Alala’s captain tights have been a staple in my workout wardrobe for years. In fact, one of my first Alala purchases ever was a pair of captain crops way back in 2014. The design is understated yet incredibly effective.
A couple years ago, Alala debuted a new compression fabric, and I was immediately in love. But the compression fabric never made its way onto a pair of captain tights, til this fall. On top of that, the new captain compression tights are made in a 7/8 length. These pants are basically my entire wishlist all rolled into one. Here’s all the details.
Disclaimer: these tights were complimentary from Alala. All opinions are my own.
The compression fabric is the same as Alala’s siren tights and heroine tights, both of which I’ve written about previously and still love. The fabric also happens to be recycled, which is a nice plus.
These tights are particularly well-suited to high-impact activities. The compressive, slick-faced fabric holds everything in place and resists pilling. The fabric is also 100% opaque, which is something I can be pretty picky about. No matter how you bend, you won’t see anything through them.
I tested these out on a 6-mile run and they passed the test with ease. I like a bit of compression for runs over 5 miles or so, and these delivered. Personally, I wouldn’t wear them for things like yoga, since I prefer softer, less compressive tights for flexibility.
I have quite a few pairs of captain tights and crops in my collection. The compression captains have a few key differences to point out.
The biggest difference is that compared to other captains, these run small. I’m wearing a size XS, but they fit more like XXS. I recommend going up a full size. Sizing runs the same as Alala’s siren and heroine tights in my opinion.
In addition to the overall sizing, the rise on these is significantly higher. The rise just covers my belly button, while my other captains hit right below. By my measurement, the new rise is 1.5″ higher than the rise on other captains.
Another difference in fit is the inseam length. These are 7/8 length, about 2″ shorter than the full length captain tights. If you look at this photo of me wearing another pair of captains, you can see there’s some wrinkling due to a bit of excess fabric at the ankle. In this photo set, you can see the 7/8 length skims the top of my ankle with basically no bunching. (I am 5’3″.)
As for other features, the regular captain tights have a tiny strip of reflective material right where the waistband seam meets the main part of the pants. The compression tights don’t have this feature. Another feature that isn’t included in the compression tights is the zippered rear pocket. The only pocket is one slit key pocket in the front right waistband.
Overall, these tights are a solid addition to my wardrobe and the epitome of style and function and I would absolutely recommend giving them a shot for your high-performance workout needs.
By the way, Alala’s Black Friday sale has already started! If you don’t want to pay full price, now is the perfect time to grab a pair. Alala’s promo is a tiered structure ranging from 25-50% off depending on your total order value. Use code BLACKOUT at checkout.
Outfit details
Alala compression captain 7/8 tights
Alala rally hoodie – past season, similar styles here or here
New Balance Vongo v4
I just discovered this blog and absolutely LOVE it! Thank you for your sincerely honest opinions and the heads’-ups on these styles! Some backstory: after having had a (somewhat) sickly early childhood (a lot of allergy and asthma-related issues), I (luckily) grew out of it and gained strength through youth sports and gymnastics I did from the ages of 6 to 18. So, I am VERY pro-active about my health as I approach 35 (even though I fully embrace my curves: I do hate having stubborn backfat and a pear/leg-heavy frame — sigh!).
Anyway, my own “checkmarks” for leggings and/or a winning activewear pant MUST include:
1. no see-through
2. flat and wide high-rise waistband (being 5′ 7″ and a sz
10)
3. ankle length (unless I’m just crazy about the pros of
the rest of something I’m in favor of trying)
4. no darting seams across the hip or inner thigh areas
5. a neutral/”fashion friendly” print/color (*especially*: if
I REALLY love a particular pair at an $80-above price
tag and have to justify splurging for them to myself —
haha!) I feel I can also just casually wear daily without
strangers thinking I came from Cirqué du Soleil (lol).
I know this is totally late, but I agree that: these black and mesh Alalas are everything rolled into one activewear pant anyone could hope for!
Thank you!
Welcome, I’m so glad you’re here, and enjoying reading your comments. :) I’ve been writing and reviewing workout leggings (etc) for 7+ years now, and I’ve definitely gotten pretty darn picky too. It helps that I’m a lot older now too (I started this blog when I was only 24, yikes!), so my taste has certainly changed over the years in plenty of ways. I like your list–it’s really good to have those criteria so you don’t end up making purchases you regret later. Thanks again for reading!
Oh, you’re so sweet for saying that! Thanks for the reply! Born-and-bred Jersey Girl (still living there). We have “the Shore”, but I’ve always liked Fall (as well as the Spring) better…aaannnddd: my cool(er) weather wardrobe is now to the front of my closet ready for the season. I really have to start getting rid of, LOL!, like multiple pairs of cheap black leggings just taking up space EVERYWHERE (either turning see-through from years of laundering or they’re badly pilled at this point) that are too worn to use (even as pajamas!) anymore.