healthier).  So when I read about the Whole30 diet from Ceely from Running off the Reeses I thought I'd give it a try.  At least it wouldn't hurt and on the plus side it might actually help with some of the inflammation going on in my body.  So per her advice I purchased the Whole30 book off of Amazon and dove right in.  And I have to say something about the book and this diet clicked for me.  This isn't about a fad diet.  It's really about eliminating all foods that could possibly lead to inflammation (so that includes anything with sugar, dairy, soy, grains, and alcohol) for 30 days so that you can feel what your body is like without those substances.  And then after the 30 days you're supposed to reintroduce these types of food one by one so you can learn if your body feels different when you do eat them.  A lot of this diet is like Paleo, except there's some subtle differences that the book talks about.  And you're not supposed to weigh yourself during your Whole30 period because it isn't about losing weight.  This is about making diet changes that improve your overall health. 

And well I didn't make it for the whole 30 days.  In fact I only made it for 14, but even in those 14 days I could tell there were subtle changes in my body.  For one, I don't crave sweets like I used to (and this is coming from a girl who ate chocolate everyday).  You do get to eat fruit on this diet, and with this being the summer there's plenty of fruit to satisfy my sweet tooth.  So I guess I should say I no longer crave over-processed sugary "fake" foods.  I also had much more even energy levels during the day.  I could eat a large lunch and not feel sluggish after.  Which makes me wonder what the results would be if I did it for the whole 30 days.  And even though I didn't complete the diet, I don't feel defeated.  In fact I want to continue to eat mostly whole foods and I don't need dairy and grains in my life right now.  I am in love with cauliflower fried "rice" and zucchini noodles (I know they sounds gross and I used to be like "ugh" but really they're good--just don't expect them to be like regular noodles at all).  And the cherry on top of this whole experience is that I lost weight (got to my goal weight really) without a super strict diet and exercise regimen.  I could see this being something I go back to time and time again (especially after glutinous vacations).

Feeling grateful

For those who follow my insta stories, you know I had a bit of a scare yesterday when there was a brush fire that quickly grew to 100 acres several miles away.  Luckily these California firefighters knew what they were doing and so there wasn't any property damage.  But for a good hour there I feared that we wouldn't have an Airstream to come back home too (you would think we could just move our trailer but we had left our pickup truck back at work).  And I'm just mentioning all of this because it's incidences like this that make me grateful we decided to get rid of the non-essentials when we moved into the Airstream.  I just had to pack a couple bags into the car and the dogs and I was ready to go.  Now I want to get rid of even more things (like do I really need those 30-some cotton shirts even if they are my uniform?).

Everlane Cotton Poplin Sleeveless Shirt Dress Review

I ordered Everlane's cotton poplin sleeveless shirt dress before I actually tried on Everlane's collarless striped shirt dress, which is my favorite poplin shirtdress out of alllll the Everlane poplin shirt dress or dresses I've tried on (I think I tried at least 4 now, maybe 5).  And I wasn't a fan of this one, like all the other ones before it (except for the collarless one).  And here's why:

~ The neck hole on this one is super tiny and there's no way I can button up the top button.  And this style and cut of the neck and shoulder just make my arms look really big (and check out the awesome farmer tan on my arms lol).

~It feels a bit short for me (for reference I'm 5'4") and the general shape of the dress iis just kind of blah.

~ And lastly the price is a bit steep at $80.  I say go for the cotton poplin collarless striped shirt dress for $65 (and not to be too cheap about it but you also get way more material and style for $65 with that dress).

Got tired of seeing the bandage for a bit so I decided to just crop it off.  Anyway the review train will keep on rolling with the Everlane Lux tees and dress.  And in the mean time I'm waiting for my order of those Smoking Loafers and Japanese GoWeave to come in.  Can't wait!  You can find all my other Everlane reviews here.

P.S. Have you seen Everlane's new review page that's up on their site now?  It sure looks nice but when you cherry pick all the positive reviews, it doesn't feel as authentic as say zappos or amazon reviews. But hey at least my girl Grechen is on there!

Grana Silk V-Neck Tank Review (Grana silk is now better than/equal to Everlane)

Ok if you're a Grana fan then this is the review you need to read!  When I first tried Grana's silk (Grana silk tank top review here and Grana silk camisole review here), I didn't like it.  The silk quality wasn't great (way worse than Everlane's and Cuyana's).  But thank goodness Grana decided to give it another try with their new line of Georgette satin silk.  So far they only have this V-neck camisole and the V-neck slip dress available in this new silk.  But man oh man it is 100 times better than their original crepe de chine silk they were using.  

Wearing a medium here

Small in Marzipan (the light here is terrible)

First of all, Georgette satin is just another way of spinning the silk threads that produces a silk that's lightweight but with a dull finish.  And at first the idea of silk with a dull finish might seem unappealing but Grana's georgette satin still has a subtle sheen and makes it the perfect silk item for everyday wear.  But let's get to the numbers here!  Grana's new silk thread comes in at hefty 25mm (for a refresher on momme weight plus more details about silk, read my first Everlane vs Equipment vs Cuyana silk comparison post here).  Grana's old silk items used  14mm thread.  Everlane uses 16mm silk threads (which feels about the same as Equipment shirt so let's say Equipment is also around 16mm) and Cuyana uses 25mm.  So now you're looking at silk that's similar to Cuyana's!  For A LOT less!  (This cami is $49 while Cuyana's cami is $135).  Now I wouldn't say Grana's silk is exactly like Cuyana's but it does feel pretty darn close.  Here are some other reasons why this Grana tank might be the best silk tank out there (for a decent price):

~ For the camisoles Grana use two layers of the georgette silk.  So this tank has a good weight to it and is not sheer at all.  Even the light silk is opaque (I ordered it in marzipan here).  Even though their old silk camisole used 2 layers of silk, you could still see every bump from a lacy bra or the lines of your invisible bra.  No such problems here.

~The cut of the v-neck camisole is super flattering and the back V is just deep enough to show skin without flashing your bra strap.

~ And I know I already said this, but the price!  For $4 more you can get this awesome georgette satin version instead of their old crepe de chine version.  You're gaining a lot with those extra $4.

First a note on sizing since I made the mistake of ordering the wrong size.  I usually wear a size 2-4 on top (In Everlane and Cuyana I'm a small), but in Grana pima tees I'm a medium.  So I ordered a M, but when it comes to the silk, order true to size from Grana.  So that means a small here fits me best.  

So the lesson here is don't buy the crepe de chine silk from Grana, make sure you only get the Georgette satin (double check under their "details & care" section.  If you're looking for a good price (but also excellent quality), then I can't recommend Grana's new silks enough.  (I'll also be reviewing their v-neck silk dress which I loved so much I wore it all day the first time I tried it on, and ordered a second one that same day).  If you want to purchase these awesome silk camisoles for yourself, use this referral link to get 10% off your first order (which makes these silk camis an even better deal!).  And you can read all my other Grana reviews here.

Grana Silk Racerback Camisole

Back when I first reviewed Grana's silk tank (the tl;dr version: don't get it because I found it lacking compared to Everlane, Equipment and Cuyana silk tops) a reader had mentioned the racerback silk camisoles were better than the tank because the camis have 2 layers of silk.  So I decided to try it out in a light color like dove gray.  I ordered it in the small (even though I order all my cotton shirts from Grana in a medium) since the small silk tank had fit well.  And I'm glad I did because the small was right size...but the silk camisole still didn't impress me.

They used the same type of silk as they did with the tank, a 14mm crepe de chine.  So even though it was s double layered cami, each layer of silk was quite thin.  I wore it with an invisible bra because of the strappy racerback.  But it still looked kind of weird.  The overall shape wasn't super flattering and this silk is still crappy.  BUT, Grana came out with a new silk material (I think over a month ago now, but I'm just so behind on all my postings) and that one is ten times more awesome.  They call it Georgette satin and so far they have a tank and dress in those materials (but on their site they mix all the different silk stuff together so make sure you read the "details & care" section so you know which one is which).  And I'm going to review Grana's silk v-neck tank next week.  But if you were thinking of getting this racerback cami, don't!  Definitely get the silk v-neck tank for only $4 more.  It is so worth it!  {And use this link to get 10% off your first order from Grana}

Everlane Cotton Poplin Collarless Shirt Dress Review

I've tried a lot of Everlane's cotton poplin items, including two cotton poplin shirt dresses (Everlane cotton poplin shirt dress review here and cotton poplin square shirt dress review here).  And I haven't yet kept any cotton poplin items yet from Everlane because I never really loved the item enough to want to deal with the upkeep (dry cleaning or ironing).  Well here is the cotton poplin dress from Everlane that I finally kept.  Here's an Everlane cotton poplin shirt dress for us short gals (for reference I'm 5'4" but with short legs)!

At first I thought the black stripes would make this look like some kind of old school prisoner uniform (before prisons wised up and started to dress their inmates in fluorescent orange).  But since the stripes go vertical instead of horizontal, it really doesn't look like that.  I got this in a size 4 instead of my usual size 2 because I had a sneaking suspicion that the bubble butt I kept getting in the twill shirt dress and the cotton poplin v-neck tank dress was because I kept getting a size too small.  So I tried the 4 and there is still a bit of a bubble butt as you can see in the picture up top but it's not so pronounced.  It might be because I finally got the right size and the fact that the cotton poplin isn't as stiff of a material as say the twill.  Reader Lia has mentioned that to truly get rid of that bubble butt, you can take it to a tailor to get darts put in the back of the dress.

Lol, here I am styling this dress (with my new Celine Trotteur which I love and replaces my Mansur Gavriel crossbody).  I feel like this outfit was inspired my Damsel in Dior (who I never really followed just because she's a different body type and has a different budget than I do when it comes to clothes.  But I've been following her snapchat lately and now I love her!).  Now I just need to get out of the Airstream garage and take some decent pictures of this dress.

But for now these are the pics I have.  Anyway I love love love this shirt dress because:

~ This is finally a great length for me, with the front ending right above the knees.  In the Everlane model it actually looks a little too short almost (but that's because she's 5'9").

~ Also love that the back is longer than the front.  And this dress has pockets!

~ The price on this isn't half bad at $65.  In fact it's the cheapest cotton poplin shirt dress that they have.

Also one of my good friends from high school (Hi Jen Lee *waves*) actually took the time to text me to tell me she thought this dress from Everlane looked awesome (she knows how much I love Everlane).  At the time I had the dress but never tried it on (because of the whole feeling deflated about life due to my leg infection).  But once I tried it on, I knew it was a keeper.  Anyway go here for all my other Everlane reviews.

{edit: And here's Andrea's styling of the same dress.  It really is super versatile!}

Everlane Cotton Striped Tank Dress Review

Hi hi, I'm just tacking on this quick little post here because unfortunately this item is no longer available online at Everlane, but I wanted to mention it just in case you can get your hands on one (maybe second-hand or if Everlane brings it back next year).  But let the records show that Everlane once made a this cotton striped tank dress and it was awesome (with some alterations).

Anyways so the dress I'm talking about is the cotton striped tank dress.  It was around the time that the Gia Collection came out but wasn't actually part of the collection (but if you're interested, here are the reviews of the Gia tank and Gia shorts).  I got it in a medium because I wanted something really loose and easy for a maxi dress.  And it was the perfect size since the cotton material did shrink a smidge.  What I liked best about this dress was that it was ankle cut so that means for me, it was the perfect maxi length and not too long (I'm 5'4" for reference).

So in these pictures it doesn't look super flattering but I ended up living in this dress this past summer.  The only thing about this dress was that there were no slits to the bottom so when I was walking in this dress I felt like I was taking Geisha-like steps.  Otherwise I could hold the hem of the dress up (but that defeated the purpose of hiding my leg bandage).  So I just cut a slit in the back and sewed the hems (lol well my mom did, because I can't sew for the life of me).  Now I can take as large of a step as I want (but note that when you cut the cotton the ends to curl in a bit due to the nature of the material).  

Anyways so Everlane gods, if you can hear me, bring this dress back next year but just add a slit to the back (or maybe even the sides?).