I Just Tried On Reformation's Latest Items—Here's What's Worth Looking At

Welcome to The Great Try-On. With autumn well and truly in the air, we seized the opportunity to try on some of the best new-in pieces from some of your favourite brands, documenting the process along the way. We believe that the best way to shop online is to see an item IRL and to read candid reviews, so we hope that this leads you to your most successful purchases on the year.

Reformation may be best known for dainty bridesmaid attire and shirred everything. But I have a bold claim: It’s not the flirty summer dresses that are the real stars of the brand. The American label has been serving up recycled cashmere sets and effortlessly chic baggy trousers every autumn, and this is where I think it shines. Best of all, it brings back the same core styles each year instead of pumping out more microtrends that none of us asked for. The majority of its covetable styles are only available online, but it’s always worth popping into a physical store to get acquainted with the sizing and materials it uses.

That leads me to say you know by now that with any of my reviews, quality and material composition come first. Anything that had a synthetic blend or zips that were left exposed wasn’t featured in this roundup, because those aren’t anomalies; they’re across every unit of that design made. But unlike the case with many retailers, it was a quick and easy job to hand-pick the items you’ll see in this try-on. 

1. SUMMER DRESS + KNEE BOOTS

My review: Is this a cute dress, or is it a cute dress? It’s mostly organic cotton with a little bit of stretch and lined with cotton too. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it’s fantastic that it’s not sheer—finding something white and not translucent seems like an accomplishment when shopping these days. I love that it’s a classic style that’s friendly for multiple seasons. At first, I thought that the gathered detail around the waist might not be the most flattering silhouette on me, who’s straight up and down and petite, but I felt like the dress was voluminous in all the right areas.

The boots are classic and friendly for petite people. They cut at the perfect length for me (I’m 5’1”), whereas most knee-high styles sit at an uncomfortable place. They’re made in Leather Working Group gold and silver tanneries, which is an accreditation you want to look out for if buying this high-emission textile.

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2. CORSET TOP + CARGO PANTS

My review: I actually already own this outfit, and the top in particular is such a stellar find. As someone who reviews up to 100 items a month, I rarely see a piece with that much detail. Those panels that create a flattering silhouette are time-consuming to cut and stitch. Things like these take time, which ends up costing more. This is something that lots of brands try to avoid to keep their margins high, hence we see so many extremely simple garments for sale. And at the risk of sounding like a grandmother, it’s such a pretty piece, and it’s fully lined!

As the quote goes, "I saw Cady Heron wearing army pants and flip-flops, so I bought army pants and flip-flops.” Swap army pants with these cargo trousers and flip-flops with some Birkenstocks (my first pair!). I was 100% influenced by seeing teenage girls traipsing around West London in their baggy utility trousers. So many pockets, so many opportunities to use one of my tiny bags! On my hunt, I discovered how few cargo trousers are actually made of lower-impact materials until I came across these at Reformation. I wouldn’t say that they were my style to begin with, but now I wear them for days in a row—they’re so comfortable

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3. CO-ORDS + CARDIGAN

My review: As the temperature chills, I’d wear the green crop top from this linen set as a bralette. It has lovely pleated details, which add some texture to an outfit and look great with knitwear. The skirt has an elasticated waist, which makes it easy to wear as high or low as you care for. 

I think it looks great with this slouchy knit. Is it too early to claim that this is my favourite piece so far? The fact you can create different vibes with just a neckline got me excited to pair it with multiple looks from this review. It looks fantastic with the lapels down against a jacket to really emphasise those shoulders.

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4. KNITTED MIDI DRESS

My review: This 100% cashmere (part recycled) dress in Merlot. I’ve never seen anything so appropriate for the office, date night and seasonal events later in the year. Oh, and she’s soft. The neckline is such an elegant statement feature that we saw a surge in popularity earlier this year thanks to Khaite. So if you’re a minimalist, style this with a pair of simple earrings, and you’re done. If you prefer to dress things up, a chain belt and fun heels are just calling your name. I wore them with Reformation’s knee-high boots.

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5. KNITTED SET + JEANS

My review: The cosy cardi-and-bralette look has had us in a chokehold for a good year or so now. Credit again goes to Khaite. This is significantly more affordable and also 100% cashmere. It’s one of the cosiest sets I’ve ever worn (yes, I featured the same one before!), and it has returned for Reformation’s autumn drop. I tend to be in between sizes but opted for the larger one because I like wearing the cardigan off the shoulder.

The jeans at Reformation are kind of underrated. We all know that the denim we already own is the best pair we have. After that, it’s actually not being naked, as the brand claims, but going second-hand. Following this, it would be to find jeans that have a nice thickness to the material and 100% natural fibre, preferably organic. Denim experts I’ve spoken to begrudgingly say up to 2% is alright. This is because too much elastane will warp the shape of the jeans over time (if you’ve ever seen a pair of jeggings that have puckering, that is the reason), and this can’t be undone. It also can’t be recycled, as it’s not currently possible to separate synthetic from the cotton. Interestingly, the ones I’ve tried on are organic cotton mixed with lyocell, a more circularly manufactured viscose but they feel the same as traditional denim!

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6. LEATHER JACKET + SHIRT + JEANS

My review: This linen shirt is far softer than many I’ve reviewed on the high street. Plus, it has a very refined texture, which makes it a great stand-in for your cotton staples, which tend to look a little "smarter” than flax. You don’t need me to wax on about the brilliance of a good-quality white button-down in your wardrobe. I’ll just say this: It’s the daytime equivalent to the little black dress, one is enough when you get it right.

Wearing a shirt and jeans with a '90s leather blazer was the simplest but coolest look I found in this shop. When the silhouette is right, that’s when an ultra-simplistic look can really shine. As for Reformation’s leather blazer, I was taken aback by its price tag: £400 is by no means an easy spend but definitely less than the £800-to-£1000 mark I would expect from a premium brand. However, it’s worth noting that the lining is recycled polyester and the buttons on the cuffs are decorative—both things I’m not the hugest fan of but can make a garment more affordable. On the other hand, I like those clean, discreet pockets that are deep enough to hold your secrets and an iPhone.

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