Introduction:
This is my second post of a series in which I will be doing in-depth reviews on specific garments made by slow fashion brands. If you'd like to see my previous review of the Son Deflor Classic Dress, that can be found here. That post 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.
In most cases I will be reviewing one individual product per review in exquisite (or exhausting depending on your outlook) detail.
Today, I will be discussing a Linennaive Dress. I will also be discussing them a bit as a company and providing pretty detailed fit and construction information on this particular garment. If any part of this interests you, keep reading or feel free to skip to the bolded portions that do appeal to your interests.
What I Ordered & Why I Chose It:
Before I placed this order, I had a vague knowledge of the brand - Recently I began getting really into linen fabric and since I wear dresses pretty regularly have been researching different dresses and different brands that do linen dresses. Linennaive got onto my radar when I saw one of my favorite historical fashion youtubers, Sewstine, wear a dress by the brand in this video. I looked up Linennaive a few months ago but they didn't have specifically what I was looking for at the time - But then this dress came up on their Instagram page. I love the corset lace-up details. It isn't something that I currently have in my closet, but I also liked the classic silhouette and the complementary color that would work in my wardrobe as a whole. I slept on it a few weeks before I decided to make the purchase.
The dress I decided to order was called the "Glory 33 \ Front Lace-up Dress" as described on their website. The color I ordered is "darkolivegreen". I ordered it in a size Medium based on the size chart.
Here is a photo of the dress unstyled exactly as it was out of the bag.
About the Brand:
Linennaive describes their clothing as "smart casual" with a desire to "blur the line between business and casualwear". The brand does not focus on trends, and focuses instead on creating quality garments which will last for decades using the finest quality materials such as Grade-A cashmere and Oeko-Tex certified 100% European linen. The brand also has in-house tailors (as opposed to outsourcing the work) which results in lower prices relative to the quality.
Here is a quote from their "About" page which provides some insight into their pay practices:
"With all respect for the people we work with, relationships and our company culture, we run our company according to fair trade principles, pay honest wages and appreciate our specialist truly. We pay the linen farms and nomadic herders 50% more than traditional traders. We make everything ourselves (no middlemen)."
Linennaive's dresses range in price from $53 to $169. Their sizes range from XS to 4XL in their "curve + plus size" section. Most of the products are made out of linen, but they do also sell cashmere and wool outerwear and some skirts and dresses in wool as well. The general aesthetic definitely has a vintage historic vibe with medieval, Victorian, and general fairytale inspired garments that also manage to look very classic and timeless. The brand seems to be popular with people who are interested in historical or vintage fashion, and they fit really well into the current "Cottagecore" and "Fairycore" aesthetics that are popular right now.
My Order Experience:
When I ordered, I utilized a coupon code which gave me a promo code for $15 off my first purchase after signing up for their newsletter. The dress was $159, but I ended up paying $144 (with free shipping and no tax). I placed the order on October 7 and got a notification that it shipped on October 14. It arrived at my house on October 25 with no issues.
The Packaging:
The packaging was very simple - It came in a white plastic bag with the dress further protected in a clear plastic bag. The only thing in the package was the dress.
Quality of the dress:
Dress Physical Features:
This dress features pleated cap sleeves, a square neckline, side and front corset style tie detail, concealed back zipper, and a full gathered midi length skirt. It does have pockets!
Something that I didn't realize when I bought the dress is that the sides would not be adjustable and that the corseting on the sides is strictly an aesthetic detail with no function. That being said, the front is adjustable, and I was able to adjust the waist to fit closer to my true waist size.
Here's a side view which also happens to show the pocket detail.
And here it is from the front after the corseting has been adjusted. The front of the skirt does fold a bit as a result of lacing it up that much, but I personally don't mind this and barely notice it.
The back is also gorgeous.
Here's a closeup of the back - everything looks really clean.
Fabric Information:
The dress is made of heavyweight 100% yarn-dyed linen which, according to the website, means that the yarn is dyed before it is weaved into fabric resulting in richer colors. Traditionally, the fabric is dyed after it is already weaved together.
To the touch, the fabric - although it's not smooth - is not scratchy. I also wouldn't even call it rough. It is just textured. If you have a chance to feel linen, you will understand what I mean. :) You can see the visible weave of the fabric when you look closely, and the fabric has natural "imperfections" where some threads look slightly thicker than others - this is a feature that all linen fabric seems to have from what I've seen. Generally, the fabric looks smooth unless you look very closely. It's a bit hard to describe the color - In certain lights it looks like a cool toned olive, but in others you can see warm almost mustard tones.
Here's a photo of the dress at the hem. It looks cooler toned here.
The fabric itself on the dress feels weighty with the perfect drape and movement. Although the dress feels substantial, it is also lightweight enough to be comfortable wearing on a hot south Texas summer day.
Best Seasons to Wear:
In warm climates, this dress works from Spring through Autumn without any need for layering. When it starts getting chilly, it is easy to layer - especially when you have sweaters and coats to wear over it (or under it) in complimenting colors. With layers, it can definitely be worn year-round.
Inside Construction:
I have to admit - The clothing construction nerd in me was super excited when I saw the inside of this dress. not only are there no visible unfinished seams (everything is french seamed) even the base of the zipper is finished attractively!
Look at this beautiful finishing - This is on the inside at the base of the zipper.
The front inside bodice consists of a modesty panel that is split into 2 pieces and overlap in the middle. This construction detail makes it lay smoothly if you want to adjust the lacing.
Below is a photo of the bodice from the inside with part of the modesty panel pulled back.
This dress 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 zipper seems like good quality as well and is installed with particularly beautiful detail.
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 dress. 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. If you choose to wear the corset portion laced tightly, you may eventually need to re-enforce some of the loops at the front that the lacing goes through, but this can be fixed with a needle and thread.
The zipper -although well constructed and put in - also has a chance of eventually breaking over the years. If that happens, though, don't worry! A tailor or possibly even your local dry cleaner can fix it. I would advise (unless you are a talented seamstress) to have a professional replace the zipper for you. From my own experience concealed zippers are a headache to install and require a special zipper foot on a sewing machine to do cleanly.
Other than that, you may just need to occasionally reinforce loose seams with a needle and thread.
How It Fits:
Before I discuss how the dress 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 dress in a size medium based on the size chart. Out of the bag, the bust fit perfectly despite being a smaller measurement than my bust (probably a result of the split modesty panel) and the waist was only a bit loose - There was about 1.5-2.5 inches of extra fabric, which still looked pretty flattering. After lacing the front a bit to be tighter at the waist, I was able to get it to fit exactly to my measurements.
Medium was likely the correct size for me and the size chart seems to be pretty accurate. When you order, I'd advise most people to order based on their bust size - I could see it being a bit tight on some people even if they do usually wear a medium. Also check your waist if that is usually an area of regular concern when buying a garment, though. The skirt portion is full and will fit you regardless of your hip size.
Below are measurements of this garment laid flat (NOTE: Unfortunately I took these measurements after I'd already laced it tight, so I hope that I got it back to the measurements it was when I purchased it):
Armpit to armpit: 17.5"
Waistband: 15.5"
After I laced it up, the measurements were as follows:
Armpit to armpit: 17"
Waistband: 14.5"
Styling options:
This dress is pretty versatile and moderately 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 a floofy ivory toned blouse -This look makes me wish that I had a puff sleeved long sleeve blouse with a very low cut front and back bodice. There's a lot going on with the different necklines in this particular combination and think a lower cut under blouse would work better for me personally, but that's just a style preference. :)
With a floofy floral top, maybe? - I'm honestly not too sure how I feel about this combination either. I definitely like the colors together and also the florals with the linen, but I think this top also is too busy for my own personal style.
With a cozy cardigan - I really like this way of wearing it, and will definitely be wearing the dress like this well into fall and probably into winter! NOTE: It works best with poofy sleeved or oversized cardigans otherwise you can see the line through the cardigan where the sleeve ends.
With an oversized sweater over it - I like to wear it with a slightly cropped sweater, or roll the front of the sweater up a bit to define the waistline. Note that thicker knits might be best since the front lacing and sleeves can be seen through if it's too thin.
With a sweater under it - perfect for chillier weather.
Do I recommend this product or brand?
I love this brand, and I love this dress - Honestly, I think this dress rivals my Doen Sol dress for my top 2 favorite day dresses. I can definitely see myself buying more from this brand in the future. My next purchase from them would likely be one one of their midi length linen skirts. I feel like they'd be extremely versatile and easy to wear. I honestly love them all, but this one is my personal favorite and I'm hoping that they release more colors of it. I'm also partial to their style of wool coats - I particularly love the fit-and-flare style coats they have like this one.
Overall, the design of this dress is classic, the quality is really great, and the company so far seems to demonstrate ethical practices compared to the majority of fashion brands. I am really happy with this dress. 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 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 dress that I didn't cover and I'll do my best to answer them.