Aliya Wanek Review: Ami Crop Sweatshirt

I wanted to introduce you all to a new-to-me Black woman-owned brand, Aliya Wanek, and my recently-purchased wardrobe additions, which are now my new favorite WFH sweatshirts! You may remember Aliya Wanek from my roundup of Black-owned businesses to support, and a couple of weeks ago I placed an order for two colors of the Ami sweatshirt. I hope this post helps you if you’re looking to support a new brand and/or add new sweatshirts to your wardrobe! If you have any other questions, feel free to drop me a comment below.

MEET ALIYA WANEK

Aliya Wanek founded her womenswear brand of the same name in 2016 with a mission to “create comfortable, stylish clothing ethically and sustainably as an extension of the wearer’s individuality.” Based in the Bay Area of California, Aliya sews garments herself and works with local makers on the dyeing and production process, taking the environment into consideration.

I learned of Aliya and her brand back in June when seeking out Black-owned businesses to support and fell in love with her eye-catching garments in easy silhouettes and earthy colors, and of course, I was most excited for the sweatshirts! Since I’m working from home indefinitely, it was no question that I was going to add at least one of her sweatshirts to my growing collection when they were restocked. I managed to snag two colors of the Ami sweatshirt when they were restocked last month!

The Aliya Wanek fall collection and the next sweatshirt restock is coming in September! If you don’t already, I highly recommend following her on Instagram to find out the exact date/time of the restock (this one dropped at 10 am ET) and signing up for emails to receive 10% off your first purchase.

Aliya Wanek Ami Sweatshirt

The Ami sweatshirt ($90) is a cropped crewneck sweatshirt that features no shoulder seams and traditional bands at the neck, wrists, and hem. It is made out of a blend of 55% hemp and 45% organic cotton, and it was definitely made to look lived-in/imperfect. The fabric blend isn’t super soft, but it’s also not at all scratchy. It’s just a highly comfortable, everyday sweatshirt that’s definitely perfect for the WFH/quarantine life! Oh, and it’s machine washable. 🙌🏻

I went into the sweatshirt restock knowing for sure that I wanted the Ami in dusty rose. As I should have known, the color is fairly similar to my skin color, so it ended up not being my favorite of the two that I ordered. I still plan to wear it, of course; I’ve worn it just as much as my other Ami! Light pink washes me out, so I just need to remember that I can admire it on others without buying it for myself, haha. The color is rich and lovely!

The Ami is made in sizes S to 2X, and the fit is true to size unless you want a more relaxed fit, in which case, size up! The length varies by size between 19” and 21.5”. Approximate measurements for each size are provided on the product pages. For reference, I purchased a size small in both sweatshirts. I have a 34” bust, broad shoulders, long arms, and I’m borderline petite at 5’4”.

Here is the Ami sweatshirt in olive! I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to splurge on two sweatshirts (since they’re $90 each), but I knew they were going to sell out quickly and I just couldn’t say no to this color. Y’all know how much I’m obsessed with green! As I expected, this color is stunning, and I’m thrilled that I purchased it. Sometimes the impulse purchase is worth it! (Side note: I highly recommend checking out the photography on her website. All of the sweatshirt photos were taken by Aliya! And they’re STUNNING!)

The Ami is also offered in cream, cocoa, navy, canyon (earthy red), faded black, ochre (muted yellow), fuchsia (bright pink), and sage.

In addition to the Ami, Aliya Wanek offers a second sweatshirt style: the Tig ($120), which is more of a traditional relaxed sweatshirt style with no shoulder seams and a regular length of 23” to 24”. It’s also constructed with a 55% hemp, 45% organic cotton blend and available in the same colors. Unlike the Ami, the Tig is available in only two sizes: size 1 fits S to L and size 2 fits XL to 2X. I originally opted for the Ami because I thought the Tig would be too long, but I’m highly considering purchasing a Tig in the near future because I recently realized how truly amazing oversized sweatshirts are, especially for lounging around post-WFH! How will I ever decide what color to get next?!

Also wearing: Zella bike shorts (no longer available; similar by Aerie) and Dior Lip Glow in pink.