It might be easy to tell from my instagram page, but I really love small designers. Maybe it’s related to the fact that when brands or businesses get really large, it’s harder to stay on top of the ethical ideals they may have established when starting off (if they had any to begin with). Perhaps it’s my own background of design, or my entrepreneurial family history, or the fact that I enjoy that little bit of personal connection, but when I’m actually impacting a business in a meaningful way when I purchase, I get excited. I think that small business can be better for people, and better for the environment. Whatever way I spin it, I’m a fan of the small business, and that includes lingerie brands.
That’s why finding Dream & Drive on Instagram was so exciting. It has all the hallmarks of what I like in small brands: conscientious sourcing, emphasis on the customer, and a small collection. Something else stuck out to me as well—the entire collection uses the same materials.
I’m not saying Dream & Drive is the only brand to do this, far from it, but it’s not usually as cohesive and apparent (at least in my opinion). Why do I like this? Well, not only does it mean that the designer probably maximizes their purchasing power by meeting minimum fabric requirements from suppliers, but it also means that the consumer can truly mix and match anything in the shop while still getting a cohesive feel. Great business sense and good customer service wrapped into one design choice.
I had to try it out. I quickly settled on the Evolve Bralette. It had the sand/natural color that reminded me of raw fabric, combined with beautiful black lace detailing. I’m a sucker for lace. However, I really didn’t want to purchase the Evolve Knickers. A mostly practical girl at heart, I couldn’t imagine stuffing that adorable skirt layer into a pair of jeans. It just wouldn’t do. So I chose the Heaven Knickers instead. Easy swap, same great materials and color way, and my high-waisted dream.
Sizing challenged me for a bit, because I can never decide if I should fit to my boobs or to my underbust size when buying a bralette. Both present problems. If I chose a fit for my breast size, when I lift my arms the bralette will usually just pop right over them, as the circumference will be too large. But, conversely, if I choose a fit for my underbust measurements, my boobs will probably flop out all over the place. It’s a conundrum (floppy boobs sound so fun in writing and are so annoying in real life). So, I took the easy way out and contacted Dream & Drive to let them make the decision!
It turns out that they are incredibly flexible with sizing. All I had to do was order a large and request a small back, and for this bralette style they’d make the swap. Easy-peasy.
Because of this, the set fits well, and it’s super comfy! The bralette quickly became my go-to home lounge bralette (when I don’t just go entirely braless), and it’s the lazy weekend dream. For me, it’s definitely a wear-all-the-time set, and I think the construction and fabrication will hold up fine.
I’m going to be completely honest, it’s not a set that I would call luxury lingerie. It’s lovely, and comfortable, and has nice fabric, but it doesn’t have those special features, truly top-notch elastics and hardware, and sewing style that really sets luxury apart. However, because of that, I feel great wearing it every day without worrying about it’s condition.
It would be a fair question to ask if it’s worth the price, and for me, it was. I don’t have many lounge sets that I love wearing so much, and the color way makes it pretty versatile under clothes. And as I said at the beginning, I put a premium on helping small businesses. Dream & Drive will be a brand I continue to watch and enjoy.