How Do Reformation's Clothes Run?
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I don’t remember the last time I actually 1) went shopping in a store and 2) actually purchased something in said shopping trip. I’m 100% an online shopping girl. When I was a teenager I loved going to the mall with some money burning a hole in my pocket. I’d scout the sales and come home with a treasure or two. I don’t know if it is that my taste has changed or its the fact that I am more picky with what I spend my money on; however, in the last 10 years, I have been less inclined to shop in person. I was continually disappointed with selections as I’d go in intending to spend money and come out empty handed. Maybe the chase was gone for me or maybe I didn’t feel the urge to buy something just because it was on sale?! Honestly who knows. The pandemic has had me itching for senses of normalcy and perusing a store was one of those things that I had a strong urge to do since having that “taken away”. Now I did buy this sweatshirt in August in-store on my birthday while I was looking for shoes, but that’s athleisure and not “real clothing”. It’s been an even longer time since I bought an item that wasn’t jeans or a t-shirt.
Scroll to the bottom to learn my opinion on how Reformation’s clothing fits and what size to order!
Reformation Marcy Dress | Senreve Coda Belt Bag (get $50 off with discount code ELLEMULENOS) | Cariuma Sneakers (c/o) | Uncommon James Criss Cross Earrings
My mom was in town the other weekend to help us unpack and organize from moving. We did have some “fun breaks” like the beach and such though ;) One place we took her was Palisades Village. It is the cutest little outdoor shopping center in the Pacific Palisades. It’s fun just to walk around and window shop as they have nice stores and most are on the pricier side. One brand that has a location there is Reformation.
Reformation is a brand I have admired for a while, as they have beautiful and versatile silhouettes and share collections of fabrics among different bodies. My dress color/ pattern is called “moiret” and comes in 8 total styles! There’s honestly something for everyone. Beyond their style and class, I really like their brand because they promote ethical and sustainable practices. You can read more about how their company promotes sustainability here, but basically just know that the fashion industry isn’t that great to the earth. From water waste to fast fashion dumping, a lot of practices are down right ugly. Reformation strives for more neutrality and offsets while setting industry standards across the board. They are also very transparent with the factories they use. On top of that are working together with all of their partners to pay higher than most and striving toward a living wage across all factories in the near future. Most companies (especially fast fashion) pay well under a living wage. I have discussed this several times on LMents of Style, but basically know that a $5 t-shirt is usually too good to be true. When something is wholesaled, the store usually purchases it for half of the retail price and the wholesale price is at least 50% more (this is called “keystoning”) than the total cost of goods (COGS) which includes materials, labor, trims, etc. Even a $20 t-shirt means that it was likely wholesaled for $10, and COGS were all in around $5. Depending on the fabric cost and such that means the person was paid what? $2ish per t-shirt? Just something to think about when shopping!
Another thing I love about Reformation is that the company is based here in LA. I love supporting local brands in addition to supporting brands trying to do better. While I’m discussing things I love, I might as well discuss some not so loveable things to give an honest review. First things first, the price. I get it. It’s up there! Sure, there are more expensive brands out there; however, I know I can’t just go buy a $250+ dress any day of the week. Because they are sustainably run, I do expect the price to be higher, so honestly their price tag makes sense to me
Side note - This dress was a bit of a splurge for me and isn’t something I’d normally spend money on whim on. Especially since I didn’t go in looking for that dress. However, I hadn’t purchased anything new fo myself in a while and it felt right / fit in our budget for the month. While it isn’t as practical as this sweater (what I almost bought instead), it still can be worn several ways! I paired it with heels here and over the knee boots here. I think I pair a denim jacket with it along with this sneaker look, but then you’d miss the pretty puff sleeves that are so on trend for fall.
The other thing that isn’t my favorite about the brand is that they are somewhat size exclusive. One might say that they just know who their demographic is, but in the past it has been hard for me - a woman on the smaller side - to find clothes at Reformation that fit me. Most of the styles seem to be made for a thin lady with little to no curves. I have ordered a couple styles in the pst, but sizing was kind of weird. I typically look at sizing charts when I’m unsure, but my bust hip and waist were in different brackets. We had a store in Dallas, but it was pretty new and I didn’t venture over there before moving to LA. Circle back to Palisades Village and I decided to patiently wait in line (#newnormal - they were only letting like 4 people in at a time) to see if I could find a dress. I have a (small) wedding to attend this month and wanted to try on a dress I saw online. I also wanted to finally go in store and try on different sizes to see what was best for my body!
REGARDING SIZING>>>
I’d say that Reformation runs small. Just to kind of set the {size} scene for you, I am 5’7.5” and around 130 pounds. The dress you see my wearing here is a size 6. According to the size chart, a size 6 fits a 35 bust-28 waist-40 hip. I’m more like 32-29 or 30-40, so ordering online I would have probably gotten the 6 and 8 to try. I’ll try to make a video where I can show you in depth how the dress fits, but describing it will have to work for now. I do have a little ease on the waist and it isn’t uncomfortable, but if my natural waist was any bigger, it would be a little snug. I was/am in love with this faro deep v cardigan top and a size small was great. See me wearing it here. Overall I’d say that Reformation dresses and bottoms run small, but tops run true to size. Additionally, I would say that their sizing is pretty consistent within their brand. I know brands like Topshop also run small, but it’s hit or miss which products will actually run small, normal, or big. For me anyway! So if you are wondering what size to order, I’d suggest ordering one size up from your “normal” size elsewhere and get the same size top you’d usually get, unless you are going for a different / oversized look.
MY OTHER SIZES FOR YOUR REFERENCE:
OTHER BRANDS IN DRESSES (Madewell, J.Crew, etc): 4, sometimes 2
OTHER BRANDS IN JEANS (Madewell, J. Crew, Frame): 26
OTHER BRANDS IN DENIM (no stretch / 100% cotton - Agolde, Levi’s): 27 in jeans, 26 in shorts
I hope this helps! I always like to write helpful content and this was a subject I couldn’t find much help on. Feel free to ordering confidently online from Reformation now! Though if you have the chance / time, their dressing rooms are pretty fun and have a magic wardrobe! Happy Shopping!!
P.S. Please pay careful attention to the care labels. This dress is to be (green) dry-cleaned only. Do not try to hand wash it yourself. Their viscose material is more “green” than others and it will shrink.
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