If a leather jacket is able to elicit drool from ones mouth, there is a good chance the brand behind aforementioned salivation is worth researching. These were our sentiments when we were browsing Barney’s CO-OP last fall and accidentally crossed paths with a perfectly distressed, hooded, grey leather jacket from Los Angeles based clothing brand, EVER. Since then our love for this brand has exponentially grown when we found they have a store on Melrose Avenue, with oh-so-many-more-to-die-for leather jackets, complimented by rich cashmere sweaters, easy-to-wear raw silk blouses, buttercup soft hoodies and tees, and the most comfortable skinny jeans this side of the Mississippi—all done in a beautifully muted color palate that reminds you of an overcast beach morning.

The creative philosophy behind EVER stems from its creative director’s love of traveling with grace and comfort. The modern cuts of the pieces are paired with luxurious fabrics to create an urban street elegance that can take you anywhere. Our favorite thing about the collection is its ease and thoroughness; an entire travel wardrobe could be created from effortlessly mixing and matching the clothes at hand.
As if it couldn’t get any better, upon entering the store on Melrose, the most pleasant sales staff greeted us. Not a drop of pretentious attitude was found in the two brunettes who happily explained the promotional sale on the hoodies and tees and begged us to try on their favorite pair of skinny jeans—and for good reason, as the lived-in-soft, distressed black, booty hugging jeans walked out with us from the store in one of EVER’s eco-friendly cotton bags, along with a perfectly draped raw silk blouse. We were relieved to find the extreme-low cut that is only flattering on pre-teens and models is absent in EVER’S denim as the higher cut of jeans allowed them to pass the “bend over and no crack is showing” rule. Paired together, the perfect outfit was created for a low-key weekend spent meeting the boyfriend’s family in Northern California. Yes, we really were able test drive the brand’s motto, and it passed with flying colors. With our newly acquired items neatly packed, it was relief to not stress about our wardrobe, instead directing our attention on gaining the family’s approval (the home-baked banana bread might have helped in that department). Did we mention both items were on sale?

The Melrose store features items from both the women’s and the men’s line, with an emphasis on their denim, leather, and trademark hoodies. We were definitely caught eyeing some of the men’s flannels to wear over our new favorite skinny jeans. A limited amount of accessories are scattered throughout the store, most enviably, men’s classic work boots in a delicious pebble cream. Alas, no women’s shoes as of yet, but we think EVER could produce a killer pair of everyday boots. Jack Spade (of Kate Spade fame) has also recently combined forces with EVER to produce a tote and duffle bag to perfectly accent the brand’s spirit of traveling. The sale at their Melrose location is continuing for the next few weeks, until their spring line comes in. The spring line is supposedly accented with cute rompers for the women and done in an over-all lighter color palate.

On all of EVER’s items you find a small pin with the brand’s icon, a graphic tree which symbolizes the Asian proverb, “Though a tree grows so high, the falling leaves return to the root.” EVER’s clothes may spur us to travel onward and upward, but we will be repeatedly coming back for more.
If all else fails when embarking on “meeting the parents” try this: It’s a proven success!
Grandma Jea’s Banana Bread Recipe
¾ cup margarine
1 ½ cup of sugar
1 ½ cup of ripe mashed bananas
2 well beaten eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 ½ cups of flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon of salt
½ cup of buttermilk
Mix all ingredients, creaming margarine and sugar first. Bake for 60 minuets at 350º.
EVER Los Angeles
8251 Melrose Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 951-9701
www.ever-us.com
Mon- Sat: 11-7
Sun: 12-6
Leather Jackets: $700-900
Outerwear: $200-400
Denim: $200-300
Tee/blouses: $100-200
Sweaters: $200-300
written by Veronica McCarthy