Adrift Clothing is for “every woman” – so is it for every woman under 90kgs or 35 years? Here’s our review of the brand for “all women” not just those blessed with a killer metabolism and conventional body shape!
This Adrift Clothing review was originally published by Jan back in 2018, and updated in 2024 by Louise because we are quite fond of their new collection too. This is not a sponsored post. Adrift Clothing is just little label for women who like to dress well. And we all know the drama of finding pieces to love! Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn if women under 35 can find fashion they love, the whole industry is stitching just for them. I’m interested in reviewing Adrift’s clothing lines for women over 50. We may have had babies. We may have had hormonal nonsense. We may carry scars. We may carry water. What’s in it for ME?
Brand Values Review
Founded in Brisbane in 2012 by Rebecca Pullar, Adrift Fashion promises women of all sizes ,shapes and ages the right look for their personal style and lifestyle. “Our aim is to make women feel good in their own skin and that’s what motivates us to keep creating clothes that make women look and feel their best”. Adrift Clothing ranges from size 8 and go upwards of size 22 – so, tick for a good chunk of women so far. There’s also a subtle nod to Trans women on the site. TICK. For me, that’s a great big tick because it’s easy enough to jump on the body positive bandwagon while ignoring the tricky challenges of trans body shapes and sizes.
Psychological Benefits
If you have been around this blog for a while you will know I am a firm believer in the importance of dressing for your mental health. The Adrift philosophy fits perfectly with mine. Feel good in your skin, in your outfit and in your colours! I am offering you this Adrift clothing review so you can learn everything we love about it too.
Basics Not Boho
OK, let’s get this straight, it’s not a Boho label. It’s not that “poor interpretation of 1970s fashion for the old ducks” feel that you get from brands like… well, I won’t say explicitly but you know the one I’m looking right at. Yes Adrift does carry BoHo pieces but you will also find many classic pieces in the Basics by Adrift range. These pieces are the building blocks of your wardrobe, the ones we all need – tee shirts, dresses, skirts, shorts, and pants, all in classic colours like white, navy, neutral and black, as well as stripes. The Basics are also perfect for travel, making it easy for you to curate a travel capsule wardrobe in easy care pieces.
Also in the Basics range, you will find the fabulous 100% cotton camis and slips, items which are typically hard to find even in department stores, and perfect to add shape under a floaty garment, or to add cover under sheer fabrics. These come in Ecru, White and Black.
Seasonal Lines Review
Once you have your capsule pieces in place you will want to consider some more on-trend pieces to keep your look fresh. It can take as little as one or two new pieces each season to allow you to feel up-to-date without losing a sense of your personal style. Adrift showcases new items on a regular basis, focussing on seasonal trends in fabrics, shapes and prints. Even though these are the more on trend items, you can still expect the Adrift high quality both in fabrics and cuts. A word of warning to you here, if you like something in the new releases, don’t dilly dally, they sell out fast.
Ethical Fashion
Adrift updates its collections seasonally but the items you buy will last. Adrift is not “fast” fashion. It’s not built to wear and discard. Most Adrift clothing is produced in Bali. The working conditions and facilities comply with UN standards for occupational health and safety. Any production outside of the Adrift HQ is carefully monitored for ethical practices. The Adrift brand is good for women, whether they wear it, or produce it.
Practical Fashion
The ten or so pieces I own by this brand are all well made, well cut and the fabric is good quality. I’m a very practical fashionista. I don’t like trash. I’m a fan of “all year round” fashion. There’s nothing worse than having to lock away all your favourite pieces for winter. I buy my core wardrobe and then dress it up, or warm it up for winter. For example, the Fae dress and the Lucy dress come in short sleeves for spring and summer and long sleeves for the cooler months. This makes life so easy when you find a style that really works for you, you can wear it year around whether with sandals or layered up with a wrap, tights and boots, according to the weather.
Accessories Make the Outfit
The worst, worst, worst thing about buying colour pieces is never finding the perfect accessory. Adrift Clothing carries a selection of scarves, jewellery and accessories to compliment each season’s line. This is my biggest complaint about places like David Jones, where the store carries plenty of labels in all sizes and shapes, but never an adequate accessory line to match. I do love a bit of boutique shopping so Adrift ticks that box too. Mostly though, accessories are a tool to help you feel good in the outfit. They draw the eye and give an overall “appearance”. For women who feel insecure about their tummies or their thighs (or anything else decades of glossy pages told us to worry about), accessories are how we create the “zoom focus” for the outfit. Using them draws the eye to where we want it drawn. They change a dress into an outfit. They change an outfit into an impression of the woman. So, Adrift gets a big tick for their selection of accessories.
It’s Not a 100% Positive Adrift Clothing Review
Sorry Jan. Back in the day, Jan’s Adrift Clothing review was glowing and positive and full of “fangirl” love. I too am a big fan of the brand but I will say, they’re kind of expensive. Jan is a bit of a fashionista, whereas I’m more frugal with my fashion. In terms of “for every woman” the Adrift Brand does fall down when it comes to women on a tight income. My top tip is that they carry a lot of seasonal lines. That means that from about half way through each season, you can get the stuff you love at a solid discount. My policy with Adrift Clothing is that if I absolutely must have it, then it’s a treat item and I buy it. If it’s a “maybe” then I usually wait for the sales and hope there’s one left in my size. The clothes are well made and do suffer a lot of wear and washing cycles of dubious care. So, while they’re expensive, they’re also good value.
Again, this was originally a “post of love” by Jan, but has become a legacy of love after all these years shopping at Adrift. I hope it helps, it always makes me happy to discover a new brand – it’s so hard to find fashion for the 50+ that isn’t naff Boho or hideous tent frocks or the contemporary version of those odd house dresses your nan used to wear. So, hopefully this little review of Adrift Clothing helps you discover a shopping day out too.
