ADEA Clothing Review: Long-Lasting Travel Fashion Basics

by Lanee Lee

As a former personal trainer and now a travel writer who’s living out of a suitcase at least once a month, I have gone through hundreds of basic, utilitarian shirts and yoga pants. Even my favorite pieces by Lululemon eventually get worn – elastic stretches out, material thins – and I sadly have to throw them out. When I discovered ADEA, a high-end basics line of clothing based in Massachusetts, I knew my need to constantly replace my tank tops, t-shirts and comfy travel pants would drastically diminish.

Adea was founded on the belief that every woman’s wardrobe should have a solid foundation of high quality basics that are reliable, flattering and comfortable. And a smart travel wardrobe, especially in modern times where luggage fees are steep, mix-and-match fashion is de reguir. In order to make this belief a reality, they sourced Italian-made fabrics developed with the most advanced technology available and created basics in classic cuts, but with modern, body-conscious fits. The fabric is breathable, dries quick, and offers Ultraviolet Protection Factor of 50+ (twice the protection of cotton).

In general, each piece I sampled has held it’s color and shape with no shrinking or piling after washing it a few times. And they look great even when you pull it out of your suitcase (no wrinkling) after a 12 hour flight. Sizes are basic on numbers (1-7) rather XS-L.

Here’s my review, pros and cons, of each piece I tried out:

3/4 Sleeve Scoop Neck Layering Top ($74)

Pros: Easy to layer, lightweight material, great day-to-night use, comes in 22 colors, loved the Cerulean Blue color I got (it’s much more vibrant than it looks in photo to the left).

Cons: Not enough room for my hips. I have a smaller upper body and hip-y lower body. Usually I order a Medium in shirts. I ordered size 4. Because it’s form fitting, it fit perfectly in chest and shoulders but is too small on my hips. The shirt rides up, so I have to constantly pull it down to keep it in place unless it’s tucked into pants.

 

 

Bra Friendly Camisole ($59)

Pros: No more worrying about bra straps peeping out with the wider straps, easy to layer, lightweight material, form-fitting but comfortable, comes in 17 versatile colors. And, it looks very chic and of high quality, not like a tank from Old Navy. So you could rock it at a dinner party accessorized with a scarf or jewelry just as much as you could getting your barre dance workout on.

Cons: None. My size 4 tank worked just fine in the camisole. Really an essential travel piece. I plan on getting one in few different  colors.

 

 

Classic Black Straight Leg Pants ($169)

Pros: Super soft, lightweight Italian jersey knit, so comfortable you almost forget you have pants on, perfect for yoga or any summertime activity. My boyfriend even tried them on because he liked the material so much and has requested ADEA to make a men’s version. 🙂

Cons: Length. I’m 5’6 and these pants are made for a tall gal as there is nearly 3″ of excess material that gather around my ankles. Not good if you’re walking anywhere you don’t want to get the hem of your pants dirty or wet like in an airport bathroom. But I will hem them, and that should take care of it.

Use: To me, these are casual pants only, I wouldn’t wear them with heels to a dressy occasion as the material pills a bit, but that’s just me.

Sizing: Unlike the shirts, I got an size 3 and they fit. I usually wear a size 8 or 10 in pants.

Full-Length Smoothing Leggings ($72.50, on sale)

Pros: Pulls you in like compression tights or Spanx, good to prevent swelling on long flights or if you’re standing for long hours. And because it does hold you in and is made of a sturdy, thick material, it actually masks any cellulite bumps that most leggings reveal. Material will never fade. Great to wear as leggings for a night out on the town or for yoga.

Cons: Hard to get on because they are supposed to be a second skin (like 5x harder than pantyhose). The top of the pants are not tight enough, and so they literally fall off, sagging in the crotch in unattractive ways. Not comfortable at all. When I asked the company about this they said two things: 1. I did not get a small enough size (I ordered 4 when I should have had a 3). 2. They are currently in the re-design process to fix this problem.***

The ADEA Everyday Collection

And this is just a small sample of what ADEA offers in their lux micro-fiber fabrics. From panties to palazzo pants, there’s a plethora of great travel long-lasting basics to choose from. After sampling the quality of the fabrics, I’ll definitely be back to purchase the underwear and the A-line skirt. Yes, the pieces may be a bit pricey initially, but it’ll save me money in the long run as their built to last.

Check ’em out at: MyADEA.com, Pinterest or Facebook.

These samples were gifted but opinions are my own. Lindsay declined to review ADEA as the form-fitting stretchy material was not her cup of tea and she didn’t want to wear any of the samples.

***Will update post when smoothing leggings have been redesigned and reviewed.