Horses Atelier is another ethical brand that I learned of courtesy of Erica (she strikes again! lol). They’re a Canadian brand led by two women, and all their clothes are made in Toronto from fabric sourced from Italy or Japan (you can read more about them here). So you can imagine they make some high quality items with a price point to match. So yet again, I turned to the RealReal to get my secondhand fashion fix (you can also find some Horses Atelier items on eBay).
When I saw this Horses Atelier black wrap skirt on my RealReal feed I jumped on it. I had been looking for a fun long-ish (but not maxi) skirt ever since selling all my Elizabeth Suzann skirts (both the Clyde and the Bel). The skirt is made of 55% cotton and 45% linen but it feels like a thick canvas, much like the cotton canvas that ES used to use. This is a quality skirt that doesn’t flip up with the wind. It almost feels like workwear because it seems so durable. I love the two patch pockets in the front (and actually ever since wearing my TwoDaysOff Haruko dress to the farmer’s market, I think patch pockets are my favorite kind of pockets—easy to get in and out of but you don’t have to worry about anything accidentally falling out of them).
But I do have to say I don’t like the length (it was a little too long for my 5’4” frame, especially if I wanted to wear it with flats without looking too stumpy). And it’s an easy hem job, buuut I also don’t like how the skirt wraps around. There’s no zipper or button and the skirt basically just ties around the waist. And maybe it’s because the skirt is a tad too small for me, but it’s doesn’t tie around well.
Also sizing at Horses Atelier is kind of confusing. The sizing goes 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 which corresponds to size 2, 4, 6, 8, 10. So the size of this skirt is a 2 which is actually a size 6 (but with a waist measurement of 26-27 inches). So everything seems to run small. Anyway this size 2 skirt that’s supposed to be size 6 should fit me. But it doesn’t, and because it’s a tie around with no actual closure, sometimes my underwear peeks out from where the waistband doesn’t quite close (it’s like leaving your fly open).
So unfortunately as much as I wanted to love this skirt from Horses Atelier, I don’t. I think the sizing is weird (and also not inclusive at all) and the design is not great either. Also the price point (this skirt originally retailed for $299—you can see their current version of it here) is kind of ridiculous though I guess that’s what it’s supposed to cost when you pay everyone as you should? I definitely understand how some ethical fashion is just not affordable, but I purchased this off of the RealReal for $80 (still expensive for a skirt IMO but at least it’s not ridiculous).
Anyway if you’re interested in trying them out, I highly recommend searching the RealReal (their current selection of Horses Atelier here) or ebay for a secondhand item. As for me, as much as I like the fabric they use and their ethics, I can’t quite see the value in their items.