As warmer weather signals the beginning of summer in the US, women are finally ditching their cable-knit sweaters and winter coats for light and airy fashion. The sundress is a staple of summer clothing, so much so that it’s even sparked internet discourse over men’s bizarre obsession with the milkmaid-style frock.
But when right-leaning media site Evie Magazine – known for publishing what some describe as “trad-wife” content online – decided to sell its own version of the sundress, it quickly backfired. Not because it was such a thinly-veiled attempt at emphasizing traditional gender norms but because, according to customers, it looked “cheap.”
Earlier this month, Evie Magazine unveiled its Evie Bra Sundress – a yellow, floral print dress with “a built-in bra, hidden pockets, and a thin lining” for both form and function. The dress, available to purchase in “Limoncello Floral” and “Bianca Floral,” comes with a “dainty string bow, a sweetheart neckline, and frilly ruffles” to perfectly tap into one’s ultimate feminine energy.
Brittany Martinez, the founder and editor in chief of Evie Magazine, didn’t shy away from admitting that the sundress was indeed made for the purpose of attracting men.
“Hard at work solving the population crisis with this groundbreaking fertility tech,” she wrote in one post on X, formerly Twitter, with a link to the sundress.
“Husbands, buy this for your wives. Side effects may include an unplanned pregnancy,” Martinez said in another.
However, customers soon noticed that the fabric of the dress – which was proudly advertised online as being manufactured in the US – was made of rayon, a semi-synthetic fiber. Not only was the clothing item made from the same type of fabric found on fast fashion sites like Shein or Forever 21, but it was also priced at $129.
The Evie sundress – which had professed to single-handedly help conservative women find husbands this summer – was instantly met with an outpouring of negative reviews online, in what became known as #SundressGate.
“Love a yellow dress for my tan skin tone, but this dress looks like something a 17 year old would buy from Shein or Forever 21 for $20,” wrote one fan on Instagram.
“I love y’all but this dress looks cheap and you want me to pay $129 for a rayon dress that can’t go in the washing machine??” another Instagram user commented.
The reviews were a bit less kind on X, formerly Twitter. One user, who referred to themself as “anti-feminist,” described the dress as “fugly” and pointed out how its “immodest” hemline fell just above the knee.
“Claiming to be a dress that can ‘fix fertility’ while being made of a fabric that is an endocrine disrupter is really embarrassing,” said another customer, who griped about the dress’ rayon fabric.
“I love @Evie_Magazine but this new sundress is a letdown,” said another X user, who goes by Christiana on the platform. “There’s no way I’m paying $129 for a dress that’s not even made of natural fibers, not to mention it isn’t flattering even in the model photos.”
“This dress doesn’t look high quality; it doesn’t feel timeless, like it can be worn year after year and still be classic. It looks like something I could find at TJ Maxx,” said Christiana, who described herself in her bio as “God’s laughing daughter”.
At first, Evie Magazine’s foray into fashion with a quintessential sundress seemed like the perfect move for a company described as “Gen Z Cosmopolitan for the far right.” However, perhaps it’s downfall occurred because Evie Magazine failed to recognize that people care a lot about sustainable fashion.
Nevertheless, Martinez confirmed in a statement to The Independent that the roll-out of the Evie Dress has actually been a “huge success” for the brand.
“We sold out twice within two days. Our most popular sizes sold out within one hour. The passionate debate between those who liked and disliked the dress for various reasons only fueled its popularity. It’s certainly not for everyone, but neither is anything else,” she said.
As for the backlash over its fabric, the founder explained that the sundress was made from “high-quality” rayon that was “naturally derived fiber from wood pulp, often bamboo or cotton linters”. According to Martinez, the dress was also priced at $129 to reflect its “US manufacturing, the built-in bra, and the limited quantities.”