Two pieces caught my eye from Alala’s September product drop: the twist back tank and fractal tee, both in poseidon. I was a little unsure about how sizing would work out, but there’s only one way to find out!! Here’s a quick review of each.
Fractal tee in poseidon
The fractal tee has been a recurring style in Alala’s lineup for a couple seasons now. I thought it would be a versatile, laid back layer for fall. I love the new poseidon color–it’s a beautiful deep blue, as the name suggests.
I ordered the fractal tee in size XS. Some of Alala’s pieces run on the smaller side of XS, which is good for me since I often need an XXS (especially for tops). The fractal tee is also cut very loose through the body, which means that sizing doesn’t need to be exact anyway.
I like the fact that the fitted sleeves help balance the relaxed look of the loose-fitting body. As is the case with many Alala styles, be aware that the sleeves are cut on the slim side. I tend to need a slimmer cut in the sleeves, so they fit me perfectly. The fabric is stretchy, though, so it shouldn’t be constricting unless you have ultra buff arms. :)
Speaking of sleeves, I also like the raw edge mesh at the cuffs. They echo the mesh insert on the upper back.
The hem is longer in the back, with a slight bit of contouring.
Oddly, the website lists the fractal tee as being made of polyester, but the tag on mine says tactel (which is a special type of nylon). It feels like tactel, so I’m guessing it’s just an error on Alala’s site. I love tactel, it’s really soft and comfy.
Overall, the fit on the fractal tee is a bit looser than I usually go for, but I’ve been liking looser silhouettes lately, especially paired with skinnies/leggings and ankle boots. So, I’m going to take a little bit of a risk and keep this one.
Twist back tank in poseidon
Next up, more poseidon! My tank collection has felt a bit plain lately, so I wanted to switch things up with a different style. This is definitely something totally different from the other tanks I own, and I also liked the idea of layering it over a long sleeve for colder weather.
The twist back tank is cut long, covering almost the whole bum. For me, it was a bit too long to wear with shorts and definitely looks better with crops/tights. I got the XS, again in hopes it would run a bit small and/or that the cut would work. This isn’t necessarily supposed to be a form-fitting top, but it’s definitely especially loose on me. If you take your normal size, it will probably look slightly more fitted on you, but still not skin tight. Contrary to my hopes, this style seems to run true to size in my opinion, not small.
You could theoretically wear it higher at the top of the hip, but this makes it pooch a bit and generally looked kind of funny on me. It seemed to stay in place well when worn long, though.
The twist back tank is made of a polyester blend. Normally I don’t love poly, but Alala’s poly is very soft–you wouldn’t guess it’s poly. Still, I wouldn’t have complained if this was tactel instead. :)
The armholes are cut generously and showed a bit of my energy bra.
The twist accent is layered over mesh at the back shoulders. The hood is a nice touch, too. I love the look of the tank from the back.
Unfortunately, something about the proportions just weren’t working for me. Although it looks great from the back, the front just looks off to me. The way it frames my bust and waist combined with the long fit creates a shape that I found a bit odd on me. When I laid this flat, I noticed that it is not nipped in at the waist at all, and instead widens toward the bottom to accommodate the hips due to the longer length. If a size down was available (i.e., my true size), I would definitely have tried that instead. On top of the odd proportions, it’s also very pricey for a tank (it costs more than the fractal tee!) so the pressure was on for this to be a “love” instead of “like”. Ultimately, I couldn’t see myself reaching for it, so this one will be going back. Ah, well.
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Thank you for doing this review! I have been wavering about what pieces from the fall collection to get. I actually really like that twist back tank on you! In fact, I just added it to my cart :) I like the fractal tee too. That poseidon color is gorgeous.
Heh thanks! I’m wearing my fractal tee today, loving it. :)
I actually think the tank is my fave on you! It makes me want it when the stock pic had skipping over to other styles. I like the look of the flyweight tee too online.
Thanks! :) I’ve always like the flyweight tee, too. If it comes in heathered grey again this season, I might order one…
I also love the twist tank on you! I will likely get it with a deeper discount though since I have been spending too much on Alala lately.
Yeah, it’s definitely one where a big sale would be reeeeally helpful! I think if I were to go back for it, I’d get the black, though.
Has anyone tried the flyweight hoodie? It looks a little on the short/small side to me, but it’s always hard to tell. Am thinking of trying it but not sure whether I should size up.
I actually tried the flyweight hoodie *ages* ago. It was my first Alala order from their very first collection a year and a half ago. I’m not sure if the pattern is still cut the same. At any rate, it did fit quite short on me but it was a little loose. So if you take your true size, it will probably be on the fitted side. In contrast, it looks like the model in this first pic has sized up once or maybe even twice: https://www.bandier.com/designers/alala/cold-weather-tight-black-soothing-sea That said, I’ve pretty shamelessly emailed Alala’s CS a few times asking for measurements, and they always are really helpful, so that’s always an option too!
Thanks so much for your reply. I’m seriously suffering from decision disorder! For me personally, the fit on that model you linked is too big around the hips. But I have bigger hips so maybe sizing up wouldn’t look so “big”. I usually take a small, but I have a medium sized frame/mesomorph build (def not an ectomorph) so if things are really slim fit or fitted, I size up. I just know it seems to be falling short on a lot of the models, and you recall it being short on you too, so I’m leaning toward sizing up at this point. But honestly I’m torn between the flyweight hoodie, or the twist back tank (which I would probably usually layer over a LS since I live in the North East and sleeveless items aren’t particularly practical for me in the fall/winter). I’m getting one of those, the shadow dolman hoodie and the infinity scarf. So it’s between the flyweight hoodie and the twist back tank at this point!
Well, if you get two sizes you can always just return the one that doesn’t work. It’s a little bit more of a hassle, but at least it’ll remove all doubt in your mind as to which size is best. :)
Also, Revolve clothing just uploaded some new Alala items and you can totally see the model’s underwear on the captain crop! http://www.revolveclothing.com/alala-captain-crop-tight-in-poseidon-blue/dp/ALAL-WM23/?d=Womens
Although I like the styles, I wasn’t comfortable with any of the leggings I saw, unfortunately. Some of them seemed pretty sheer.
Ack you’re totally right. :( The material used on those bottoms has been a bit hit-or-miss lately, so I haven’t been excited enough to order those lately. Too bad because there are some really nice colors out. :(