I got my bali breeze cool racerback from lulu and floral fade sonar capris from Athleta on the same day this week, and it totally worked out well that I tried them on together! ;) I’ll mostly talk about the capris in this post but I have a couple quick notes about the CRB later on in this post, too.
Athleta floral fade sonar capris
I have to admit, I’ve always been oddly resistant to buying Athleta. I had only tried on a couple things ages ago, but the fit was super wonky. Also, something about their product presentation and styling is missing some kind of “it” factor for me. I’m not sure why.
Anyway, Athleta’s floral fade sonar capris got a lot of love when they first came out a season or two or three ago, but at the time I didn’t really buy into the hype. The capris went on sale for Athleta’s semi-annual sale, and for whatever reason, I cracked. I ended up getting them for about $50. Score.
The color scheme is vibrant and gorgeous. It’s a perfect match for lulu’s bali breeze–love the combo! Besides bali, it’ll match almost every top in my closet, including most any shade of green, teal, blue, magenta, and purple.
I ordered these in an XXS, which fit basically the same as a lululemon size 2. The fit has a little bit of compression, firm enough to hold you in a little bit. The sonar capri is on the longer side for crops at 21.5″ (comparable to lulu’s inspires). This inseam length can be problematic for me, and regular readers may remember me occasionally griping about gaping ankles, which is a serious crop pet peeve of mine. No issues with that on these, huzzah!
The rise is a hair lower than most of my other crops, but I don’t find it too low. There is a continuous drawcord in the waist and a zip pocket (with reflective detail) at the back waist. The top inch or so of the waistband has an extra layer of fabric plus the drawcord, so that makes it a bit thicker and sturdier there.
The material is polyester/spandex, no nylon. Fortunately, they’re lined with a layer of white fabric on the inside, so they aren’t sheer. They do fade when they’re stretched (at the knees/butt when you bend), but it’s not too noticeable and not a deal breaker for me. As you can see in the pics, there’s no noticeable pattern fading across the bum when you stand normally, it just happens in a squat or bend. The material is a slicker fabrication that feels similar to lulu’s luxtreme.
I wore these to a workout already and they were great. My workout included 5x400M runs and a little bit of squat snatch work, and they did not need any adjusting. It was like 55 degrees outside (ugh, mornings) so I can’t speak to heat performance just yet.
Overall, I’m really happy with this buy. They’re gorgeous, fit well, and were a great price. Maybe this will start to chip away at my inexplicable Athleta bias. :)
Unfortunately, since I got these on clearance, this exact pair is no longer stocked on Athleta’s website. If you like what you see, you have a couple options: try the sonar capri in another color, get something else in floral fade (mostly swim at this point), or stalk a pair from good ol’ eBay.
Lululemon bali breeze cool racerback
Bali breeze is THE most wonderful color. I have no idea why I passed on the cool racerback the first time around last spring. This is one of those absolute LOVES, and I’m sure it will get a ton of mileage in my closet.
Besides the gorgeous shade, the fabric is really soft on this one, too, and it’s not thin enough to show your bra color underneath like some other recent colors. Definitely one of the best CRBs I’ve bought in a while!
If you haven’t already picked up a bali breeze CRB, I recommend this one for sure. It’s still in stock online here!
this outfit is so cute on you!!! :)
Aww thanks! :)
Looks good on you. I had purchased those Sonar capris a couple month back but ended up returning, not sure exactly what I didn’t like about them. I think they were a little thick for me or created too much muffin top. Love the colors.
Yeah the lower rise is definitely more prone to squishing things into a bit of a muffin, I’ve noticed.
Love this outfit!! I feel the same about Athleta, but maybe I’ll try something from the sale. Thanks for sharing!
I’m glad! I hope you have good luck if you snag something!
So glad you reviewed those capris because I’ve been eyeing them in sapphire, which unfortunately, haven’t been discounted. There’s a new Athleta opening close to me, so at least now I can buy and return with ease…
The sapphire is gorgeous! At least at full price they’re still not *too* bad–much cheaper than inspires.
Thanks for the review – loving the whole ensemble! I got the bali breeze CRB too and agree with you that it is one of the best CRBs I own. (The Clarity Yellow one is similarly awesome)
I feel like a lot of the CRBs lately have been “likes” instead of “loves” so I’m glad this one was a hit. :)
Those colors are gorgeous! My Athleta purchases vary so much by season. Last year they had a lot of running skirts that I bought and loved. This year there hasn’t really been much I like. I think in general I like them more for casual wear (dresses, skirts, light layers) than workout gear.
Thanks! Maybe this year I’ll try some of their sweaters/cashmere layers…
FYI, Athleta sent me a further mark down notification email this morning. The Floral Flow Chats are now down to $33.99. I think I might snag a pair to see how I like them.
Wow that’s an awesome price!
Great combo!
Thanks! :)
Now that you’ve had these a while, what are you thoughts on the sonar crops? Do you reach for them often? How do they hold up in a workout? I saw a pair in poshmark that I’m debating :) Thanks!
I hope my response isn’t too late… I have a *lot* of crops at this point, but I reach for these about an average amount. So, not a ton more than other pairs but also not a ton less. They still look great! I’m happy with them, and if you like the price on Posh I would say go for it!