Review: Everlane Japanese GoWeave Mini Wrap Dress

I’m not really a review kind of blog, mainly because I don’t buy clothing that often, and when I do, it’s usually just something basic that I needed from Poshmark. I try to limit my clothing purchases to garments that were either ethically produced or thrifted, and since ethical clothing is expensive and we are broke, nearly everything I buy these days is second-hand. No one is that interested in a review of a plain black skirt that they can’t buy anyway because the designer doesn’t make it anymore and it probably wasn’t even that popular in the first place.

But every once in a while, I buy something buzzy and new. This month, ethical clothing retailer Everlane released its new line of Japanese GoWeave wrap dresses, and I took one look at the little yellow short sleeved number and just knew. I have never owned anything yellow. I wasn’t even really in the market for a new dress, but something about it just whispered summer in a way that I have been yearning for for weeks. The wrap dress had been available for purchase on the Everlane website for all of about three hours before I hastily chose a size and bought it on the spot. Yolo.

I’m the kind of person who normally needs to read every single review of something before I buy it, but because the wrap dresses are so new, there really weren’t that many reviews out there, and besides the picture of the model on the Everlane site, there were exactly zero “real-person” photos of the yellow short sleeve mini wrap dress anywhere on the internet. So, in case you, like me, are obsessive about reading reviews before you buy something, I’m going to provide a review of the new Everlane Japanese GoWeave Wrap Short Sleeve Wrap Dress in Yellow.

The Dress

I bought the Japanese GoWeave Short Sleeve Mini Wrap Dress in Yellow, $100, available in sizes 00-16, and also in colors black and blue. There are four styles and five colors of the new wrap dress line overall, but not every style comes in every color. I really love that the primary model for this line (not this style/color, though) is a plus-size woman. I’ve been noticing a greater variety of body sizes in Everlane’s advertising lately and I am here for it.

Fabric

100% triacetate. Everlane describes Japanese GoWeave as light, drapey, and wrinkle resistant, and I have to agree. Last summer, I bought the Japanese GoWeave track shorts and I absolutely love them (the only pair of shorts I have ever loved, by the way), so I knew I’d like the same fabric in a dress. The GoWeave is thick enough that it isn’t see through, and I could probably even get away with dark colored undergarments under this light colored dress. The best part about it, in my opinion, is that you can throw it in the washing machine. As I have mentioned time and time again on this blog, I am a laundry idiot, so the less complicated the washing instructions, the better.

 

Sizing/Fit

I went for a size 2 because that’s what the model is wearing and I didn’t feel like measuring myself. I know I’m generally somewhere between a 0 and a 2 at Everlane depending on the garment, and since the dress didn’t look too oversized on the model, I thought a 2 would be fine for me. I probably could have gone for the 0 for a slightly more fitted look, but I actually really like how the larger size makes the fabric drape around the wrap tie waist. For reference, I’m 5’2″ and usually somewhere around 120 lbs.

There is an inner string on this dress at hip level that allows you to adjust the fit at the hip and helps keep the dress closed. I think that the adjustability of this dress is what makes it pretty much universally flattering.

I chose the short sleeve version as opposed to the tank version because of the cut of the neckline. I prefer a more modest look, and I think I’m chesty enough that the tank version would have looked a little too sexy for the weddings I’m planning to wear this to this summer. The short sleeve version maintains that flattering wrap shape, but it keeps my chest completely covered and I’m not worried it’s going to slip in some offensive way while I’m moving around.

Color

Yellow! Yellow! Yellow! I know, who even am I?? If this is your first time here, you might not know that I have been systematically ridding my wardrobe of colorful clothing for the last year. I feel most comfortable in black, white, cream, and brown, with occasional accents of olive and orange (or hunter and paprika, for colder months). Yellow is definitely not in my wheelhouse, and yet I was so attracted to this color that I didn’t even care (and given that it’s a dress, it doesn’t really need to go with the rest of my wardrobe. It’s a one-and-done). I was worried that it might clash with my skin tone, but I’m pleasantly surprised at how well it compliments me. I have neutral/warm undertones, and this yellow brings out the peachy notes in my skin and the golden notes in my hair.

Wearability/Versatility

I bought this dress specifically with weddings in mind (we have two coming up in June – yay love!), but now that I’ve put it on and played dress-up with every single pair of shoes that I own, I can see this working not just for weddings, but also for professional meetings, conferences, dates, brunches, barbecues, and pretty much any other place I need to go from May-August. It’s supremely comfortable, can be adjusted around the tummy after a meal, has sizable pockets (!), and did I mention you can put it in the washing machine? I am a notorious outfit repeater and I love to get away with wearing something multiple times in a week if I can, so this dress definitely checks all the boxes for versatility.

Overall Opinion

Yes. Buy it. A+

If you liked this post and you are planning to purchase this dress or something else from Everlane, it would mean the world to me if you’d make your purchase using my referral link. This post isn’t sponsored, but I receive Everlane credit from every purchase made with my link and I would love to be able to provide more reviews for you.

Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think about this dress and ask any questions you might have in the comment section below!

-gs