Reformation Clothing Review & Try-On: Is it Worth it?

I’ve been pretty vocal about my efforts to try and shop sustainable first when it comes to adding to my wardrobe, and aside from Sezane, the LA-based brand Reformation had ranked quite highly on my list of brands to try this year. With room for one more summer wardrobe addition, and a gap in my closet for basic black skinny jeans, I thought what better opportunity to place my first order from Reformation.

Wearing Reformation ‘peach’ dress, Everlane editor flats, Linjer cross body bag, Mejuri diamond necklace, editor hoops & pearl ring, Missoma interstellar necklace

Given the Reformation experience is largely limited to online for most of us, I wanted to share my first impressions for any of you thinking of placing an order of your own.

What Reformation is doing to be sustainable

I want to preface this by saying that no brand can be 100% sustainable. At this point in time, it’s just not possible. Your values will determine what is going to matter most to you – whether that’s using recycled materials, reducing environmental impact, using only natural fibres or so on – so it’s worth keeping those in mind when shopping from sustainable brands.

I was impressed to see that sustainability seems to be at the core of Reformation’s mission statement.

Every three months, the brand sends their mailing list a quarterly sustainability report so that you can track their progress towards reducing their environmental footprint further. Personally, I love this. I think it’s great to see a brand being held accountable for their goals which also communicating that to their customers.

They’ve invested in green building infrastructure in an effort to reduce their waste, water and energy footprint. Their packaging is bio-degradable (including their ‘plastic bags’ which are made from vegetables!), and they partner with environmental programs to offset their emissions.

A portion of their clothing is made from deadstock materials (at the time of writing this was 15%), and they’re making an effort to product garments from natural fibres.

Perhaps one of my favourite points, is that their management team is comprised of more than three-quarters women or individuals from under-represented populations. This to me is a huge step forward in terms of progress and it shows that the company is inclusive and really values diversity.

You can read more about Reformation’s sustainability practices HERE, and see their latest Sustainability Report HERE.

The online shopping experience

As with my Sezane review, I thought I’d also talk a little bit about the online shopping experience. Buying something sight unseen can be a bit of a gamble, especially when you’re a first-time-buyer from a brand.

The navigation of the site is straight-forward. I usually hop straight to the “new in” section when browsing, but you can narrow this down easily via category too. Within each category, you can filter further depending on desired cut/colour, price point, and size.

I like that you can get a good zoom going for every product item, which includes a close up of the fabric – something that’s particularly important when you’re buying based on an image. I also think it’s fantastic to see that they have used plus-sized models for some products, however in future I’d love to see this extended across all products offered in the store.

Slightly concealed below the “add to bag” button, are the details, fabric and care, model and stats, and a sustainability tab which includes calculations from their ‘RefScale’. This tracks the brand’s environmental footprint by adding up the pounds of carbon dioxide emitted and gallons of water used, in addition to the pounds of waste generated.

I decided to pull the trigger on four items (not intending to keep it all, I might add), and so I was treated to free shipping as my order total was in excess of $200 USD. From order to delivery, all up it took one week, which I thought was fairly speedy given it was being sent to Australia from the US.

What I loved was the packaging. It’s playful and tongue-in-cheek. The front packaging simply states “being naked is the most sustainable option; we’re #2”. And as I mentioned earlier, I loved the vegetable ‘plastic’ packaging. This shows a real attention to detail and again, a commitment to going green across the board. Ultimately, it’s something I’d love to see more brands consider as an alternative to plastic packaging.

What I bought from Reformation

If you’d like to get a good look at what I bought from Reformation, then I’d tune into the video above for a visual representation. Below, I thought I’d share the nitty gritty details – what I bought and why, and what I decided to keep.

High & Skinny Jean in ‘Black’ | These jeans were what really kicked off my whole order. I’d been on the hunt for a pair of basic, classic black skinnies, and these looked like they would fit the bill. High waisted, jet-black, and with a good amount of stretch.

What I thought | I have to admit that the fabric content threw me a little bit. It’s a mix containing modal, cotton, and elastane – a little unusual compared to other jeans I own and from what I can tell, the fabric content varies dependant on wash. These are billed as a stretch jean with a super skinny fit, and I’d be inclined to agree. I went with my usual size – jean size 25 – and these fit me pretty well. I have a slightly curved back so I do have a small amount of room there, but it’s nothing overly noticeable. These aren’t tapered at the hemline so won’t hug your ankles, which to me isn’t a deal breaker. The length through the leg is ridiculously long on me, but despite being 5’8”, I have a fairly short inseam; 28 inches. Overall, I’m really happy with how these feel and fit, and will be keeping them (albeit getting them tailored to fit!).

Overland Top in ‘Tropez’ | My next pick from the site was one of their gorgeous camisoles. I’ll admit, that at $98 USD, I thought the price was a bit steep, but I’m happy to pay a little extra for natural fibres and clothing that has been made sustainably. Camisoles tend to be a bit part of my style identity for the majority of the year, so I figured that this would be a safe bet. This top has a rounded neckline, adjustable straps, zip-up closure at the back with smocking.

What I thought | I’ve been bookmarking Reformation’s cute cami-style tops for months now, so I combined with my excitement and anticipation, I had pretty high hopes for this. I referred to the size guide to inform which size to buy, and ended up buying this in a size 2 (despite it looking like I needed a 0 – much smaller than I would usually buy). The thing I was most impressed by was the quality of the linen. It’s double lined so it isn’t sheer, and the level of the workmanship is excellent. Essentially, I felt I got what I paid for. Sizing-wise, however, this just wasn’t the right fit for me. It was a little bit around the bust, and stomach area, so as it turns out, I probably would have needed a size 0. As you’ll see from the other items I bought, the size chart is pretty spot on so I’d refer to that in the first instance.

This to me is the perfect style if you have an hourglass silhouette, as it nips in at the waist, and has a bit more room around the hip and bust area. Ultimately, I decided that this one wasn’t quite right for me and this went back. The print felt a little too young, and while I loved the silhouette, I wasn’t prepared to go through the hassle of re-purchasing it in a smaller size while also copping the cost of returning the one I’d bought.

Peach Dress in ‘Daisy Chain’ | I’d hazard a guess that Reformation is best known for their dresses, and I can understand why. They’re feminine, sexy, flirty and youthful, and a completely different silhouette to the typical dress options from other sustainable brands. I decided to go for the Peach Dress in the daisy chain floral, which immediately caught my eye. This is a pretty classic silhouette; fitted at the bodice with a full a-line skirt, and spaghetti thin straps. I’d hazard a guess that this may be made from deadstock material though it’s hard to tell.

What I thought | Of everything I selected, this dress was hands down my favourite. Again, I opted for a size 2, and based on the fit I think I made the right choice. The fabric composition is a rayon/viscose mix, which has a tendency to shrink slightly when washed. While it isn’t super fitted around my waist, it hugs my body nicely and I like that there’s a bit of give in case of shrinkage. The ties at the shoulder are a nice touch – I love anything adjustable – and the style feels very comfortable and flattering on. I really adore the daisy chain print most of all. Despite being a rather bold pattern, I feel like this is the kind of thing I can wear multiple different ways to achieve a new look. At $198 USD, this was the most expensive item I purchased, and I’ll say that the high price tag did make my eyes water a little. I see this dress as more of a year-round piece than one I would just wear in spring or summer. Goes without saying that I decided to keep this one as my final summer 5PFW purchase.

Tanner Pant in ‘Sand’ | I first noticed this trouser when it was released in a beautiful gingham. I loved the style but I didn’t feel like the print would be a natural fit in my wardrobe. The ‘sand’ colour on the other hand, was right up my street, and looked to be a great sustainable alternative to the Topshop trousers I’ve been wearing on repeat. These are a high-waisted linen trouser with a tapered fit through the leg, and they’re cuffed at the hem.

What I thought | Again, these were sadly too big for me. Both around the waist (by about 6cm), and through the leg. For reference, I opted to purchase these in a size 2, just to be on the safe side. The quality of these was nice, however I didn’t think that the linen was anywhere near as worn in and soft as the Overland Top. It had a bit of a rough quality to it, and looked to be the sort of linen that would crease easily. To me, they felt a little like the kind of trouser you would take on a summer vacation. I would have loved to have seen these come in a different leg length just to accommodate for my short inseam. TLDR; these are nice enough, but they didn’t quite meet my expectations. I decided to send these ones back.

Would I shop from Reformation again?

Unlike my first shopping experience with Sezane, overall, I was pretty impressed with Reformation. A lot of the brand’s values align with my own, something I like to take into consideration when buying anything new.

I was really pleased with how quickly my items arrived, and I loved that the brand’s sustainability ethos was woven into their packaging too.

Sizing however, is a bit of a tricky beast. I would say after making my first order, that it’s best to refer to their size chart. This was pretty accurate, and underscored the fact that the brand does vanity size, so it’s worth keeping that in mind. I think if you’re on the petite end of the spectrum (both height and frame-wise), you may struggle with sizing. From what I could gather, size 0 is the smallest option. Ultimately, you’d have to be open to tailoring, or look at styles which are more forgiving like wrap dresses.

Are the prices worth it? Well, that one is up for debate. Sustainable and ethical fashion are more expensive by their very nature, which can be cost prohibitive for a large percentage of the population. I’m generally happy to spend a bit more to know that an item has been made by garment workers who were paid fairly, uses processes that are kinder on the environment, so this is moot point for me. The linen top, while expensive, felt very high quality and worthy of its price tag. The jeans again, seem fairly priced given that they’re sustainable. The only item that I really questioned the price of was the Peach dress (which I did decide to keep). It’s a rayon/viscose mix which isn’t my preferred fabric composition, and for that price, I’d rather be getting a cotton, linen or silk piece. If you’re hoping to get the biggest bang for your buck, then I would hold off until one of Reformation’s thrice-yearly sales.

Finally, let’s talk returns. I made my order with the intention of sending back at least two of the items. In part, I wanted to try some of the styles that they offered, and I also wanted to see what the returns experience was like, so I’d be able to make a more informed decision the next time I place an order. Living in Australia, it was incredibly simple. I emailed the Reformation team, and they promptly sent me a returns slip for Fedex, who collected the parcel from my home. The fee for returning my order was only $20 USD, a cost I was happy to bear. If you live elsewhere, I would recommend taking a good look at their returns policy HERE as it can vary depending on where you live.

So with all that out of the way, I have to say that my first experience with Reformation was pretty good. Enough so, that I’d be more than happy to order from the brand again in the future. I like that they don’t make sustainability boring, and while I do think that the brand caters towards a younger market, there’s plenty that I saw which fit well within my own personal style.

I’d love to know if you’ve bought anything from Reformation in the past, and what your experience was like – let me know in the comments below! x