I have been writing about Everlane since 2019.
Back then, we used them in continuous production and they failed – 30 out of 100. The brand’s promise of “transparency” sounded more like a tagline than a reality. I published the results, our community shared them, and something extraordinary happened: Everlane actually listened.
For the next few years they did this work. Sustainable materials, supply chain visibility, certifications, packaging improvements, repair and resale systems. Their score increased from 30 to 43 to 69. Earlier this year they earned our Gold rating — the highest rating we offer.
I meant every word of it when I said it was one of the most logical product changes I’ve ever seen in this space.
On May 16, 2026, Everlane’s board approved the deal to acquire Shein.
Since then, we are removing Everlane’s Ujo Shop certification.
Why The Everlane-Shein Deal Changes Everything
I want to talk to you directly, because that’s what we’re always about here at Ujo Shop.
Shein is not a gray area. It’s not the type that works to improve. It is not a company that has passed our criteria and is on a journey to do better. Shein is the most destructive force in the fashion industry today – a company built on a business model of overproduction, allegations of labor abuse, and an amount of environmental damage that is truly hard to fathom. They are the textbook definition of everything that conscious consumers struggle with.
When a company like Shein acquires a brand, it doesn’t buy it to be sustainable. They buy its credibility. They buy the trust of customers like you who have spent years giving to Everlane. They bought the story of “transparency” and Gold certification and a loyal community that believed in what Everlane was building.
That is not something I am willing to be a part of.
Our certification is here to help you make decisions you feel good about. It is a sign of trust – my trust, and the trust of the Ujo Shop – that the product is truly aligned with our values. When Shein became the owner of Everlane, that sign became meaningless. I can’t in good conscience point to it and say “we trust them” if the company signing the checks is Shein.
So the certificate is no more. And I want to explain exactly why, and what this means to you.
A Brand Gained – And A Significant Loss to Mourn
I do not say this lightly. The Everlane decertification is not a story I enjoy discussing.
What makes it difficult is understanding how we got here. Everlane was not sold because the brand failed. It was sold because the funds were sold. The company had accumulated about $90 million in debt, and major shareholder L Catterton needed to get out. Shein — worth more than $60 billion and flush with cash — was a buyer. The deal values Everlane at about $100 million, a steep discount from the $250 million-plus value it commanded at its peak.
That context is important. This is not a story about Everlane’s leadership abandoning its values. It’s a story about what happens when a brand’s ownership of a building doesn’t protect those values — and private equity runs the clock.
But I also want to praise where it is due, because our community was part of this story. Share our 2019 article. Emailed Everlane. You commented on their post. You voted with your wallets and with your words, and – as Orsola de Castro of Fashion Revolution reminds us – every time a brand hears from one customer, it thinks it represents 10,000 people. Your voice has weight. And Everlane responded to it.
In the following years, they expanded their use of sustainable materials, signed the Transparency Pledge, published in-depth supply chain information, created a repair and resale program, removed all unused plastic from their packaging, and received certifications including GOTS, RWS, and the Good Cashmere Standard. Their score rose from 30 to 43 to 69 – and finally reached the Gold rating, our highest.
That’s what makes this so bold. Everlane did the work. And now that job — and the trust it created — has been given to Shein.
What Shein Ownership Really Means For Your Wallet
I want to talk about something I know some of you are already thinking: Does it really matter if the brand owner stays the same?
Good question. And the answer is yes – it’s very important.
Identity is not technology. It determines where money flows, what values drive decision making, and what kind of future the product is building for. When Shein owns Everlane, every dollar you spend at Everlane ends up benefiting Shein. It funds their ecosystem. It supports the parent company, which is, by any measure of credibility, one of the most dangerous actors in the global fashion industry.
Let me clarify what I mean by that. Shein is working on a fast fashion model on a scale the world has never seen before. They add thousands of new styles to their site every day. They have faced repeated allegations of labor abuse in their supply chain, including reports of workers being paid less than the minimum wage for long hours. They have been cited for stealing intellectual property by independent designers on a large scale. Their environmental footprint is staggering – synthetic, petroleum-based textiles, almost zero transparency in their production, and a business model built on waste.
This is not a company on a sustainability journey. This is a company whose entire existence depends on the world continuing to use cheap, disposable clothing, as quickly as possible.
Everlane’s values and Shein’s values aren’t just different — they’re opposing forces. And when opposing forces come together, it is not the dominant force that transforms.
Why We’re Decertifying — And What Our Standards Require
At Ujo Shop, our certification is not just points. It is a statement of trust.
When we endorse a product, we’re telling our community: we’ve taken a close look at this company, we believe it’s consistent with our values, and we feel good about recommending it to you. That recommendation carries weight because we take it seriously. We reevaluate brands regularly. We update ratings on when brands are improving — and when they aren’t. We have failed brands that some have called sustainable. We celebrated the brands that did the hard, uncomfortable work of getting better.
That integrity is the whole point. Apart from it, we are another platform with a green leaf logo.
Our three key certification principles are simple:
1. Branding is not a fad.
2. The symbol inspires us.
3. We trust the brand.
Everlane, under Shein’s ownership, cannot convey any of this.
Shein is the fast fashion brand of our time. A brand in their portfolio cannot say with certainty that it is different from that model. There is nothing inspiring about watching years of real progress go into a company built on exploitation and abandonment. And trust? Trust requires transparency, accountability, and values alignment. I can’t trust a product whose parent company has done business by doing the opposite of everything we stand for.
Removing this certificate was not a difficult decision. It was necessary.
Where to Shop Instead
If Everlane has been a part of your closet, I understand the frustration of losing a trusted brand. Minimal beauty, quality basics, denim – it was a really good product backed by a real progressive ethos. Losing that is true.
But the good news is that the sustainable fashion space has grown a lot since we first covered it, and there are brands that do everything Everlane did — and do it without the Shein problem.
Here are three certified Ujo Shop brands that match Everlane’s aesthetic and product range closely:
1) Known externally
Outerknown is one of our gold rated products, and for good reason. They offer a robust range of wardrobe essentials – quality basics, denim, outerwear – for men and women, built on a foundation of supply chain accountability. They use over 95% premium fabrics, meaning almost everything they make is produced with low impact materials. They also have a pre-owned system, so you can buy and sell popular Outerknown pieces – good for your wallet and keeping clothes out of the landfill.
2) Ask
Asket is built on a philosophy of permanence – they create a limited, consistent collection of wardrobe essentials and refuse to add new styles as a result. No seasons, no trends, no sales. Simply well-made, thoughtfully designed pieces that are meant to last. They publish a full impact receipt for every garment, detailing exactly how much carbon, water, and energy it has used. That’s a lot of transparency, delivered.
3) Ninety percent
90 percent creates a wardrobe of quality, affordable basics — sweaters, tops, dresses, underwear — with the same clean, timeless aesthetic that Everlane is built on. Their name says it all: 90% of distributed profits go back to the people who make the clothes and the causes they support. Certified organic, strong supply chain transparency, and a real value proposition to match.
For men who loved Everlane’s basics, Taylor Stitch is worth another look.
Your Trust Deserves Protection
I started Ujo Shop because I believe people deserve honest information about the products they support. Not greenwashing. They are not vague sustainability claims packaged in fancy packaging. Real information, kept up to date, updated when things change.
Everlane’s story – from a failing score in 2019 to a Gold rating in 2025 – was one of the most optimistic things I’ve seen in this space. It was proof that consumer pressure is working. That brands can change. That the sustainable fashion movement isn’t just an idea – it’s a force that companies are responding to.
And then, in one discovery announcement, it became something else entirely. A warning about what happens when a brand’s values are not protected by its identity structure. A reminder that progress in this field is never guaranteed, and that the work of holding companies accountable never really stops.
Everlane’s certificate is being removed.
If you have any questions, post them in the comments below. And if you want to check out brands that are still earning trust, our full brand guide is the place to start.
Dress like you’re respectful.
– Garik
Garik Himebaugh is the founder of Ujo Shop, a resource for finding ethical clothes. She is also a sustainable stylist and international speaker on all things sustainable fashion. Garik likes coffee, riding, and clothes.