REVIEW: Everlane Silk Sleeveless Blouse

everlane silk sleeveless

I went for it - a silk top. I wrote before that I was mulling over the addition of a silk blouse to my closet. On one hand, it's beautiful and drapes well and chic. On the other, it's high maintenance - dry clean only. I decided to go for it and picked up this blouse from Everlane - originally $60, but I got for $30 due to some credit that was added to my account. If you're curious - it was due to a shirt I had ordered, had a weird stain + another shirt that was held at the LAX port and delayed. I decided that was a good experimental price.

FIT: I picked up an XS. Usually I would've gone for a S, but I'm glad that I chose the XS because it runs pretty long. The length is enough to wear tucked or untucked. The armpits are cut quite high though, so I think maybe a S would have been okay too. It fits well with room in the body to drape.

CONSTRUCTION: The silk is good. I've felt other silks before, and this feels heavy. Fresh out of the package, it was velvety and felt really good against the skin. I can't speak anymore to the construction until I've washed it a few more times, but I've worn it once so far, and it feels sturdy. It's thick enough that I don't feel like I'll rip. But I'm not sure if I'm subconsciously more careful when wearing this shirt. The color is rich, and I'd say it's true to color in the photos online.

WASH AND WEAR: The label says dry clean only. I chose not to follow that rule, knowing that this was a risk. So I filled up my sink, threw in a little bit of Tide powder detergent, and washed my shirt. I almost had a heart attack when the water started to turn pink - but it was too late to turn back. I washed in cold water gently by hand. Then I rinsed it twice, cold water. In the final rinse, I put in a few drops of hair conditioner, following a tip I found online. Then I laid it flat on a towel and did a sort of swiss roll with the towel and shirt to press the water out of it. Once it was mostly dry, I hung it up.

I checked it in the morning, and the color seems fine. The only thing I'm a tiny bit sad about is the seams are all wrinkly now. They're no longer flat and straight, but a little crinkly and I'd say totally wearable. The texture of the fabric is a tiny bit less velvety, but still quite soft - not sure if this is because of the hair conditioner or not. It dried on the hanger with minimal wrinkles and did not shrink or get deformed. So I think the result here was a success!

Here's how it looked when I wore it for the first time last week.

For the price I paid for it, I can't complain. Even at full price, I think I still wouldn't complain. It's a good price for a wardrobe basic that I think everyone should have in their closet in one fabric form or another - a simple, sleeveless, collared button up. I'm glad I chose a color instead of choosing a black or grey. Stepping out of my monochromatic comfort zone.