I’ve been working out on the elliptical for a couple months now and it’s been hard to keep myself motivated. First, I gobbled up every single season of Alias and was super upset when it was over. Now, I’ve recently started watching Orange is the New Black, which I love.
I’m kind of sick of my workout clothes though, so after seeing a ton of ads for Fabletics I decided to try it out. I figured that even if I hated everything, I could share my review with you in case you were thinking about trying them too.
Fabletics is a membership-based online company where you fill out a lifestyle quiz and then are shown exercise outfits that you might like. When you are a VIP member (which is just a fancy way of saying a member), you get the outfits for a “discounted” price.
Most of my workout clothes are super old, with any new-ish ones coming from 5k races or Marshalls. According to all the buzz out there, Fabletics would not only be more stylish, but of a higher quality than I was used to – more like lululemon or Athletica.
I signed up for the membership, checked out the website and decided to order an exercise outfit set called the Apse. It was three pieces: a t-shirt, an exercise bra and a pair of cropped pants. My total cost was just under $40, which is probably equal to what I would pay at Marshalls for similar items.
Here’s how it looks on the model:
I wasn’t expecting the outfit to magically give me abs… but it would be pretty nice if it did!
My package arrived a few days after it shipped and unlike Stitch Fix, Wantable or Citrus Lane… they put absolutely no thought into their packaging. It was like I had ordered something from Gap or Old Navy.
Then, I tore open the clothes and tried them on.
The Samana Sports Bra
I love the orange color of the bra and the fact that the straps are adjustable. However, unless you have a super small chest, this bra isn’t holding ANYTHING still. I don’t even know why they bother to make this exercise bra in a size larger than extra small, because it’s pretty much worthless. However, when I run outside, I like to double-up on my exercise bras and this can work as one of my layers. I could also wear it around the house, as long as I don’t try to go up the stairs too quickly.
Havana Coverup
Instead of getting this in the white that is pictured, I chose the grey version of this top. In the picture, it appeared to be a soft cotton t-shirt with some runching by the shoulders. I liked the look of it and thought that I could even throw it on with a pair of shorts in the summer. Then, I saw it in person and realized it had an open back. Um…what the hell?! Yes, it’s soft. Yes, the grey is nice. But I wasn’t intending to show everyone my tattoo. I don’t know… is this top cute or just a little trashy? I probably wouldn’t leave the house without a tank top underneath… and I HATE having to wear more than one shirt in the summer (layering doesn’t work for me on 90 degree days).
Here’s the shirt over the orange bra:
And here is the back view. I mean, I guess it’s kind of sassy. Right? As an added bonus, here is the first glimpse the internet has ever gotten of one of my tattoos — not too bad looking for being 17 years old!
Zanzibar Crop
I was most excited about these pants. In the description they said that they were fitted through the hip area and loose through the legs. What they DIDN’T say is that they are also loose through the crotch area. Like MC Hammer loose. Even if I hike them up and fold them over, I could still fit a diaper under my pants.
Because that’s the look that every girl is going for.
In my imagination, these capris were going to be super flattering and soft. But in reality they are cheap, scratchy sweatpants. I’m going to throw them in the wash a few times to see if I can shrink them and soften them up, but right now I pretty much hate them.
In fact, I did a photo interpretive dance on how I feel about these pants. I call it, “What the heck is going on with my crotch?!”
So, the question I always ask myself… was this service worth the money?
NO.
I don’t think that the shirt, exercise bra and pants were worth the $40. I absolutely don’t think that they were worth the “true retail price” of $79.95. I could return them, but I’d have to pay a $6.95 restocking fee, so I might as well just keep them. It’s just sad to pay $40 for three totally cheap pieces that I could have bought from Walmart.
After I initially placed my order, I read some other reviews and a lot of people had issues when they tried to cancel their membership. If you don’t cancel promptly, they will continue charging you for every month. Since I pretty much disliked everything in my package, I called up about 15 minutes after it arrived in my mailbox to cancel.
Even though I had to call (they do not accept online cancellations) and listen to the entire customer service script, I was able to cancel in less than 5 minutes. Only time will tell if they try to charge my credit card next month. If they do, I’ll be sure to post an update.
Have you tried out Fabletics? Do you think $40 was a fair price for the outfit I received? Are you jealous of my diaper pants? Did you giggle a little at my interpretive dance photos?
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored by Fabletics and I paid for my purchase with my own hard-earned money. They did provide me with a special referral link, where if any of you signed up I’d earn credit towards my next purchase. I did NOT post the link or ANY links to their website because I would not recommend this company.
The shirt is cute, but those pants….you did give me a giggle.
Glad you giggled… because I was TOTALLY giggling at myself. =)
Well. . .I’m going to be honest and say that I’m not jealous of your MC Hammer pants. That would bother me, too. And it is so weird to me that they would not show you that the shirt is a cut-out one. You’d think that would be pretty important information. It’s cute but I probably wouldn’t wear it anywhere but inside my house (I’m Miss Modest) so the cuteness would be lost. I don’t think I’ll be trying out this company.
Maybe it could be a cute bathing suit coverup? I went back on the site and it looks like the link for the shirt was broken so it wasn’t showing the back of the shirt. If you checked another color, you could see the back though — I didn’t even THINK to check!
You know, I’m not even sorry that Fabletics sucked for you, because MY life is WAY better having you drop and MC Hammer reference and do an interpretive dance on a Monday. The only way it could improve is if you’d done a video. Just an FYI, Walmart carries a Danskin line now, and I’m in love with their black capri yoga pants. Also, I feel you on the sports bra. #bustygirlproblems.
I WAS thinking about doing a video… but I don’t have a video skillz man in MY house like you do. And WHY is it so hard to get a bra for a busty girl that actually WORKS?!?!
OMG sports bras for anyone over a B cup is HELL. You either continue to bounce around, have a uniboob or feel like your ribs are going to break under the extreme pressure.
I actually bought one of those expensive fancy sports bras from a high-end shop and it STILL doesn’t keep the ladies stationary. The only way I can comfortably run is if I use one mostly-fitting bra and then throw a lose one on top to hold in the over-spill!
LOL have you seen the infomercials for the Ahh Bra? I saw one at Walmart and I’m like, what crack are these people smoking?!?! There’s no way it’s supporting anything beyond an A cup. No joke it’s basically the same material as the top of opaque tights. Just thicker.
I think your dance photos made everyone’s Monday so there’s the silver lining. What a disappointing service. I love how honest you are about this kind of stuff, it’s nice to read a straightforward “this is how it is” review. The shirt is interesting… they should have shown a back view for something that unique.
Aww,thanks Jessy. You should have seen me thrashing around the room for the pictures. I think I scared Ollie for life. And I’m glad you like my honest reviews — I hate it when people always pretend EVERYTHING is better than sliced bread! I think that the website was malfunctioning when I bought the shirt — there is a small picture of the back on another color.
All of these kits are only every worth it if you like what they’re sending. If all 3 pieces had been to your satisfaction, $40 is totally worth it because a good sports bra costs more than that. T
That’s true… but they’re trying to position themselves as if they are a high-end brand similar to lululemon… and the quality is no where NEAR high-end! If even one or two of the pieces had been really awesome, I probably would have tried them again.
From the pictures, that looked awesome. And they go up to full-lady sizes, so I could wear them if I was going to play. I’m very sad that they were not up to expectations. I actually think that shirt is super awesome though. I love that you can show off your tat. The pants are defo not my style though. I’ll stick to my ridiculously expensive VS yoga pants.
Oooh, I have a pair of capri yoga pants from VS that I love! I have to say that the shirt is growing on me. =)
Hey Joules,
As a larger up-top girl (32H), I would totally recommend you go to Kohls and get a Glamorise bra. I used to double-up, and still bounce everywhere. These bras hold me in, five(!) clasps in the back, and you’re not going anywhere. I had to get mine online through Kohls, but free shipping if you send to store. A little pricey, so wait for one of those 30% off coupons if you can. http://www.kohls.com/product/prd-1489031/glamorise-bra-double-layer-custom-control-high-impact-sports-bra-1166-womens.jsp
Hi Christine – Thanks so much for the recommendation! A friend on instagram also recommended the “Panache” sports bra, so I’ll have to try them both out to see which one keeps my tata’s under control! =)