The older I get, the less I want cheap Shein fast fashion in my closet and the more I’ve been carefully curating a wardrobe of timeless, quality pieces that will last for years (not months.)
In my quest to move to slow fashion, I discovered the new Darling Society clothing brand, created by the Darling Magazine in 2023. But, can a magazine make a clothing line not just worth wearing, but keeping for years and years?
I tried a bunch of items from the Darling collection to bring you an honest review along with sizing tips.
About Darling Clothing
Sarah Dubbeldam is the founder of Darling Clothing. Back in 2012, she launched Darling Magazine, a lifestyle inspiration hub for women. But she didn’t want to stop there.
In 2023, Darling Society (the clothing brand) was born to help women cultivate confidence. While new items do launch seasonally, this brand is all about curated clothing items that can be staples in your capsule wardrobe. It’s slow fashion done right.
What I Tried From Shop Darling
Whenever I try a new brand, I love to try items across different categories to get a good sense of the product line. I tried a matching loungewear set, two dresses, a pair of pants, a coat, and a top / dress skirt set.
Elegant matching sweater and pant set that elevates and WFH day.
Red Alameda Dress
This red dress from Darling quickly became one of my all time favorite clothing items the at I own. It’s breezy enough to wear on hot Lisbon days in the middle of summer, but also that punch of red makes it perfect for holiday outfits.
I packed this on my trip to Europe and couldn’t stop wearing it everywhere. I got so many compliments on it in real life and also on social media. 10/10 would buy again.
Sterling Sweater & Pants
The other thing I adore from Darling Society is their matching loungewear set in emerald green. They also offer it in beige and I want it so bad!
The Sterling Sweater and Sterling Pant are the nicest loungewear set I’ve ever own. Just putting it on makes me feel like I could crush my work goals of the day. The v-neck shows of gold chains perfectly and it’s nice enough that I feel totally ok running errands in the middle of the work day.
Bloom Top & Skirt
The Bloom Strappy Blouse and Bloom Skirt was an unexpected love for me. Normally I don’t wear dark colors like black or navy, but this set ended up being so fun for summer.
First off, the skirt has pockets. POCKETS! And it sits high-waisted so when paired with the Bloom top, it almost looks like a dress until I move.
This si an airy, fun two piece set for the summer. Pairs well with cute little neck (and hair) scarves, too. I wore this a lot during my summer Europe travels, especially around Berlin.
Summer Day Dress
This summer I also tried out the new Summer Day Dress in white. I’ll be honest, this was not a favorite of mine. I really wanted to like this, but I found the top was too loose for me (I wear a C cup, this would have been great for ladies with bigger girls!)
I really did enjoy the swing of the fabric and the pockets. I wore it out to Davenport to go strawberry picking and loved how summery it felt.
Overcast Trench
I have a weakness for coats, but the reality of living in California is you don’t need a heavy coat. So all my jackets and coats have to lean on the lighter side, so I was excited to try out the Darling Overcast Trench.
But I was disappointed by how it looks on me. I think I should have sized down to a Large instead of an XL, but overall this just felt like I was drowning in fabric instead of wearing at trench that has shape to it. It is really great for trips since it packs really small.
It also is extremely lightweight, so if you live in a hot climate but still want to layer in a trench coat, this could be a good option. Just be mindful on sizing here.
Easy Pant
I also tried the Journey Easy Pant, which is not long sold but I still wanted to tell you about it. It’s similar to the Traverse Pant.
I give these pants a 4.5 since they are so incredible to wear during the summer. The have pockets, they are light and breezy, look great paired with a belt, Twoobs sandals and a t-shirt for exploring a new city.
My only complaint is they wrinkle so easy, you could look at them and they wrinkle. But once I embraced the look, I found myself wearing these all the time during my summer in Europe.
Darling Sizing Review
Darling clothing sizing is pretty spot on. As a curvy size 14 gal, it’s hard to know if companies will actually fit you. I’ve had too many small, boutique clothing companies offer “up” to size XL but their XL really fit like a medium (whomp whomp).
I found Darling clothing to fit as expected, often times hugging my curves in all the best ways. There was just one dress that felt too boxy on my frame, but all things considered, that’s a great track record for a new clothing brand.
Darling Society Clothing Quality
True to its slow fashion core, Darling Society uses high-quality, all-natural fabrics, and tries to choose materials with a low environmental impact.
Unlike companies like Temu, Darling make clothing that will last years, with quality stitching and fabrics that feel great on the skin. I actually think Darling Society really excels at lightweight fabrics for summer wear.
It’s hard to make clothing items that look great and feel great on hot 100 degree summer days, but they’ve mastered the art of flowy dresses and breezy pants.
Have you tried the Darling clothing brand yet? If you’re looking to take a break on brands like Sezane, check out this new capsule wardrobe brand. I think you’ll love it as much as I do.
