Before you get upset at the thought of another rant post against the Cool Racerback II, I need to let you know ahead of time (so that you will keep reading) that I have more good things to say about the Cool Racerback II having tried it on than negative. Or maybe it’s equally positive and negative. Either way I promise you it’s a balanced review and not ranting. I was surprised and actually delighted by certain changes that I hadn’t seen mentioned anywhere else about the new Cool Racerback II. I went in prepared for the price increase but I actually gasped when it rang up at $58.24. That takes the CRB II from being a collectible easy monthly purchase to a very occasional and infrequent indulgence. The price difference isn’t so huge that it makes that much difference to the bottom line at the end of the year – it’s not even adding up to an entire CRB, so why would it change my shopping habit so drastically? Psychologically that is a big jump for a consumer. It makes me pause and wonder what more substantial purchases I could have made with that amount.  

Cool Racerback II – Super Purple

Super Purple is gorgeous but it’s too close to my original Cool Racerback in Power Purple so I didn’t feel too tempted. It’s a actually a blend between Bruised Berry and Power Purple. This is my TTS 10 and it fits much more relaxed around the middle than my original Cool Racerbacks. The Original is form fitting around the middle and much longer so the widest part hits lower on your hips. This version feels looser around the middle and hits higher up on my hips while not feeling too short. The higher neckline on this was a neutral change for me since I didn’t mind the original neckline and I don’t mind this higher neckline. The neckline actually reminds me a lot of the Modern Racerback Tank (Pima Cotton).

I’m sorry, I still really hate the back. The racerback seems unbalanced with the really thick ‘t’ and the thinner stem. I hate how much of my shoulder blades are exposed. The original comes up to just below my armpit and covers my wings. 

Cool Racerback II Hounds Camo

I tried on the Hounds Camo print in store and was surprised that it didn’t feel as hot as all my other print Cool Racerbacks. In fact, it felt really cottony and not polyestery at all which is what EVERY printed Cool Racerback has ever been. This was the most delightful update for the CRB II. It is actually a regular knit luon without any polyester print!!

Here you can see the reverse side of the print and it’s actually purple, and matte! It’s a knit luon and not a smooth plasticy polyester!

Another difference I haven’t seen mentioned anywhere is the seam detailing around the neckline. It’s actually a quite flattering double hem. 

Another one of my concerns was the ‘v’ seam in the back. This post [here] shows the stitching at the point is quite bulky but the one I saw in store today was pretty flat. You can also see the luon here and how matte and soft it is. It’s 92% Nylon/8% Lycra.

Detail look at the finishing at the neckline.

 Original Power Purple Cool Racerback overtop of the new Cool Racerback II Hounds Camo. You can see it’s actually quite a bit wider in the torso than the original. I was surprised at how much.