I was not surprised to see earlier last week that SHEIN bought Everlane. I was however, amazed by the shockwaves sent through the fashion corners of the internet. The Everlane girlies were aghast.

There was a time when I was all in on Everlane. From 2018-2020 I partnered with the brand several times. They paid well, the commission was good, and the gifting was generous. I liked their clothes, especially because they fit into the “capsule wardrobe” style that dominated my content at the time. Ironic a concept that in theory should encourage minimalism generated the most income.

But the last time I shopped from Everlane was in 2020, when they were accused of laying off a group of employees who were trying to unionize. When I started to take a deeper look at the brands I thought were ethical and sustainable, it didn’t take long to figure out Everlane was neither.

The reality is, brands like Everlane make consumers feel better about the clothes they’re buying, but that doesn’t make them any more sustainable or ethical. They’re just really good at selling the idea of sustainability. A corporation that produces millions of garments and raises hundreds of millions in venture capital is not sustainable, and they’re never going to be, no matter how much linen and organic cotton they claim to use.

If consumers really want to buy ethical and sustainable fashion, they can start by just consuming less, and shopping secondhand first. This is obviously not good for an industry propped up by the normalization of overconsumption, but it is better for the planet.

A quick search on ebay brings up over 40,000 items from Everlane, there’s nothing sustainable about a brand that could even have that many items available for purchase (secondhand no less!). But if you’re a fan of the brand, or want to shop sustainably, that’s a good place to start.