Everlane denim reviews: Authentic stretch vs. the original
Everlane released their new line of “authentic stretch” denim in early September. I was intrigued and immediately placed an order for two pairs in black: one midrise skinny jean and one high-rise skinny jean. (You may recall that I ordered a pair of their original denim in black last fall.) Even though I loved having a pair of black skinny jeans, I didn’t wear them as often as I thought I would because their original denim is not as stretchy as other brands I’m used to (i.e. Madewell) and not as comfortable for me personally. I ended up with three pairs of authentic stretch jeans (two different styles and two different sizes), so I figured I’d go ahead and review them all if you may be considering a pair of their authentic stretch denim yourself—or just want to know how they compare to the original denim released last year! If you're new to Everlane and sign up for an account with my referral link, you’ll get 10% off your first purchase, and I'll earn a credit and be forever grateful for your support!
For sizing reference, I am typically a size XS/0/25 at J.Crew, Madewell, LOFT, Anthropologie, Gap, and Banana Republic. I wear a size 4-6 in H&M and its sister stores (depending on the item). For stores that use juniors sizing, such as Forever 21 and ModCloth, I am usually a size small. My Uniqlo size is either XS or small (again, depending on the item). Everlane includes garment measurements for each item, which I find incredibly helpful when it comes to determining the right size to buy. You can find all of my previous Everlane reviews at the end of the post and browse all of my clothing reviews here.
The Mid-Rise Skinny Ankle Jean (black, size 25)
I bought the mid-rise skinny ankle jean as part of Everlane’s original denim line released in fall 2017 (and first reviewed here). I thought these would be my holy grail pair of black denim—and it might seem that way considering how many times I’ve featured them on the blog. As much as I like the idea of them, the lack of stretch (and the mid-rise, it turns out) made them uncomfortable to wear for longer periods of time. I didn’t wear them as much as I thought I would. I wanted to be one of those people that wore “real” minimal-to-no stretch denim, but I guess I’m not one of those people haha. I was thrilled (and slightly annoyed) that Everlane released a new line of denim this fall with more stretch and figured I’d compare this pair to the new line.
How I wore it: with a burgundy coat, with grey layers, with a red sweater, with a sleeveless sweater, with a dress as a duster, with burgundy and cognac, with a leather jacket
Authentic Stretch Mid-Rise Skinny Ankle Jean (black, size 25)
In my first order of authentic stretch denim, I picked this pair of jeans to directly compare to my pair from last year in the same style, size, and color. I was told by Everlane that I would wear my “normal” size, which is 25, but these felt super tight. (Though I may have just been really bloated when I tried them on…) I did appreciate the stretch compared to the original pair above; these move with you more easily, but the denim still has a slight structure and stiffness so they still feel like “proper” denim. The ankle length falls right at my ankle, which is exactly what I wanted! Plus, the ankle opening on these is much slimmer than on the original pair above. I’m not crazy about the mid-rise anymore, so I opted to not reorder these in a size 26 to try and decided to just return them.
Authentic Stretch High-Rise Skinny Ankle Jean (black, size 25)
In my first authentic stretch denim order, I picked the high-rise skinny ankle jean in addition to the mid-rise. I ordered my usual size 25 in this pair, too, which still felt tight, but the higher rise felt better than the mid-rise. (I surprised myself, honestly, haha. Never thought I’d ever prefer a high rise!) I didn’t find the high-rise to be constricting, except for the fact that it felt a little tight and therefore difficult to sit in. I loved the feel of the jeans otherwise (especially the stretch—wish they had released these jeans last year!). I returned these after ordering size 26 (below) to compare.
Authentic Stretch High-Rise Skinny Ankle Jean (black, size 26)
I ended up ordering a size up in the high-rise skinny jeans to compare to the size 25 I bought. Even though they don’t look looser, they definitely feel slightly looser, but overall, the size 26 is more comfortable than the size 25. These fit my hips better, and I can sit in these without pain. For being a size up, they don’t really gap in the waist which is always something I worry about. These also didn’t stretch or bag out after wearing them for a day, thank goodness! I love how the ankle opening on these fit slimmer than the ankle opening on my mid-rise pair from last year. I ended up keeping these jeans and highly recommend them if you’re deciding between pairs. :) (As with all black denim, they do attract lots of cat hair, unfortunately.)
How I wore it: for a rainy day, with the spice ReNew puffy puff coat, with white sneakers, with a blue plaid flannel shirt, with a sweater blazer for work
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Looking for more reviews of different Everlane denim styles? I also own and reviewed my kick crop jeans in bone and modern boyfriend jeans in light blue wash.
If you found these reviews helpful and are new to Everlane, please consider making an account with my referral link. You’ll get 10% off your first purchase! 🤗
More Everlane reviews
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Cotton-linen crew, denim short, authentic stretch high-rise skinny jean button fly
Soft cotton square crew, cashmere rib round crew, wide leg crop pant
Slim classic French terry crew, kick crop jeans, modern boyfriend jeans
Cashmere crew, waffle knit cashmere square crew, midrise skinny jeans (ankle)
Linen tees, cotton poplin skirt, cotton box-cut tee dress
Box-cut tee, cotton v-neck tee, silk pocket, crew sweatshirt
Seed stitch u-neck, cashmere cropped crew, cashmere crew, chunky knit cardigan