Part 2 of Mrs. O’s Athleta fit review! Mrs. O did a ton of fit reviews this week and I’ve broken them up into various posts. Huge thank you to her!! I love her feedback on items and we’ve become great shopping buddies.
Blossom Intuition 7/8 Tight
This is a powervita tight. I just noticed (while doing this fit review) that Athleta 7/8 tights fit like 7/8 tights on me. I’m 5’6″ and have short legs compared to my torso. And LLL’s 7/8 tights fit like full length tights unless I get them hemmed. This is a nice surprise. I also noticed unlike the pictures on the website, the tight I’m wearing doesn’t have any of the floral print on the back of the tight. That’s odd. It would have been nice to see the floral print from behind. Otherwise it just looks like another mesh black tight from the back. Maybe it was the pair I tried on. I liked the fit of the waist band. This is Athleta’s ultra high waist band but I didn’t think it was that high rise. It fit just below my bellybutton. Again, no roll down like some of the WUs I have. But I also did not bend over or try to imitate workout moves. I like the style of this tight but again my hesitation is the floral print. I know a lot of you ladies will like the floral print, which is why I selected these to try on. This tight is a no for me but if there is a similarly styled tight, I will try them on. One thing I do have to comment on is that the mesh on the tights I tried on seemed a little delicate to me. I was afraid to pull up the tight from the mesh to adjust the fit. I don’t worry about LLL’s mesh on tights.
Shadow Camo Relay 2.0 Capri
Of all the tights I tried on, this one is the most likely one I will purchase. I love camo prints. This tight had two side leg pockets and one back zippered pocket. It also had reflective details. This tight is also made out of recycled polyester. I didn’t feel as hot as the other tights of the same material because of the mesh ventilation behind the knees and it’s capri length. There is a seam along the bottom of the pant leg. I know some of you have commented that it is a bit tight around larger calves. I’ve always believed I have large calves but I didn’t feel like the bottom cuff of the capri was tight at all. The waist band was very comfortable and fell slightly below my belly button. I will likely buy these tights and try them out for a workout. I do love Athleta’s guarantee. You can work out in their gear and if it doesn’t work for you, you can return it. I’ve been able to do the same thing at LLL but I think it depends on your store (and I do go in often and spend way too much money). But with Athleta, you know it won’t be a hit or miss thing depending on the store you go to. That is a great guarantee and the fact that you can return sale items unless marked as final sale. This tight is a buy for me and will allow me to get over my bias and give Athleta a chance. LOL, I just wish I found a pair of tights in a pretty bright color!
Tropical Precision 7/8 Ankle Tight
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20 comments
You look fabulous in the Camo tight, for sure!
I agree about the third one, it’s flat-out awful, and the seam across your butt cheeks makes it seem like you have double-butt or weird VPL or something like that.
I just don’t understand the designers. I guess in theory it was a good idea. But in reality, absolutely horrible. Not even the models could pull it off. That says something.
I’m still debating between the camo tight and the mauve tight. I’ve been on a shopping spree at Nordstrom, Blommingdales, Artizia and Lululemon. My poor wallet needs a break. I’ll probably pull the trigger on one of those tights at the end of the month.
I agree about the Tropical tight. I actually returned mine as well! The back side made my butt look flat and weird. I did pick up the Blossom intuition tight and bra and absolutely love it. The powervita line is amazing and i will continue to scope out items with that material. thank you for the review!
The tropical tight had a lot of potential but no one wants a flat and wide butt! I liked the blossom tight but it’s not something I would wear often. I really love seeing floral prints on others. For some reason, I feel like I can’t pull it off. I’m really trying to find something in the powervita line to try. I do like the fabric.
My favorite and most worn Powervita leggings are a “boring” navy blue. Would you consider giving one of the solid colors a try? They go with everything, you don’t have to worry about unflattering pattern placement (those last ones – YIKES) and you’ll be able to get plenty of wear from them down the line since they don’t scream Summer 2017.
I have to say though, while I have some Athleta pieces that I love (the Powervita leggings, the Finish Fast line, a few super breathable running tanks, a bunch of their winter gear), I’ve found them overall to be much less consistent than Lulu. Quite a few of the items that I’ve returned have felt like something you’d pick up on the clearance rack at TJ Maxx – cheap feeling fabric, scratchy mesh, ridiculously unbreathable running tights etc. With Lulu, even some of the “bad” items I’ve picked up on WMTM have been decent and always a step above the RBX/Marika stuff. That being said, with their guarantee Athleta makes returns painless, which is great, but I’d definitely spend much more with them if getting a high quality item was less of a crapshoot.
Yes, my inclination is to go with the camo (dark enough and the pattern isn’t that obvious) or the navy or mauve (probably mauve because the color is so nice) mesh shine salutation tights. But you have made a very good suggestion. Because the plain ones lack detailing, it would be an unfettered test of the powervita fabric. I think I should get the plain tight. Probably in black. Then, I’ll likely grab it more often. Thanks for the suggestion, Olga!
I’m the same. I wear my Navy or plain black powervita leggings on a regular basis. So much so, that I considered buying a second pair of Navy ones recently….super boring, but I LOVE them!
I also noticed that about the blossom intuitions in store. The black floral pattern was solid black on the back. I was drawn to the white floral. I’m just not sure the color blocked look is one I’d wear a lot. But I did notice that the white floral has some of the black floral fabric on the back. When I went back to look again online, I realized the back view photo that makes the black floral look like it has some floral on the back, is actually a back view of the white print. You can kind of see the white fabric on her thigh area. It’s misleading I think.
I’m on the fence about the two floral choices. It would’ve been easy if the black pair had some floral on both sides.
Thanks for figuring out the back floral pattern issue! I didn’t notice it in the store and when I went home to do the fit review, I noticed online there was floral on the back but not my pictures.
If anyone is interested, K-Deer is having 40% off certain items. I believe the sale is on for one more day.
https://www.k-deer.com/
Man this website takes a long time to load, no matter what device I am on. My estimation is that the page content is way too rich. As someone mentioned before, the link for comments also does not take you to the bottom, last one. Takes forever to load and brings you to the top, first one.
I’m so sorry the load time is slow for you. I’ve had all the photos on my site compressed to address the rich content and I’m showing a 13.32 page load. I think if you clear your cookies and then enter in my blog name into your browser you will get the new compressed version.
The comment issue the reader was having (I believe, but if I’m wrong please let me know) is because with the upload post I’m constantly editing that post with new images for about an hour so it shuffles you if you are in the middle of leaving comments. Same with very active posts with tons of comments – if a few are coming in at the same time that you are trying to leave a comment, it moves you.
I’m going to ‘purge cache’ to hopefully help refresh things for you but if you could clear your cookies that may also help your load speed.
Let me know if that helps or not.
I’ve also had it take forever to load and i’ve done all the clearing cache, entering blog name etc. Half the time I exit out and move on.
This comment is for Mrs. O. I love, love, love the Relay Capri. That is my favorite item that Athleta makes. I’m a long distance runner and these are what I wear. The compression is amazing and they never shift or move. As much as I like Lulu’s Pace Rival crops, I find I have to adjust them here and there. Especially in the beginning before I get sweaty. With the Relay Capri, I find once I have them on I forget about them and they don’t need any adjusting after that. I didn’t see the camo ones, I may need to grab those. They look really cute!
Thanks for the feedback. I’m leaning towards that one. And probably a plain powervita tight as Olga suggested.
You guys are great! I love the suggestions and further commentary on why you like certain Athleta pieces. It’s great that everyone on this blog is so supportive, honest and thoughtful with their personal views on the things we discuss. It’s all thanks to Cristina! She has done such a fantastic job on her blog. Her blog community is a reflection of the person she is.
Thank you for the reviews Mrs. O. You’ve hit two of the pants I’ve been considering. The Intuition does come in solid black (at least online). If they have either pair in store I’m going to check the mesh. I’ve sent a thumbnail through mesh before and really appreciate the heads up.
I agree with everyone else, you rock the camo pair! You have convinced my to try them on when I venture out to the mall tomorrow.
And I agree with Olga, I’m loving the Powervita fabric. It’s like a thicker, durable Nulu. They’re a little warm for me to wear outside in the summer, but definitely a fabric to keep Lulu on their toes. I have worn them for indoor running and they stay up just fine, yoga and pilates. My friend wears them as casual leggings too, but I still prefer the Aligns/Pushing Limits for that.
I love the Relay Capris for running, and I have also been able to wear them for multiple short runs without them bagging out. I have 2 pairs and love that I can order them in petite sizing (I’m 5’4″). Lulu Pace Rivals are too long for me. Shame they discontinued the Inspire Crop which was my go-to running crop. The Relay Capris, Powervita Abyss Mantra Capris and the Chaturanga indigo/white stripe crops are some of my favourites from Athleta. I also have a swimsuit from the sales which is super cute and doesn’t have to be adjusted all the time!
What size do you typically wear in LLL and how does the sizing in Athleta compare? I’m wanting to try them, but I’m unsure on fit.
I wear a 4 in LLL tights and an XS in Athleta. I would say that a 6-8 Lulu would be a Small.
I find Athleta’s sizing to be slightly generous.
I wear a 4 in LLL, which translates to an xs. But the xs is generous in sizing. I didn’t have any trouble pulling up compression tights. I suspect with the looser baggier styles, I might have to size down. Athleta’s size charts are accurate. If you’re in between sizes, I’d size down because the items stretch out. The Athleta sales girls constantly reminded me not to size up.
Oh one more thing. The sizing is fairly consistent no matter the type of item. Sometimes in LLL, I have to size up in jackets and LS because I have broad shoulders. I didn’t find that I had to do that with Athleta items.
Great fit review, Mrs. O! This was very helpful because Athleta doesn’t show as many stock photos for leggings (especially if you’re looking at a different color) compared to the Lulu website.
I ordered the Mesh Salutation 7/8 tight in Dusty Plum in size MP (medium petite). This is the first time that 7/8 leggings actually fit me like 7/8 leggings are supposed to! My Lulu Aligns and High Times fit me full length. I love my Aligns and High Times, but there’s still some slight bunching or looseness around the ankle for me.
The Salulations have similar compression to Aligns and Fullux High Times, so they’re perfect to wear to-and-from.
There is a shiny, Luxtreme-like material that wraps around the knees, which probably decrease the likelihood of pilling or snags if you do a lot of kneeling.
The Powervita fabric is a great Nulu dupe. The Salutations may potentially replace my Align Pants if Athleta puts out more colorful, solid hues. I’m in love with Athleta’s Dusty Plum color, especially because the Taryn Toomey Awakening tight in Misty Mauve didnt work out for me. The ruching on the Awakening tights looked bad on me because the, again, 7/8 Lulu tights tend to bunch/hang loosely around my ankles. I was torn returning them because I love Lulu’s Dusty Mauve hue, but these Dusty Plum Mesh Salulations are an even better replacement! I even got them with a 20% off discount for being a new customer.
Please continue to do more Athleta fit reviews! ☺️??
I’m 5’6″ and LLL 7/8 tights fit me like full length tights. And full length tights from LLL always gathers around the ankle for me so I have to get them hemmed. This was the first time 7/8 tights fit like 7/8 tights. They also have tall sizing which is great for those of you that have mile long legs (so envious of you!). The mauve color is a beautiful color.
I just wish the lighting in the fitting rooms was better. Because they place the lights on the mirrors (instead overhead) it’s hard to get bright pictures. So, the color in my pictures are not an accurate representation. For that, you will have to go to the website.
I’ll try to do as many Athleta fit reviews as I can, so long as Cristina is gracious enough to post them and the readers are interested.