I’ve said it many times before that I am the furthest thing from a fashionista on the planet but it seems that I have a developing fascination with activewear.  I was not going to try Fabletics, the subscription based women’s athletic clothing line designed by Kate Hudson, but Facebook kept offering me a 50% deal off my first outfit, so I caved.  Just so you know, this post is not sponsored, these are my opinions only.

Fabletics, Kate Hudson, women's activewear

 

If you haven’t heard about Fabletics, it’s the brainchild of the JustFab group to bring affordable, stylish workout gear via monthly subscription.

How it Works:

1.  Fill out a Lifestyle Quiz – The answers you provide to the activities you enjoy, workouts you do most often and styles of activewear you normally wear will help personalize your monthly outfits.

2.  Fabletics chooses outfits (tops, bottoms and/or accessories) just for you.  There are 2 levels of membership available.

  • If you are a Regular Member, you can choose what you want and shop whenever you like.
  • If you are a VIP Member*, you are offered complete outfits on a monthly basis that start at $49.95 (which qualifies for free shipping), 20% off individual items and Reward Points for purchases and referrals.

*VIP Membership is available to everyone and you can convert to VIP Membership from Regular at any time.

3.  Monthly VIP Outfits:  If you are a VIP Member you will be notified on the 1st of the month about your customized outfit options (chosen by Fabletics based on your lifestyle quiz answers).

You then have one of the following options that must be envoked by the 10th of the month or you will be charged $49.95 to be used as a future credit:

  • You can choose one of the special outfits chosen by Fabletics beginning at $49.95 and it will be sent to you with free shipping.
  • You can choose another combination of tops, bottoms, and/or accessories.  If the items chosen are less than $49.95, a $4.95 shipping fee will be incurred.
  • You can skip buying any product that month with the click of a button.

 

What to Choose – VIP or Regular Membership?

Since it was free, easy to cancel and allowed me a skip a month without penalty or payment (which seems to be different than other monthly subscription services), I chose the VIP Membership.  Here’s an example of the email I received about the Fabletics chosen outfit options for December:

Fabletics, December, VIP

Fabletics December offerings via email.

 

What Can You Buy?

I had a hard time choosing what pieces to buy for my first outfit.  You can choose by activity, collection or by desired piece:

  • Tops: bras, tanks, short sleeve, long sleeve tops and jackets
  • Bottoms: short shorts, cycling shorts, running shorts, capris and full length
  • Accessories: scarves, yoga mat carriers, headbands, water bottles or bags

I’m sorry to say that I wasn’t overly impressed with either the styles, colors or options in any of the categories but here’s what I chose:

Top: “I Am Vibrant”.  Nearly all of the the tanks and tees were either very high necked and or lacked support for anyone with a bra size over an A or B cup.  I’m a D cup.

I Am Vibrant Jacket, Fabletics.com

I Am Vibrant JacketFabletics.com

Bottoms: “Camacan” Capris.  Since there are no specified petite options, I figured I couldn’t go wrong with capri pants.  Who am I kidding? All I ever wear are capri pants anyway so that’s really why I bought them.

Camacan capri pants, Fabletics.com

Camacan Capri pants. Fabletics.com

My First Package Review:

First, the shipment took a little longer than I expected but perhaps I’m an impatient New Yorker who has then been spoiled by Amazon Prime?  However, once the package did arrive, I couldn’t help but smile at the branding:

Fabletics

I like that Fabletics wants to deliver activewear that is fashionable, functional and appeals the frugal (like me) but it wasn’t a good sign that upon opening the package, I noticed that the black of the jacket and the capris had that sort-of purple faded look before even seeing a washing machine.  I wear a lot of black clothing and if the black is faded before I even wear the piece, I wonder about the lifespan.

The Pros:

  • Very fashionable: Both the jacket and the capris are not run of the mill looks.

– The I Am Vibrant Jacket had thumbholes (which I love) and had snaps at the neck like well-known and coveted Lululemon vinyasa scarf.  The jacket is cotton T-shirt material.  This jacket is unlike any other jacket I’ve ever had before (more on this later).

– The Camacan Capris were a perfect length and the white panel stripe along the waist, lower back and outer thighs hid all of my trouble spots but made me look shapely.

Fabletics, fit, athletic wear

I even look like I have a butt in these capris

  • Motivational sayings on the tags:  There’s nothing wrong with a little smile inducement in unexpected places (but these do eventually get separated from the clothing).

Fabletics, fashion, athletic wear

  • Soft fabrics with well placed seams:   An annoying seam can make the difference between a purchase or a leave behind when purchasing any type of clothing in my universe.

The Cons:

  • Inferior fabric:  It’s obvious why this line is at a lower price point than other activewear just by examining the fabric.  The black color is already faded and the stretch potential is weak.  I can tell that once I wear the capris a few times that the fit will change.
  • Who knew you needed directions to put on clothing?  When I opened the I Am Vibrant Jacket, I was very confused.  There was nothing on the description of the item that told me that it was convertible.

Upon receiving the jacket, I went back to the website to see if I could find information on how to wear it but the item had been removed (sold out?  new month?  I’m not sure).

I even went as far at to search for a YouTube video for help (yes, I needed that much help and often consult YouTube for instruction on minor things that most humans need no assistance with) to no avail.  Here’s what I think it’s supposed to look like:

Fabletics, I Am Vibrant, Jacket, athletic wear

Look at the jacket – long (L), open (top) and twisted (bottom) not at the fact that I look exhausted.

To sum up what I think about Fabletics, I’d say, “Meh”.  There’s potential – great styling, relatively decent pricing and they make it easy to buy (or skip a month) but in some ways the cons outweigh the pros.

Fabletics definitely needs to make some changes.  Perhaps if they increase item choices, alter some of the Tops styles, improve quality of fabric and provide more detail about each piece on the website, I’ll be more inclined to buy again.  The company just launched in October so perhaps there will be changes to come.

I skipped my December offering this month but I’m waiting to see what Fabletics offers for the New Year.  If you’re interested in checking Fabletics out for yourself, you can use this link (Disclaimer: For every 2 people who register for VIP Membership, Fabletics will provide me with one free outfit).

What is your favorite activewear?  What do you think about monthly subscription clothing or accessory services?