Introduction:
This is my sixth post of a series in which I am doing in-depth reviews on specific garments made by slow fashion brands, or in some cases iconic older dresses.
If you'd like to see my first review of the Son Deflor Classic Dress, that can be found here. My Son Deflor Review will also explain to you in detail the difference between "slow fashion" and "fast fashion" if you would like to understand that better. It also explains why I decided to make this series.
If you'd like to see my review of another linen dress: the Linennaive Glory Dress, that one can be found here.
I also did a review of a Lelasilk Cotton Apron Dress which can be found here.
If you want something something different I did a review of a Circa 2008 All Saints Parachute Dress which can be found here.
More Recently, I reviewed the Of Her Own Kind Mirabelle Dress. That blog post can be found here.
In most cases I will be reviewing one individual product per review in exquisite (or exhausting depending on your outlook) detail.
What I Ordered & Why I Chose It:
Many of my clothes are by Doen. I own 9 items by the brand, and thought that reviewing all of them would be too exhaustive for one post. Because of this, I chose to review my most recent purchase - The Jane Blouse - mostly because it's been on their site for the longest time and I anticipate that they will continue keeping it around. The blouse I bought is called the Jane. I bought it in a size medium in the color Seaglass. I had ordered the June first (a short sleeve version of the Jane) and find it to be the easiest blouse I have to style and also one of my favorites. Because I wear it so much, I decided to buy the Jane blouse because I love having easy floaty basic tops.
The Jane blouse debuted on Doen's website in Spring of 2016 and since then has been reproduced in many colors and patterns. According to Doen, the Jane blouse took the longest time to design so that they could get the details just right, and the design was inspired by an antique french chemise nightshirt. This blouse features long sleeves in a sheer, lightweight fabric. It is a button front style with mother-of-pearl button front and drop sleeves. The combination of full drop-sleeves and gathering at the front and back neckline give it an effortless billowy look.
Below are some photos of the blouse mostly un-styled.
About the Brand:
Doen describes themselves as "a women-run business offering collections inspired by a nostalgia for the coastal California of decades past." The brand boasts an attention to detail and garments made to pass down the generations. Their clothing tends to be made in dusty pastel tones and timeless neutrals with a whimsical and feminine flair that also skews very classic. The brand has a trackable impact report with detailed sustainability goals on their website. Some of their goals include:
focusing on utilizing natural fibers
sourcing their raw materials where they are produced
having garments produced in primarily women-owned internally audited facilities, and in carbon neutral facilities the majority of the time
partnering regularly with Planned Parenthood LA and Room to Read
Doen's tops range in price from $88 for a tee to $398 for a detailed blouse. Their dresses range in price from $128 to $698. Their sizes range from XXS to XXL. Most of the products are made out of fabrics such as silk, cotton, ramie and viscose. They do also sell wool and cashmere outerwear. The general aesthetic definitely has a soft vintage, somewhat Victorian inspired look while still managing to look very classic and timeless. The brand fits really well into the current "Cottagecore" and "Fairycore" aesthetics that are popular right now.
My Order Experience:
Every time I've order through Doen, I've never had any issues. Shipping is expensive, however, and that alone was $16 on my most recent purchase. I ordered my blouse during the sale, and know from experience that orders seem to ship a bit slower during their sale. However, my orders are always nicely packaged and meet or surpass my expectations. I ordered the Jane Blouse in Seashell which itself was on sale for $74. After shipping and sales tax I ended up paying $96.
The Packaging:
The packaging was nice, as usual. It came in 100% recyclable packaging, wrapped in brown kraft paper with their pretty label sticker.
When I opened the package, the blouse came nicely folded with a tassel and cardstock label packaged in a glassine paper. In the checkout process, there was an option to also add a dust bag free of charge while supplies lasted, so that came in as well. The dust bag feels like good quality with the word "Doen" inscribed in small letters on the bag. The drawstrings are a pretty cream and black string with tassels at the end.
Quality of the tops:
Jane Top Physical Features:
This top features long billowy drop sleeves with a button at the wrist, drapey body shape, button front style, and gathering at top neckline.
Fabric Information:
The top is made of 52% organic cotton, 48% viscose toile. The fabric is slightly sheer and billowy with a smooth to the touch feel.
Best Seasons to Wear:
In warm climates, this top works from Spring through Autumn without any need for layering. It's long sleeved, but the fabric is very breathable and floaty. When it starts getting chilly, it is easy to layer - especially when you have sweaters and coats to wear over it. With layers, it can definitely be worn year-round.
Inside Construction:
This top is thoughtfully made in such a way that it can be kept for a long time and won't need mending for a while even when worn regularly. It is made to withstand way more than a few "seasons".
The inside hem is finished with french seams so there are no raw edges even viewable from the inside of the blouse. Stitching is very close together and all very neatly done. the gathers at the collar and sleeves are also very neatly and securely done.
Possible future repairs:
NOTE: Before you read this next part, please note that there are currently no issues at all with my dress since it's not been worn heavily, so please don't take this as an issue with the garment - Signs of wear will eventually occur, though, and I want to discuss the potential future repairs that you may need to make on this top. If you plan on wearing it a bunch and having it for many years as a long-term addition to your wardrobe, I think it's important to consider what types of repairs you might need to make to a garment eventually. Some repairs are skills you can learn - Others take a bit more skill and might require a professional.
From what I see, the seams and stitching are well constructed, and will likely hold up for a while The buttons are currently very secure and are not load-bearing so to say. If you choose to button and unbutton the wrist portion to roll and unroll the sleeves I could see that button getting loose and potentially needing to be re-attached. None of the seams will be pulled very much at all, so this blouse will likely not need much up-keep.
How It Fits:
Before I discuss how the top fits, I am going to share my personal measurements so that you can get a good reference:
Height: 5'5'
Bust while wearing a very lightly padded bralette: 37"
Waist measurement: 28"
I purchased the top in a size medium based on the size chart. Out of the bag, the blouse feels pretty loose, as I expected. Shoulder seem falls off the shoulder, which is by design. Medium was likely the correct size for me, but I could easily see a small or large working for me as well due to the easy fit.
Below are measurements of this garment laid flat:
Armpit to armpit: 31"
Top of shoulder to bottom hem: 23"
Sleeve length from armpit to wrist: 17"
Styling options:
This top is very versatile and extremely easy to style with different clothing items - especially if you purchase it in a color that compliments your other layering items.
Here are a few combinations that I tried together:
With wide leg khaki toned pants, black bralette, buttoned half-way up, sleeves rolled up and with chunky printed heels. Due to the sheerness of the fabric you can see the shape of the bralette this way but it can easily be worn just like this to the office if you layer a tank top underneath it.
Under a white pinafore style dress - this is a much more whimsical take on the blouse but even so it is still comfortable enough to wear if you're just wearing it around the house.
This blouse also works well for pool or beach wear. Below it's shown over a reddish mauve bralette and a me-made gold body chain (by the way, I have a few similar body chains in my Etsy shop currently). I paired it with olive green shorts and strappy white sandals.
For a more vintage cottagecore or light academia look, I paired this blouse with a vintage plaid skirt, a vintage bag, and oxfords.
For colder weather this blouse also works with jackets. Here I paired with with a natural toned linen duster, laid back jeans and brown chunky oxfords.
Do I recommend this product or brand?
Being that I have 9 separate clothing items by this brand, it's safe to say that I recommend it. I love this brand, and I love this top. It makes me happy that Doen is making trackable sustainability goals, and I hope that they continue to make this a priority. I can definitely see myself buying more from this brand in the future if they continue being sustainability minded and continue producing beautiful clothes. Doen is one of those brands that I follow that I could honestly see shopping at for my entire wardrobe, but practically-speaking, I believe I would get the most use out of their Josette dress which is the short sleeved dress version of this blouse. That dress can be found here. The don't currently sell a color that appeals to me, so I'm content with waiting for now.
Overall, the design of this top is classic, the quality is really great, and the company so far has demonstrated an ethical mindset compared to the majority of fashion brands. I am really happy with this blouse. It can be purchased here.
Closing:
I know that this was a really long post, but I hope that it was helpful or at least a bit entertaining or educational even if you aren't interested in purchasing this dress in particular. If there is anything that I didn't cover that you think I should have, let me know. I considered reviewing all of my Doen items, but since I have so many I think doing it as a video may be a better format. Feel free to follow my Instagram page @mysustainabilityproject if you want to be made aware if I ever decide to do a video like that.
I made a long list of the questions that I would've wanted answered before I made this fairly large investment in the brand, and I know that everybody looks for different things. For future posts like this, I want to be inclusive and cover basically everything. :p
If you have tried anything by this brand, let me know what you thought about it! Also let me know if you have any questions about this top that I didn't cover and I'll do my best to answer them.