For warm weather running, I like knee-length crops. I've come to find the side pockets in Lululemon's running bottoms a must for carrying gels for long runs, tissues pretty much all the time since my eyes water, and sunglasses for when I need them. Lululemon hasn't come out with a knee-length running crop with side pockets yet, but Athleta has: the Be Free Knicker ($59). I ordered them in Granite Grey in size small, my usual Athleta pant size.
My first impression was a huge "Wow!" for how soft they are. They are the softest performance bottoms I have, hands down. And it's just a mix of poly and Lycra Spandex, so go figure. The fabric is"unstinkable," which is a huge plus. The fit was true to size. The fabric is compressive but not heavy, so it will be perfect for summer. (Note: These aren't the best pictures because of the way the sun was shining.)
The waistband is wide and comes to just above my belly button. There is also a continuous drawstring in the waistband.
I love the placement of the side pockets. They are higher up on the hip than Lululemon's side pockets, which unfortunately fall at the widest part of the thigh.
Here's a shot of the back pocket.
The only bad part about these knickers is the length. The product photos showed these coming to just past the knee, but you can see in the pictures that I had to bunch them up to get them to that length. Here's a shot of the one leg all the way down--it goes quite a bit past the knee.
Here's a close-up of how much I have to bunch up the fabric to make it knee-length.
I exchanged these for a size small petite, which is one inch shorter. I'll see if that helps when I get them in a few days. Other than that, I really love these.
I also ordered the Extra Long Chi Tank in Amalfi Blue. I love the bum-covering length, and it's very soft and also made of unstinkable fabric, so it's great for running. Also in this shot you can see the mesh at the back of the leg.
I also like this tank for layering. While I'm not a huge dark/royal/navy blue fan, this color will go great with a lot of lighter color tanks I have, like the Lululemon Clear Mint Cool Racerback I'm wearing here or coral, green, teal, even hot pink.
I need a lightweight water-resistant running rain jacket for spring and summer so was excited to see the new Spritz Run Jacket from Athleta and ordered it in Pale Cactus in size small. The fit was okay everywhere except the hip, where it was very tight. Also, it was very short. While my tank is an extra-long length, you can see how short the jacket is here.
The part that isn't see-through at the bottom is because of the two side pockets, which are open and don't close.
Here is a side view showing the attached hood up.
There is also a back zippered pocket to keep things or to stash the jacket into when not in use, but I forgot to take a picture of it.
Here's a close-up of the gathered arm opening, which is a nice detail.
As you can see, this is not a flattering jacket. It is boxy and short. However, I've looked everywhere for something like this, and the price was decent. It is originally $98, but I got it at a discount because I used $60 in rewards toward my order. So I exchanged it for a size medium. My guess is that it will be even boxier, but if it's longer, I'll keep it. If not, I'll send it back and buy the Brooks jacket I was considering as a second option. I'll post a review of the medium when I get it in a few days. Good thing there is no rain in the forecast for the next few days!
And finally, here's a shot of one of my cats, Rasputin, who always "helps" me when I take try-on photos. He's enjoying the sunlight today.
Labels: athleta, Beyond Lululemon, Fit Review, workout outfits
