First Try For Athleta!

I finally made my first purchase at Athleta on Saturday!  I have to be honest, I actually was never impressed by Athleta's designs before.  All the tie dye and tribal print type of stuff just really aren't my thing at all.  At least, that's all I saw every time I walked into that store before... which always led to me leaving there within a couple minutes at the most.  But I think they have definitely kicked up their designs a notch lately and I actually like some of the newest items!

I had almost ordered their Plaid Chaturanga capri online when I first saw them a couple weeks ago.  But I didn't know what size to order so I decided to wait till I got to a store.  Well, I'm glad I did that, because I would have ordered a size XS if I had to guess.  But I tried XS on in the store and they are so loose!  So I had to size down to XXS.  Sounds really tiny but trust me, it ain't me, it's them lol.  They run a full size bigger.  I did try on some other tights when I was there though, and the XS seemed to be ok so I think it's just this Chaturanga style that runs big.

I got them in iris purple/black combo.  I love this print!  It's got black, darker gray, lighter gray and dark purple.  I love that it is a pattern that still can be a neutral.  I have so many things that can go with them.  They are a bit different and eye-catching, but still subtle enough to not look like a crazy 80s chick.  Not that there's anything wrong with that!  Hehe.  But you know, sometimes you just want to lay low(er).

They also come in emerald green which is definitely more out-there.  But still not super crazy.  I actually like them too, but they didn't have my size in those in store or online anymore.

Anyway, the material is quite soft in these.  They kind of remind me of a thinner version of the material Beyond Yoga uses in their leggings which is so nice.  But I was surprised to read that they are made of recycled polyester, as well as lycra spandex.  They really don't have that slick and silky polyester feel at all.  They actually feel quite earthy.  I would have guessed some kind of cotton or natural fiber for sure.

I worked out in them already!  I did my normal weights and MIIT cardio workout in them.  They stayed in place perfectly the whole time, and they didn't show sweat at all.  They are on the thinner side, but not sheer when you bend over.  I guess the pattern also helps to disguise any sheerness anyway.  But they are not really meant to compress.  You can deduce from the name "Chaturanga" that they are meant for yoga or other types of low impact activities.  I guess that's why they are only $59!  I think that's a super good price and would definitely get another pair if a cool pattern comes out again in the future. 

Here they are on me!  You can see here on the first picture that from a distance the pattern is really quite subtle:

Love the super wide waistband:

There's a hidden pocket on the inner right hand side of the waistband.  It's wide enough to fit my iPhone 5.  But the phone sticks out a little on top.  Not a big deal.  

You can also see the inner side of the material in the above pic, as well as the flat locked seams.  They have a triangular gusset which I did not take a picture of.

The other item I got from Athleta was this Namaste Seamless bra, in mint green/aqua blue heather.  It comes in a bunch of colors, so I just picked the one I didn't already have.  Though I really like the black/gray one and the red/gray one.

 

This bra has a cute back!  I like that there are two different colors in the straps which will peak out from under tanks.  I got it in size XS.  It looked tiny at first, but it's actually feels looser on than you would think.  It's very low support.  It feels like not having a bra on at all.  I'm not sure I like that.  I feel very insecure in it lol.  They are padded but there's no removable cups.

While I think it's a cute design, I think the price of $44 is high for this bra.  I rather like the seamless bras from Victoria's Secret (supermodel cami bra), and those are 2 for $49 regularly, but go on sale frequently for less.  They offer more support and shaping for a cheaper price so it's kind of a no-brainer.  I think I will return this bra to Athleta and save my pennies.  I hear they have a great return policy.

I just can't get over how this bra makes my boobs look uneven due to different position of my arms... LOL!  That's kind of unacceptable!  It's like the right one (in the pic) is about to go take a walk the other direction...

I'm also not too crazy about the puckering in front of the bra.  It will not look smooth under tanks.  

Anyway, happy I got the crops though!  I will have to keep my eye open for more designs in the future.