Primer works to solve 3 problems guys face when it comes to style: How to dress well to support your ambitions, how to do it affordably, and helping to mitigate the annoying parts of buying clothes online since it’s hard to discern fit, feel, and durability through a screen.
So when we found out Everlane was introducing a collection of modern-fitting affordable essentials that come with a full year guarantee, we took notice.
Called simply “Uniform,” the collection is pared down to just 12 items: some clean-lined t-shirts, a couple of sweatshirts, a pair each of jeans and chinos, two jackets, and a classic oxford shirt, all in neutral, easy to mix and match hues.
Individually, any piece would fit in well with most guys’ existing wardrobes. As a collection, it’s the foundation for a pretty solid capsule wardrobe.
Perhaps saying the collection is only 12 items is misleading: With sizing options in slim, athletic, skinny, and tall, this line of basics is built for everyone.
But looks aside, how do these everyday pieces hold up to everyday wear and tear? Buying new clothes is always a bit of a gamble, especially when “affordable” is one of the key selling points. We’ve all had a shirt start to unravel, pill, or fade in the wash, or torn a pair of pants at the seam or belt loop.
That’s one of the factors Everlane doesn’t leave to chance. Each item in the collection has been subjected to a full year of simulated wear–including 50 wash cycles–to test its durability and resistance to fading and shrinking. That’s more than the industry standard–about 15 times as many washes. And the brand is backing that with a 365 day guarantee. So if anything happens in that first year of wear, Everlane will replace it.
But what really matters is how the items look, feel, and fit:
Each piece I'm wearing has a modern fit–and is definitely cut on the slimmer side. As a basis of comparison, we found that slim fit Dockers would be considered more of a “slim straight” compared to the Everlane chinos.
Everything fits true to size, the only thing I found to be too tight were the slim jeans, which are on the skinnier side, so if you're looking for more room, give the athletic fit denim a look.
The chinos are performance chinos with 4-way stretch, and that coupled with the modern fit make for some pretty easy-wearing, everyday trousers. I appreciate that they have more of an actual luxe chino feel rather than the tech fabric feel you see in a lot of stretch options. These strike that balance of being able to be dressed up or easily worn casually.
The Japanese cotton oxford has the softness and weight you'd expect and desire from a decent oxford, and the body and arms are slim, which means just like the chinos, it'll be easy to wear casually or dressed up with tie and blazer. (Spoiler alert, you'll be seeing that soon.)
Check out the full collection including bomber jackets and sweatshirts for yourself.
