My Thoughts on Everlane’s Stretch Denim

Happy Wednesday! While I tend to wear (and feature) denim pretty frequently on Mademoiselle, it’s not that often that I’ll opt for something this relaxed. But, I wanted to put Everlane’s new stretch denim to the test, and I figured it was best to keep the rest of the outfit fairly simple… you know, so I could bend and stretch.

Everlane Cotton Turtleneck (c/o), Everlane Mid Rise Skinny Stretch Denim (c/o), Charlotte Olympia pumps (similar here), Everlane Form bag (c/o), Isabel Marant belt (affordable option here)

I’m wearing the Mid-Rise Skinny Stretch Denim in the 25 ‘Ankle’ length (my preferred as my legs are on the shorter side for my height), and they’re a comfortable fit; not too tight, and they cut off just above the ankle. And the colour that I’m wearing is the dark blue wash.

I’ve owned a few pairs of jeans from the brand now, a couple that I’ve bought myself, and a couple that were sent to me, which has given me a pretty good baseline as to what to expect. If you wanted to read my thoughts on their initial denim launch, you can check it out HERE, and I wrote about the Cheeky straight leg jean (which *spoiler alert* happens to be a favourite of mine) HERE.

First impressions? The denim is pretty thick, but has a texture which reminds me a little of a waxed jean – it’s something I’ve yet to come across before. And, they definitely have a lot more stretch than their original launch. After a day of wear, they’ve retained their shape, though the fabric does relax a little (so don’t worry too much if they’re super tight). They fit true to size; I’m generally a 25 in other brands and found that these fit perfect – not too snug and not loose.

But some of the other things I noticed? The denim bunches up when you push it to the limits of stretch, and there’s some puckering around the knees which you might be able to see in the pics above.

And you know, as much as I love Everlane, I’m not sure I love their stretch denim, at least not in the dark blue wash. I’ve had much better luck with their bone wash, and more recently, their washed black denim – both of which seem to have a bit more give to the fibres and I think if you’re planning on picking these jeans up, I suggest you go with those as your first pick. I also tend to prefer a high-rise over a mid-rise denim (this one’s on me), so I found from a styling perspective, these were a little harder to make work with some of my current go-to outfits. The things I did really like were the colour – it’s an unusual shade that I don’t think you see often – and the fact that they delivered on the appearance. These are stretch jeans that really do look like jeans. And, did I mention that they’re made sustainably? The jeans are made at a LEED-certified factory, with sustainability practices in place that include recycling 98% of their water and air-drying their denim, plus, they repurpose the byproducts of production where possible. Where possible, I think it’s important to consider the ethical and environmental impact of what we buy, and I admire Everlane’s efforts to try and reduce their environment footprint across all their products.

When it comes to stretch denim though, I think you’ll still find me reaching for my go-to Dr Denim high waisted skinnies, when I know I’m going to indulge. These have a softer hand-feel and aren’t quite as thick as the Everlane stretch denim, but are still pretty sturdy and after four years of wear, are yet to give at the seams or lose their shape.

Before signing off this post, I wanted to touch on the other details of my outfit. I decided to pair these jeans with Everlane’s cotton turtleneck in Ochre. This is a really interesting hue that skews camel or khaki, depending on the light it’s in, though for me, it’s all about the cut. I opted for the size small in this style because I wanted it to be really oversized, and it’s got the perfect amount of slouch. The ribbed detail at the collar and wrists is a neat little touch, and the cotton has a nice weight to it. I actually ended up loving this one so much, that I recently ordered it in the black too, and have a feeling you’ll be seeing both these sweaters on me a lot as we transition into Spring.

The final Everlane piece in this outfit is their Form Bag, which I recently reviewed HERE. While there are a few design points worth considering with the style, this bag has quite certainly won me over. I think what I like most about it, is that it’s a stylish option for the weekend that doesn’t see me compromising what I pack in my bag for the day – something that can be a pretty big consideration, particularly when reaching for one of my smaller bags.

And the last stand out piece of this outfit are the shoes: my Charlotte Olympia lady pumps. I’m a firm believer in investing in quality basics, and these shoes are a pretty big example of that. I bit the bullet on these around Christmas last year during the Ssense sale, and they’ve quickly become one of my most worn shoes. The statement gold heel is probably my favourite feature, and the angular pointed toe looks so dainty, and has elevated so many of my outfits. While I think these are no longer available, these are a really good dupe, and a tad more affordable too!

Will you be buying Everlane’s stretch denim? x