I bought two things from Lululemon this week out of curiosity.
The first is the Mesh with Me Long Sleeve. The fabric is mesh. And it's long sleeve. I can see this might work for warmer climates, but in my cold climate if it's cold enough to need long sleeves, I probably want something warmer than mesh. However, it was released in a beautiful, solid Cosmic Teal color. Lulu rarely offers long sleeve run tops in colors, and when they do, they are usually heathered or patterned. So basically I ordered this out of desperation for a long sleeve run top in a pretty color!
This one surprised me. It was love at first sight. Not only is the color gorgeous, but the detail on the back is just beautiful. It's intricately layered light mesh, with a reflective stripe in the middle. The rest of the fabric is a close-knit, heavier weight of mesh--definitely meant for cooler days. I ordered it in a size 8, my usual size for running tops because I like some room, and the fit was just beautiful. It is a bit stretchy and has a pretty drape to it, has a bit of a contoured rather than a straight fit, and just looks so pretty on. It has a nice long length, which I like in cool weather running. The other thing I love about it is that the sleeves are long enough that you can pull it completely over your hands. There are also inconspicuous reflective strips at the hem of the arms. This one's a keeper for sure. I can wear it now before it turns really cold as my only layer and can also wear it as a base layer when it gets cooler. This top reminds me of why I keep coming back to Lulu--beautiful design, quality details, high functionality, and looks great on.
PS: Apologies for these crappy pictures. I used a bunch of lights to try to get these to come out decent, but pictures I take inside just don't seem to be very good.
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| Mesh with Me Long Sleeve in Cosmic Teal (size 8) |
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| Sleeves are long enough to cover my whole hand. |
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| Side view showing curved hem. |
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| Back view |
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| Close up of back mesh detail. |
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Another view showing the fine mesh of the back detail, with heavier mesh
in the rest of the top. |
The second thing I ordered is the Turn Around Tight in Heathered Bordeaux Drama, which came out last year to rave reviews. It's made for cold-weather running with Rulu fabric. Rulu is Lulu's performance, sweatshirt-like material that most of the cold-weather running tops are made of. It's soft, warm, and cozy.
When I pulled them out of the bag, I couldn't wait to put them on. They are so soft! Once on, they were incredibly comfortable. They are definitely warm, and I can see them being good in cooler weather. They have a high, comfortable waistband and four waistband pockets (no zipper pocket). They also have the cute ruching at the ankle that Speed Tights have.
I got a size 6, which is what I wear in all Lulu tights, and they were true to size. They do not, however, have any compression. Lulu's Speed Tights are very slimming because they're so compressive. The Turn Around Tights are more WYSIWYG--you're letting it all hang out in these tights.
The other thing I didn't like is that there is no seaming on the butt--instead, it's just a wide expanse of fabric which, on me anyway, makes for a wide, expansive butt.
I could very slightly see my darker panties in a bend in regular light, but when I shined a light on me for try-on pictures, I could see the hang tag. I think the heathered fabric would disguise the slight sheerness in normal light, though.
I wear Speed Tights all fall and winter, and the Turn Around Tights just don't compare. First, the Luxtreme fabric of the Speed Tights help dispel snow and rain a bit. If you're out in the Turn Around Tights and it starts raining or snowing, you'd get pretty wet pretty quickly. Second, similar to the first, the soft Rulu fabric won't guard against cold wind. And third, I think I would feel a bit naked because these are so loose and not compressive. I do wear tights under a shell on the coldest days, and these would be good for that, but I can't justify the expense since I can just as easily wear my Speed Tights, which are much more versatile.
I do think that these would be good if you just want a warm, cozy, tight to wear out and about on cool days, but the Speed Tights have many more of the technical features I need for winter running. I returned these.
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| Turn Around Tights in Heathered Bordeaux Drama |
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| Side view showing side seams. |
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| Ruching detail at the ankle. |
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| Back view--hang tag shows. |
Labels: fit fashion, Fit Review, Lululemon
