If you love leggings, you know about Kate Hudson's workout line, Fabletics, which draws you in with a killer 2 for $24 leggings deal.
Fabletics is a digital subscription service that caters to the athleisure-obsessed among us with inexpensive, size-inclusive workout gear.
But is it really as great as the many TV commercials, magazine ads, and podcast spots make it out to be? Jess and I decided to order a bunch of Fabletics clothes and try it out.
The site offers a brief survey to curate your perfect picks. Jess and I both chose "gym" as our favorite way to get fit.
As soon as we joined, a ticking clock counted down the hour we had left to use or lose our 2 for $24 leggings deal. Stressful!
Then we had to select our body type. This concerned me, since not every body type can be easily categorized.
I opted for "I'm one of a kind," since I'm multiple categories, while Jess chose curvy. "But I probably shouldn't have, since I'm not an hourglass," Jess said, highlighting the lack of options.
"The options were limited. Extremely limited. We all have more than one body type. Some of us are shaped like apples or pears. Some of us look like figs!" Jess said jokingly.
For sizes, I chose medium (8-10) and Jess picked 2X (18-20). (This spring, Fabletics increased its size range to go up to a size 3X)
There are two ways to shop Fabletics: as a guest or VIP. The latter is the membership program that offers the best deals. Here's how it works:
The VIP program is Fabletics' subscription service. Unless you shop or choose to skip a month, VIPs are charged $49.95 on the sixth of the month.
If you don't buy anything or forget to choose the skip option, the $49.95 fee can be converted into a shopping credit.
After shelling out our $50 bucks to get the VIP deal, Jess and I selected our outfits. First up: a simple sports bra and patterned leggings.
Jess and I weren't thrilled with these looks for multiple reasons.
Although Jess is smiling in this photo, she was REALLY unhappy.
"I hated the sports bra because it was riding up in the back. This should be my size, but I probably should have sized up."
"Also, for someone who isn't too comfortable showing her back, I would have liked more coverage."
The criss-cross feature makes the back of the bra even more…odd ($24.95 for VIP, Fabletics).
Jess was surprised that the leggings were slouchy, since they didn't look that way online, but the print was interesting in a Jackson-Pollock-does-activewear sort of way.
These joggers could be good for those who don't always want to wear tight leggings, but definitely aren't for the gym ($44.95 for VIP, Fabletics). "The pants were extremely confusing, because I thought they were workout pants and they weren't. These are more athleisure than actual athletic clothes," Jessica said.
Jess said I looked gooood, and I agreed — but there was a problem. Multiple problems, actually.
I'm wearing a sports bra ($59.95, Fabletics) and patterned leggings ($64.95, Fabletics). The leggings looked cute, but they were really, really thin — you could see my butt through them, which is a no.
OH MY GOD. This sports bra was like a corset. It was hard for me to even breathe, much less lift my arms. The blue straps had ABSOLUTELY NO STRETCH, making it impossible to put on.
This is a sports bra. A sports bra full of lies. I was counting the seconds until I could cut myself out of this medical bandage apparatus of my nightmares.
The top half of the sports bra was wayyyy tighter than the bottom, making slippage much more of a reality. I wouldn't stand in this much less work out in it.
For our next look, we both chose outfits as dark as our souls. And we fared much better.
Jess' look was AMAZING. She was in love with it and we were both in disbelief that this could be worn to the gym.
This mesh sports bra could double as a crop top. Props, Fabletics, for this sleek design.
The mesh continued across the back as well. "I loved the sheer back. It was a hint of sexy while I worked out," Jess said. The criss-cross straps were a nice touch as well.
"The leggings were so comfy and I loved that they had the sheer panel on the legs," Jess said. Badass, yet breathable.
I felt somewhat better in this look. The leggings, thankfully, were more opaque and the bra had enough stretch to fit over my head.
I did like the color-blocking on the bra, but I wish the band wasn't so loose around the ribs. I also wished the bra's cups weren't so thin, but I guess that's the price you pay for cheaper workout clothes.
Next, Jess and I tried on Fabletics' jackets. And they were AWESOME.
($54.95 for VIP, Fabletics)
"The jacket is literally my favorite thing. I'd wear it all the time with anything, and it pulled the look together."
This jacket was great, but I would have gone a size up since it was pretty tight. It had a lot of stretch in it, which was good.
I'm wearing a medium, and I should have ordered a large. I do love black, so I could see this being in my closet ($39.95 for VIP, Fabletics).
I thought the pattern on this jacket was beautiful and understated, and something I could easily wear at the gym or going out shopping.
Since the jacket is thin, you could wear it during the summer without overheating, too.
Finally, we tried these post-workout dresses.
I'm in a size medium and Jess is in a 2X ($59.95 for VIP, Fabletics).
Jess wasn't a fan of the wrap element, since it didn't fall in the right place for her curvier figure.
"I loved the idea of the dress and it was comfy, but I didn't like how it hugged the belly area," Jess said.
"There was no hiding in this dress. I liked the concept. But I was confused: Are we supposed to work out in this dress?!"
I felt like the Greek Goddess of Netflix-binging in this dress. The silhouette was pretty, but I wasn't sure if I was supposed to wear this after the gym or for a quick Target run.
I probably would've gone a size down in this dress so it wasn't as baggy. However, it fit better in a straight-size than it did in plus-size, which isn't great.
If the same dress is going to be available in all sizes, I think it's important for the silhouette to hit the right places for each size.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Fabletics has some well-designed pieces that are only affordable if you're a VIP member. "If I needed to shop for workout clothes, this wouldn't be my first choice," Jess said.
We wished the prices were standard across the board, rather than requiring you to sign your life away to another subscription service.
"It was cool that they went high in sizing," Jess said. "But it was hard to know what was available in plus-size, since some straight-size models are wearing what's also available in larger sizes." Confusing!
From difficult site navigation to fixed body categories to subscriber-only savings, I think there are a lot of kinks to work out in the Fabletics world. The designs are cute, but the brand has room to improve.
After all, non-see-through leggings should be for everyone.
