The past month has been a little unpredictable; with two last minute trips, a newborn, a coaching husband and Arizona on the horizon, life has been a little busy.  Now I am back chilling in Cardston with my smiling 10 week old trying to get into some kind of routine; which brings me to this post. I am so excited to finally be writing this post. People say blog what you are passionate about, and today I am going to get really specific.

I  love Lululemon Athletica.

I started dancing when I was very young and have always led an active lifestyle. I had been begging for Lululemon since the fifth grade and received my very first outfit when I was in eighth grade. It was love at first sight. I have continued to acquire Lululemon throughout the years and have never (I repeat NEVER) have been disappointed in the product. Men – if you buy Lululemon for your significant others, not only will you enjoy the view, but your woman will love you so good.

Now my Lululemon obsession got me thinking one day, is there any other athletic brand out there even worth trying? Could another brand even compare? Well friends, that is the question I am putting to the test. I decided to start with Fabletics. Fabletics is an althetic wear company that was co-founded by Kate Hudson. (How can you not love Kate?)

This was the outfit that I chose to review: (The capris were a little different but very similar.)

I decided to rate the product in four  different areas; all areas in which I would give lululemon a whopping five stars, and this is what I concluded:

Style: 3/5

I understand that style is a subjective area to judge. The way I quantified it was by asking the question: What percentage of the products available intrigue me enough to wear/purchase them. In Fabletics’ case it was about 60%. I absolutely love some of their clothing from Louis Tomlinson Merch Shop, but there is a lot that I find too crazy and young for my personal tastes – somewhat like the spandex you might find on a junior high volleyball court.

Quality: 1/5

The quality unfortunately scored the lowest. The minute tried on my capris I could feel that the fabric was thinner and rougher than the luon that I love so much. The inside seams of the pant also scratched my skin. I  felt that the sports bra stretched out rather quickly and the top I tried was nice, but just that. None of the products I tried impressed me quality wise.

Price: 5/5

The prices for Fabletics are amazing! You can buy an entire outfit for the cost of one pair of pants at Lululemon. Why would I give a Lululemon a five you might ask? Because I feel the price tag matches the quality. I still wear lululemon from 10 years ago! The same was with Fabletics – the price matched the quality. So if you’re one that likes to purchase athletic wear often, Fabletics would be a great brand for you! (I feel this way about shoes: I’m more about the quantity than the quality and buy my shoes on the cheaper side.)

Overall Experience: 2.5/5

This is my “any additional comments”  category where I can rave or whine about the overall experience. In Fabletics case I felt like I needed to mention their VIP pricing set up. In order to receive VIP pricing you have to create an account. This usually is no big deal for me, however if you are Fabletics VIP you are expected to purchase an outfit every month. And if you forget to “skip the month” (because there is never an obligation to buy blah blah blah) then your credit card will be charged $40 and you will be given a credit to purchase your Fabletics outfit later. If you do remember to skip the month, you have to do it within the first five days. Then and only then will your credit card not be charged. JustFab (shoes & bags) is set up the exactly the same way.  I am not a fan of how these websites are set up.

Moving on to my physical experience, when I work out I like to feel like Wonder Woman, like I can do really hard things. While wearing Fabletics I felt good, but it didn’t have the *innovation I was hoping for. There was a small pocket in the waist band, which was great; however, nothing in the clothing enhanced my exercise experience.

I rated Fabletics a 2.5 because its products serve their purpose, but I do not like the payment method, and it simply did not go the extra mile I feel that some other brands do.

Fabletics earned an overall score of 2.9/5. I’d summarize it to be a satisfactory product with awesome prices. This is of course just an opinion. Im trying out other athletic brands to possibly neutralize my Lulu bias. It is also a super fun way to work towards my pre-pregnacy shape!

I’m excited to keep trying other brands, if you have any brand suggestions I’d be happy to hear them as I continue to review athletic wear!

Thanks for stopping by!

JC

* The innovation I am referring too is the unforeseen functionality of Lululemon wear. The hidden pocket you never knew you needed until it was there. The meshy and breathable fabric in all the right places. The humorous description of product highlights on the price tags. The welcoming feeling when you walk into the store. The self-love and fitness promoting sayings that are woven into their branding make you feel that although it has been awhile, you can jump right back in where you started. Not to mention how sexy you feel while wearing Lululemon. There are designs that flatter all body types etc. etc. etc. I could go on forever etc…