Morph Knitwear's Khaos Sweater Dress Review

Photo from Sisters of the Black Moon

The Khaos dress from Morph Knitwear is unique indeed. It's chunky body knit is off-set with delicate web-like fibers dancing across your shoulders, collarbone, and decolletage. Although I have seen it styled often in a minimalist to waif-like manner, its sex appeal is also undeniable. 

Worn with discontinued Agent Provocateur Robyn Bra

Fit:

Its neckline is lower and will likely show your bra. The bras which do not show are so low-cut the areola is almost exposed.
The model from Sisters of the Black Moon is obviously taller than me. As someone who is 5'5", the Khaos dress hits above the knee rather than mid-thigh.

Quality:

When it arrived, I noticed one sleeve was a few inches longer than the other. I emailed Angela and asked for some kind of partial refund. She insisted many times she would rather repair it for free so the dress was perfect. (On a personal note, I rarely buy something if there is not a void in my wardrobe. I had perhaps two things to wear when cold, so when she offered to cover return shipping and repair the dress, I lied. I said I was traveling so I couldn't return it and wait for the repair rather than saying, "You see, I have nothing to wear," as the latter would sound ridiculously untrue.) I had already purchased the dress on sale, and she gave me a partial refund--for this I am grateful.

Durability:

The cotton yarn top might make one nervous: it looks delicate and like it might catch on something. I have found neither to be true, and only the sleeves have caught on some edges. After catching, one can use an item like the end of a pen and tug the surrounding stitches to put the excess back into place.

Pros and Cons of Wool:

Wool is considered one of the least durable natural fibers, so when this dress started to have small amounts of black fuzz falling to the floor, I was disappointed but not entirely surprised.

Wool is warm, and although it did occasionally make me perspire, it does not trap scent, unlike polyester and cotton (common fibers of clothing). 

It rarely needs laundering--this is truly one of my favorite features for some reason. 

Delicately hand wash WITH YOUR HANDS and there is no need to fear shrinkage.

Is it cruelty-free?

The Khaos dress is primarily made of wool (not a cruelty-free fiber). Angela informed me her wool for this item comes from small, family farms. Although purchasing a made-to-order dress made of wool is unethical, I weakly told myself it was less unethical because of the following:

• the wool came from family farms
• that I would use less water because wool is a fiber which does not need regular cleaning
• it was handmade by someone in the U.S. and not a sweatshop

This does not wholly justify my purchase, but it explains why this product ended up on the Vegan Metal Vamp.

Customer Service:

A weak-point of small businesses is customer service. Returns hurt them deeper, needy customers take up precious time, and should they feel confronted about their products or shop policies, it is difficult to not take the customers' remarks personally. Many do not offer returns, remind the customer they are a small company when asked questions, and often structure emails like a carefully crafted argument if the customer presents problems. Angela from Morph Knitwear did not display these common characteristics (she may have said it was a small company, but it was not a defense for lack of service). She responded to all of my emails within 12 hours (and I sent many). She was always helpful, and I am, once again, grateful for the partial refund. After the refund I thanked her for her great service, and later I asked about a possible custom request: neither received responses. A "thank you" email does not necessarily warrant a response, but a response to the custom request would have been nice, even if  it was to tell me she does not do custom work. Despite this, her excellent service will make me a repeat customer. It is likely the best "made in the USA" customer experience I have ever had.

*This dress has since been sold as it was not practical enough for me, and I felt weird owning wool.