Growth
Two competitors, opposite systems
One is winning. The mechanism is visible from outside if you know where to look.
What the teardown looks for
Not aesthetics. The question is whether decisions made at the top of the system survive to the bottom — whether the promise on the homepage is the same promise on the product page, in the size guide, and in the returns policy.
The finding
One brand’s layers inherit cleanly. The other’s contradict each other within two clicks. Both have good design.