When I was in Salt Lake City, I stopped into the Albion store. I didn't have as much time as I'd have liked because my husband was waiting for me outside, and I was also tired from all-day sightseeing and not in the mood to try a lot on.
Albion's big print for the fall is Slate Antigua, which is available in leggings, crops, shorts, bras, and jackets.
Suzanne at Agent Athletica had tried the leggings and noted the white areas were a bit sheer in her usual size in deep bends, so I tried them on in a size medium. I found them opaque in medium. The medium was not too big on me, but I didn't do squats to check that the waistband wouldn't slide down in workouts, which happens frequently on leggings that I get in a size up. I didn't try on the size small to compare.
As with most printed bottoms, the fabric had a slicker instead of a cottony feel, though it wasn't super slick. I did feel the fabric of the jacket in the same print, and the jacket was super slick. I do really like the print, but I am a little print-shy. So, I passed on the bottoms for now, though I will look out for these if Albion has a sale or a free-ship promotion. I should note that Albion's prices are very reasonable compared to their higher-priced competitors. Leggings are $78 and crops are $68.
Two tops caught my eye, though, and they were so reasonably priced I ended up getting both. I didn't realize it when I got them, but they are actually the same top--the Go Long Crew, which is a to-and-fro piece. I didn't realize the tops were the same because the fabric of both is so different.
The first I got is Sweet Stripe ($38), which has fine black lines on white. The fabric is midweight. I have worn it countless times since I got it because it's perfect as the only layer on cool days or under a heavier layer on cooler days. I wear a lot of white tops, so I like that this is a little more interesting version of a plain white top, and it goes with pretty much everything. I got a size medium, and it's nice and slouchy. The stretchiness lets me easily bunch it up a bit on my hips. It's extremely comfortable. It also looks good with jeans. The neck is wide and will reveal bra or tank straps, though I like that look. The only thing I don't love about it is the thumbholes. They remain open wide when not in use and are in an obvious spot, so they're not ideal when I don't need them.
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| Obvious thumbhole at left. |
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| Using the thumbholes. With the fabric pulled down and not bunched up. |
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| I think the slouchy look is much better. |
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| Here you can see the wide neck at the top. |
The other version I got is Cool Mint ($28). This fabric is completely different! It is very lightweight, very slightly sheer, and super, super soft. It's also extremely stretchy and is longer than the Sweet Stripe fabric. The fabric is a bit clingy, though. If you want to hide muffin top, belly bloat, or even a pants drawstring, this is not the best fabric. It seems to have a bit more of a dolman sleeve than the Sweet Stripe fabric, though maybe that's because the Cool Mint is stretchier. It is very, very comfortable and looks great with a tank underneath. I wore this out to dinner a few hours after I got it and have worn it many times since. It's another top that's great as a lightweight top layer. My only concern is that because it's so soft, it might pill, but it hasn't yet and I've washed it many times. The Cool Mint is a very pretty minty green. The top also comes in a very light pink. And a bonus of both tops is that the logo is embroidered at the hem of the arm and looks classy and doesn't really stand out.
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You can see the top of my crops under the fabric, which shows how revealing it is.
Also, spoiler alert--these are my new Fabletics crops I'll be reviewing soon! |
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| Showing the dolman sleeve |
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| The Cool Mint fabric stretched all the way down. |
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| Albion logo on the hem of the arm. |
Overall, I really liked both tops I got. They're great for layering as well as casual wear. The Slate Antigua leggings are on my wish list for now (they would look great with the Cool Mint top!). While Albion doesn't have a whole lot of offerings--their pieces seem split between swimwear and activewear--I'll be keeping an eye out for new releases.Labels: albion, confidence, Fit Review, performance review, review
