Elevated basics. A concept I stand incredibly behind — especially when it comes to building on one’s personal style. 

Elevated basics are those high quality pieces that act as the foundation in your ultimate wardrobe that are versatile and can get you from season to season.

It’s everything from a basic white tee to a pair of damn good denim that has a bit of #ontrend and current flair.

Or as my girl Arielle Charnas recently described it in her Nordstrom Live Something Navy collection debut, they’re —

“that happy medium between what’s super trendy right now but what you can also feel comfortable wearing every single day.”

Integrating the concept of elevated basics into your life can take a little bit of money, quite a bit of thought and a whole lot of time. 

You’ve got to know your edit. Know what you naturally gravitate to when it comes to style. Know what you love to wear and what makes you feel the most confident. Know how you want your style to evolve.

It took me years to figure out that I was a monochromatic loving girl who craves clean lines and added edge. But once you nail down your edit, the fun part follows: seeking out pieces to work into your wardrobe that will be used more than any other items from brands you adore, respect and trust.

Which leads me to a brand that most certainly aligns all three…

12 Reasons to Love Everlane

I first learned of Everlane several years ago in reading about the innovative brand that was changing the ways of retail. Then, when I was at Nordstrom, we had a Pop-In that aimed to bring the online-only name in store for customers to learn about, see and touch.

Now, as an avid online shopper and influencer whose goal is to educate you about the best brands and items out there, I’m here to introduce you to your new best friend. In case you haven’t learned about this boss yet — here’s a list of reasons why you’ll fall in love with the brand:

1. Radical Transparency

Everlane was formed in 2011 by a savvy 25 year old who had no background in fashion, yet decided to act on an opportunity he saw in retail — which all began with a t-shirt. 

In traditional retail, a designer tee usually goes for around $50, yet only takes about $8 to make. Michael Preysman decided to position his brand with a value prop around “radical transparency” — setting out to communicate to their customers what the products they buy actually cost to make, and then show them the markup. 

See below example of one of their radically cool, transparent cost breakdown of the cashmere crew sweater. 

2. Elevated E-Commerce

The online-only startup that started off selling high-quality affordable t-shirts has come a long way since then. At the start, Preysman swore he would never open a store — as he wanted to keep the direct-to-consumer model flowing. But now the +$100 million company includes two stores on each coast — one serving the east in Nolita, New York and the other serving the west in Valencia, San Francisco.

3. Ethical Factories

Everlane takes the factories that create their long-lasting pieces like italian made loafers in very seriously. So seriously that they share the story behind each of the 25+ on their website, like how they make their leather products in a factory in Ubuque, Spain which is quite treacherous to get to with no direct flights available. 

A recent announcement as part of their ethical initiative, was the revamp of their entire selection of silk pieces with what is has dubbed “clean silk” — reducing the energy and toxic dyes used to make the items in their collection. Amazing.

4. Small Batch, Always Iterating

To create a sense of urgency and exclusivity around their products, Everlane releases small batches of new items continually throughout the year. They design out of their own inspiration and then edit according to how the customers react. In addition, they use waitlists, real-time data and customer feedback to make decisions on their inventory. When in doubt of whether an item will be popular or not, they stock less. And when an item sells out quickly, they can restock quickly because of the close relationships they have with their factories. 

Like this outfit I’m wearing for example — the wide leg crop pants have already moved to their “Back in Stock” section. And have no fear, if an item you love goes away you can get on their mailing list to be notified when it returns.

5. Utilitarian Value

Items sold from Everlane are created by New York City fashion designers who then pass off their designs to a crew in San Francisco comprised of marketers, analysts and other designers who work to refine the clothing. And the awesome thing about having marketers be a part of the refine process is that there’s a story built into each piece — describing to the customer how the product will add value to their lives. 

So rather than designing an item to evoke a feeling or some type of trend, it is designed with a use case in mind, mostly for activities during the day like going on date to the park, running an errand, or wearing to the office. This allows the pieces to also be created in a way that’s less frill, shiny and sexy — because that’s what fast fashion is for, says Preysman, “you do not get laid in Everlane.”

6. Lack of Color

One of my favorite things about Everlane is the color palette — which rarely strays from black, white, and gray. There’s almost never a pattern outside of stripes, plaid and polka dota as the items are designed for the modern man and woman seeking basics. Dig.

This way, you can add pops of color to your heart’s desire — like I so subtly did with these burgundy modern penny loafer mules and of course my signature mixed metal jewelry.

7. Affordable Cashmere

Since Everlane launched with a single t-shirt in 2011, the collection has grown to include jackets, sweaters, pants, button-downs, silk dresses and blouses, sweats, and leather bags, shoes… and cashmere. And not just any cashmere — affordable cashmere!

Like this rib mockneck for $145 or the crew for $100 — talk about amazing and yet another smart move by Preysman. Once the company announced they were dropping their sweaters down to $100, cashmere sales jumped 200%!

8. Year Round Availability

The cool thing about Everlane being a company dedicated to designing basics is that they carry lasting styles items essential to create and layer your outfits — no matter what the season. The reason for this is that most people don’t buy all new wardrobes at once, rather they search for new items as they need them. So when it comes time for you to need a new silk blouse or a jacket for spring, you can go to Everlane and expect those items to be there during the spring, and the fall. 

9. Referral Program

Oh and it doesn’t stop there — Everlane has a referral program! Yup, so if you’re like me and want to share the good word of this amazing company and brand, you can use your personal referral code to pass on the love — and get $25 if they decide to purchase. 

So friends! If you’re wanting to shop — please use this link to buy :).

10. Damn Good Denim

And wait — we haven’t even talked about the denim! Everlane’s head of product sought long and hard for the perfect factory that met the brand’s sustainability standards. So you can rest easy that your damn good pair of denim was made in a factory in Vietnam that recycles 98% of the water used in manufacturing which then turns the leftover sludge, filtered of chemicals, into bricks that are used to construct affordable houses. The weeks leading up to the big denim launch, Everlane shared photos and stories from the factory which resulted in a massive, record-breaking waiting list. Such a clean and intentional brand. Love.

I’m pretty obsessed with their authentic stretch high-rise cigarette jean for $78 and their cheeky straight ankle jean for $68. Like my god can you beat those prices?!

11. Choose What You Pay

Speaking of prices — to avoid the concept of discounting product to stand behind the worth of the product, Preysman developed a Choose What You Pay model — which Everlane claims is better than a sale.

For items they makes a little extra of, customers have the chance to name their price — by choosing from a range of three prices. The website explains that while Everlane gets better at predicting demand, the customer can choose what they want to pay. The lowest price lets Everlane recoup its costs while paying more allows it to to invest in future products. And the genius thing here about that concept is that over 12% of shoppers usually opt to pay more.

Try it out with this adorable modern tassel loafer — normally $165, but now available for either $157, $141 or $124!

12. Celebs Love It

With a brand so innovative and changing the way the world shops for basics — it’s only fitting celebs around the world are jumping on to support and rock. Famous names like Emma Watson in the Modern Tassel Loafers, Angelina Jolie in the Petra Magazine Tote, Gigi Hadid in the Leather Street Shoes and Meghan Markle in the Cashmere Crew Sweater.

Achieve Elevated Basics with Everlane

I am so honored to be able to work with Everlane on this post — it gets me so excited I could cry. The story, the concept, the production… the way they do things their own way and the perfect alignment with my recurring theme of elevated basics.

I can’t recommend enough how integrating this brand into your wardrobe will do wonders.

Sharing my favorites available on their site now below across all categories…

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What Everlane basics will you add to elevate your wardrobe?

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photos : @e_for_elisa

Special thanks to Everlane for sponsoring this post — I’m looking forward to sharing more as the seasons go on.

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SHOP THE EDIT

SQUARE MOCK NECK | WIDE LEG CROP | PENNY LOAFER MULES | CAT EYE SUNNIES | STRUCTURED TOTE (SIMILAR) | GOLD WATCH | SILVER CUFF

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