A Comprehensive Review: Alder’s Women's Clothing
I’ve had my eye on Alder Apparel since they launched their first Kickstarter years ago. I’m always keeping my eyes peeled for new, up and coming brands making outdoor gear for the modern lady who likes to spend a lot of time outdoors, because to be honest… I feel like women’s outdoor clothing often misses the mark. Recently I got my hands on some pieces from Alder’s collection from our friends over at REI to test during my South American travels to see if they’re filling the void in women’s outdoor clothing! Here’s what I have to say about it all…
Leave it to me to put the things I’m testing through the ringer.
This blog post was made in partnership with our friends over at REI. We’re proud to have them as a sponsor as we’ve been REI members since 2011 and it’s our favorite place to pick up all the gear and advice we need for our adventures!
Please note: The links provided in this blog post are affiliate links. If you end up purchasing some of these pieces of gear we get a very small portion of the sales. Thank you as always for supporting us and our life on the road, it gives us the opportunity to share so extensively with you all!
MAK in the Open Air pants and Flip It top
MAK in the Get Dirty Dress in Arequipa, Peru
A little about Alder Apparel
Before we dive into the technical side of things I quickly wanted to touch on who Alder is and what attracted me to them.
Alder was founded in 2019 by National Geographic Explorer Mikayla Wujec and fashion marketing leader Naomi Blackman in Toronto, Canada. Early on Alder launched a kickstarter for their Open-Air pants which is how they drifted into my field of consciousness. On their kickstarter page they said, “After years of frustration with outdoor apparel, Mikayla & Naomi wanted to create a brand focused on combining function with a more modern aesthetic & female-focused fit.”
All of these were things that I had been feeling too. Intrigued, I sat back and kept my eye on them over the years swearing that when I needed a new pair of pants that I would give them a try. Needless to say the Kickstarter was a huge success and the company has grown over the years to now be selling in REI!
Here are some things that Alder has to say about their mission:
“We're redefining who and what = outdoorsy. We think the outdoors should be a safe, welcoming space for everyone and outdoor companies should be leaders in inclusivity, diversity & sustainability. We offer inclusive sizing, community-informed design, sustainable and ethical production and a playful brand that starkly contrasts with the performance-driven, hard-core athletic brands that currently dominate the outdoor space. We believe that outdoor recreation = happiness and the outdoor industry should be focused on fun, not exclusively performance and be a real leader in inclusivity, diversity and sustainability.”
MAK at camp in her Get Dirty dress
Core Values:
Leave it better than we found it.
Invest in the next generation.
Demand equal opportunity.
Go outside, have fun & get dirty.
All of these are things that I completely agree with myself. I also love the brand’s core values. Like I said, I loved everything I was seeing from them down to their sustainability practices. All that was left to do was test out some of the gear for myself. Before leaving for South America, REI sent me a small collection of Alder gear to take with me and put to the test!
After reading that the company is “focused on fun, not exclusively performance” I was not surprised that they don’t share a ton of technical details about their clothes. However, I do happen to love the technical side of all of my clothing… even if it’s not technical gear. In my review I will share some of the technical side of things for those who are interested.
Open air pant
Starting with Alder’s first product, the Open Air pants! I will start with some technical info and then get into my personal assessment of the pants.
Technical Details:
Sizing and Fit:
One of my favorite things about Alder is their inclusive sizing that comes in sizes XS-4X. This ensures that everyone has access to high quality gear to get out there in the outdoors and feel great doing it. They have a comfortable highrise fit and conveniently come in two lengths: 28” and 32” inseam so you can get the length that works best for you. The pants have a “slim fit” silhouette and a straight leg styling through the leg.
The Fabric:
Open-Air pants are made with a brand new, sustainable blend of modal/spandex, 94% Modal & 6% spandex, and is sourced from a Bluesign-certified manufacturer.
For those who aren't familiar, Modal is a fiber made from beech wood, which is renewable. Modal is created using a "wood pulp-to-fiber" process with low air emissions. Modal's ability to absorb and release moisture contributes to its breathability that in-turn supports the body’s natural thermal regulation. Additionally, Modal is super soft and durable. Modal is softer than cotton and is able to last longer and withstand wash and dry cycles better.
Last but not least Modal fiber types have been certified as biodegradable and compostable under industrial, home, soil and marine conditions. Thus they can fully revert back to nature. Pretty cool right?!
Design Features:
The Open Air pants have some twenty features including seven pockets, a key-clip, a gusset for increased freedom of movement, and a reflective strip inside rear pockets. Additionally the pants, as mentioned above, are moisture wicking to help regulate body temperature as you get out there and recreate!
MAK’s Review
I received my Alder gear just 24 hours before flying down to South America for a month and a half to put it to the test. I tossed it all in my bag with the limited amount of clothes I could bring. It was a little scary to put so much trust into some clothes I didn’t know well, but I had a good feeling about them. When I tried the pants on, before shoving them in my checked bag for the long journey south, I immediately loved the high rise flat waistband as it was both comfortable and flattering.
Image to show how the size small fits me in the waistband
While down in South America I hiked in them, wore them for long bus rides, wandered around town all day, and hopped on planes. I ate in them extensively, rarely washed them, and got to know the Open Air pants intimately. Here is what I found.
If Modal isn’t already your favorite material… It will be soon. It’s delightfully soft and stretchy which makes the pants ideal for long roadtrips, flights, trains, and other forms of travel. They seamlessly transitioned into being perfect for hiking. On a particularly challenging and hot hike to the summit of Machu Picchu Mountain (images below), I stayed comfortable in the pants because of the breathability. I notoriously overheat when hiking in pants and was so happy that I didn’t have that problem!
After being stuffed into a suitcase the pants quickly released their wrinkles, which is something that I can say about all of the Alder clothing that I tested. Wrinkles? Give it a minute, they’ll work themselves out in no time. Particularly if you have the clothes on your body.
As for the many features that are packed into these pants, I can’t say that I found myself using many of them. Being that the pants have a slim fit, I don’t think that I’d ever use them all because it would make the pants look bulky. It is impressive just how many pockets they were able to pack into a pair of slim fitting pants without the pants looking like they’re stuffed to the gills with pockets. However, I loved the zipper pockets because I kept a few bucks and my hotel/airbnb key in there for easy access. Even though I didn’t find myself using all the pockets I was happy they were there because I can think of plenty of occasions where they could come in handy.
A note on the fit: I picked up a size small, which is my usual sizing. They fit perfectly when I first put them on, but by day two or three they had stretched out a little bit causing them to wear a little baggier than the “slim” fit they were designed to be. My next pair (and there will be a next pair) will be extra small. I think how you want them to fit will greatly dictate the size you should buy. If you want a slightly looser fit, go with your standard sizing. If you’re wanting a slimmer fit you may want to consider sizing down.
In summary I loved how carefree these pants were. They performed admirably at just about everything I did in them. They were wildly comfortable and the perfect travel pants for sporting around at your local park all the way to international travel.
flip it reversible tee
Moving on to the Flip It Reversible Tee!
Technical Details:
Sizing and Fit:
The Flip It Reversible is, you guessed it, reversible! With a flowy fit, this tee’s length is shorter than conventional t-shirts but not short enough to be considered a crop. It also comes with spacious sleeves. The inclusive sizing is as follows: XS/S, M/L, XL/2XL, 3XL/4XL, 5XL/6XL
Reversible Tee details
The Fabric:
The Flip It Reversible Tee is made with a sustainable blend of 56% modal/35% recycled polyester/9% spandex and is sourced from a Bluesign-certified manufacturer. For more info about Modal see the material description for the Open-Air pants above.
The recycled polyester gives the clothing important performance qualities such as quick drying, lightweight, warmth, moisture-wicking and more! Alder’s recycled polyester is certified by the Global Recycled Standard (GRS), which verifies the recycled content accuracy, ensures good working conditions and that harmful environmental and chemical impacts are minimized during fabric production. Using recycled polyester uses up polyester waste and reduces greenhouse gas emissions from manufacturing.
Design Features:
Reversible design allows the garment to be worn on both sides, reducing the need for washing and making it perfect for extended wear when you don’t have the ability to wash your clothes.
MAK’s Review:
I will come right out and say that this is my personal favorite of all the Alder pieces I tested. Time and time again, I found myself grabbing for this shirt when I wanted something that “looks nice” without having to think about building an outfit. That said, I actually didn’t hike in this top much. As I mentioned earlier, I overheat easily when I hike so I tend to opt for tank tops over sleeved, double layered shirts. But in no way does that detract from my love of this tee because I loved wearing it around town all day as we walked miles exploring new South American towns.
I like the structure and weight of the top. The colors are really lovely. It feels great against the skin. This top is, and will continue to be my go to travel top because of the technical properties while still being a “presentable” top that is seemingly impervious to wrinkles. I also found that I wore it on one side 99% of the time because I preferred the feeling of one side against my skin better than the other. However, if I spilled anything on it (which I’m known to do), I would just flip it and get more wear out of it before I could get it in the wash!
For sizing, I stuck with my standard sizing of XS/S and thought it was the perfect fit!
get dirty dress
The Get Dirty Dress! This is a fun one, so let’s get into it!
Technical Details:
Sizing and Fit:
The Get Dirty dress has a flattering square-neck and is a sleeveless dress with a length of 32.5”. The top is fitted with a looser silhouette as it goes down towards the skirt. The inclusive sizing comes in sizes XS-6X so there is a dress for everyone!
The Fabric:
The Get Dirty dress is made with 86% recycled nylon and 14% spandex. The dress liner is made with 73% recycled nylon and 27% spandex (aka durable and stretchy)!
The nylon used in the Get Dirty dress and the Take A Hike shorts (which we will get to shortly) is a by-product of other manufacturing processes, instead of a consumer good. By using pre-consumer nylon it saves a lot of energy. Pre-consumer nylon is a high quality fiber and certifiably sustainable.
Design Features:
The Get Dirty Dress features two zippered hand pockets as well as a built-in liner shorts which also have two discrete pockets. The dress has a long zipper back closure which makes for an easy in & out without the need for help.
MAK’s Review
I’ve been wanting a technical dress for some time now. It feels like the best way to “dress up” and still be wearing something that can keep up with me and be stuffed into a suitcase or under our bed in the camper. Like all of Alder’s pieces thus far, the dress would come out of my bag wrinkled and in moments look like it had been steamed!
I love to wear dresses when we are traveling because they are such fun outfits to explore new towns and cities in. The zipper pockets were perfect for holding my point & shoot camera in one pocket and my cellphone in the other which I regularly was pulling out to snap some pictures. Even with all of that in my pockets the silhouette of the dress never looked bulky or like I was loaded down with things in my pockets!
The one thing you want to keep in mind is that if you need to go to the bathroom when wearing a technical dress like the 1.0 version of the Get Dirty dress you have to essentially fully undress to go to the bathroom which in some instances was a little annoying. But it is a minor inconvenience for how much I loved wearing this dress. I personally liked the liner because it feels like a tennis dress that conceals additional storage. The Get Dirty dress is a ton of fun to wear and I will continue to carry it with me in the truck. It’s perfect for the rare occasions where I need to be “dressed up” a little while still giving me the ability to have an easy to care for dress for hiking or whatever occasion I want to wear a dress for!
A Note on Sizing: After reading extensive reviews I decided to size down in the dress and I’m really glad I did. It felt like the perfect fit for me.
take a hike shorts
The Take A Hike Shorts, let’s go!
Technical Details:
Sizing and Fit:
The take a Take A Hike shorts feature a high-waist fit and a 4” inseam. The inclusive sizing comes in sizes XS-6X!
The Fabric:
Like the Get Dirty dress, the Take A Hike shorts use recycled nylon with a mix of 88% recycled nylon and 12% spandex. The fabric makes these shorts water wicking, durable and quick drying.
Design Features:
Designed for all things outdoors, the Take A Hike shorts feature no less than eight easily accessible pockets. The shorts come with a belt that is also removable if it’s not your thing.
MAK’s Review:
Sadly, I didn’t get to spend much time with these shorts. Like the dress, I read a good number of reviews on sizing. Based on what I read, I felt it could swing either way between XS or S. In the end I went with a size small. Turns out, like all Alder apparel, I should have sized down to the XS. I was able to cinch the belt down enough to make them fit, but it made the shorts look really bunchy in the waist because of the extra fabric. For that reason the Take A Hike shorts were left behind for my South American travels (they arrived 24hrs before we left). For reference, the images above show how big the size small was on me. For comparison, the Open Air pants from this review are also a size small.
Sizing error aside, these shorts are great feeling on the skin and have a lot of great features so I would love to give these another try. I think Alder is doing a fabulous job with their designs so I trust that these shorts would be no different given the opportunity to wear them in my proper size. If any of you out there have them, I’d love to hear what you think of them!
To sum it all up
Alder has made waves in the women’s outdoor world and for good reason. To put it simply, they have it going on! These clothes were clearly designed by women, for women. The inclusive sizing ensures that there is something for everyone and everyone is exactly who should be outside. I firmly believe that if people lead lives that bring them more joy, the world will be a better place. Being outside brings that joy which is why there needs to be a place for everyone in the outdoors. The first step in that journey is to ensure that everyone has clothing that they feel comfortable in and can move in. Alder is making that possible and I can’t wait to see more from them in the future.
Alder’s thoughtful apparel is available now at REI so you too can feel good and look good in the outdoors! Thank you so much REI for sending over the clothes for me to try. It was a joy to finally get the chance to put Alder to the test! If any of you out there have anything from Alder, I’d love to hear from others about what they think about the clothes so we can add additional perspectives to help others figure out if it’s right for them!
Happy adventuring!
MAK
