Tide, Thread and Tenacity

Ten years of Cornwall-infused coastal style, told with cloth and character.

Padstow is a town shaped by stories. Some arrive on the tide; others are cut from cloth. Over the past decade, one such tale has quietly unfolded on the high street – that of Aloft, a female-led clothing and lifestyle store that has grown from quiet beginnings into a distinctive thread in the town’s identity.

Founded in 2014, Aloft was born of a simple but resolute idea: that style could speak in the language of the landscape. Not borrowed from catwalks or glossy campaigns, but drawn from salt air, sailcloth, slow skies and the grounded rhythm of Cornish life. The shop’s collections, thoughtful, unhurried, and quietly confident, reflect a way of dressing that doesn’t demand attention but earns it over time.

Ten years on, Aloft remains true to its origins. Its racks carry clothes that feel lived in from the moment they’re tried on. Cotton softened like seafoam, blues and greys that echo granite and gulls, details that are as tactile as they are unassuming. The aesthetic here is not about invention but homage – a gentle nod to life lived near water, wind and wide skies. For regular visitors and first-time wanderers alike, the shop offers something rarer than trend, it offers authenticity.

As Aloft celebrates its tenth anniversary this summer, the milestone is being marked with typical understatement. Stories will be shared — not just of growth and success, but of grit and resilience, of surviving retail’s lean years and the unseen work of building something lasting in a place where the seasons shape everything. Competitions and in-store events will honour the journey, while the team continues to look forward with the same clarity that started it all.

In a world cluttered with noise, Aloft offers something quieter, more grounded – a way of dressing that wears its sense of place with understated veracity.

Visit their website or, if you’re in the area, head to one of their outlets in Padstow, Loddiswell or Salcombe.

ALOFT PADSTOW
5-7 Duke Street, Padstow
01841 532 548
www.thealoftshop.com