I’ve written before about my love for Alala, and I’m excited to share details on another chunk of their fall collection in addition to my last review. The people at Alala were awesome enough to send me this outfit so I could try all of it out and let you lovely people know what I think. I wore each piece to my workouts this week to be sure it held up for a challenge beyond a quick try-on. I got the flash tee, victory bootcut pants, and toughie tank, which I’ll go over individually.
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, so I may receive a referral bonus for purchases made through some links in this post, although this does not change the price you pay.
The flash tee is a relaxed, long sleeve pullover with batwing sleeves. Box mesh accents curve around the front and back of the shoulder. The length is cropped, but not too cropped–it doesn’t show any midriff on me and skims right around the waistband (I am 5’3″). I like it layered over a long, tight-fitting tank–especially a bright one to make the mesh accents really pop–but I can also wear it just over a sports bra since the length isn’t too scandalous.
This tee is an ideal layering option for chilly runs, lifting days, and, of course, for throwing on around town. The lusciously soft polyester/spandex jersey is thicker than a plain cotton tee, but still pretty lightweight. The mesh accents and loose fit make it breathe really well during or after a workout.
I kept it on for a chilly lifting day: it kept me warm in the right places, didn’t have zippers that got in the way of my front rack position (ever cleaned a barbell onto a zipper? it hurts okay), plus the sleeves slid up easily to make room for my wrist wraps (which sounds silly but is actually a pet peeve I have with a lot of my other long sleeve tops!).
And I mean, I felt like a BA wearing it. It just has a very cool-girl vibe about it. No more old hoodies necessary!
I usually wear a size XXS/XS (or a size 2 in lululemon), but the looser fit makes the sizing pretty foolproof. I’m wearing an XS here. If you want a slightly more fitted look, there is plenty of room through the body and arms to size down.
Overall, I love this tee as a versatile long-sleeve layer that I’ll be using all year round both in and out of the gym.
Victory Bootcut Pants in Black
The victory bootcut is a simple-but-mighty black pant that will serve just about any purpose you throw at it. It has curved, deep pockets in the front that add a little style and, of course, are handy for stashing small items. The side seam curves around the low thigh above the back of the knee. The first time I wore these, my honeybunny actually noticed and pointed out (unsolicited!) that the way the seam falls really flattered my legs. Win!
The high/low waistband has mesh on the front side, in addition to the matte gold details, which adds a little bit of flair. Wearing the waistband all the way up, it came up just to the top of my belly button, but you can fold it down to a medium or low rise. The drawstring helps it stay in place, should you need it.
Probably the most important thing: these pants are 100% opaque. Not even the slightest hint of anything showed through in a squat test. I’m very picky about opacity, so I was really pleased that the coverage is so rock-solid. I wore them for a heavy lifting session of overhead squats and full squat snatches and they held up extremely well.
The fabric is tactel, which is a blend of nylon and spandex that has a different feel versus your usual supplex or luon fabric. First off, it feels simply divine. They seriously feel more soft and generally wonderful than any of my other yoga pants.
The tactel has a slightly slicker face than supplex/luon, but it’s still incredibly soft–it’s not as slick-feeling or as thin as luxtreme or other running fabrics. It’s thick but lightweight at the same time. I think the semi-slick finish will mean it will be extra-resistant to pilling, but only time will tell.
Slightly narrow bootcuts are my favorite cut for pants–I think it’s a universally flattering look that elongates the leg. Being petite, I have to be careful with bootcuts/flares since sometimes they can make my short legs look even shorter, and no one wants that. I really like the proportion on these and I find them really flattering. For sizing, I recommend staying with your typical size. If you are between sizes, I think you’ll be better off taking the larger of the two.
Here’s a side-by-side with lululemon’s groove pants to give you a little more context for what the cut is like. I wear a 28.5″ inseam, so keep in mind both of these pants are hemmed a bit. I like the more compact silhouette of the victory pants, I think it’s more sleek and flattering.
Overall, these are a fantastic pair of all-purpose black pants that I foresee getting a lot of wear, especially through cold workouts at the gym this winter.
Cobalt is one of my favorite colors this fall, and I’ve been going a little crazy picking up things from all kinds of brands in this color family. (I regret nothing.)
This tank is another giant cobalt LOVE. It’s so vibrant and rich, truly a beautiful shade. The tank is most fitted at the bust, flaring out slightly toward the hem (from 15″ bust to 19″at the hem on the XS). The hem has a slight high-low silhouette–it’s about 3″ longer in the back.
There are black mesh insets at the right shoulder and along the upper back, plus a raw mesh trim at the hem. The shoulder and back insets shows just a hint of sports bra if you want to get matchy, but if you’re wearing it with a normal bra out and about, it won’t reveal too much.
The fabric on this tank is also tactel, which is incredibly soft as I described above, but also breathable and lightweight, which was great for the running-heavy workout I wore this for.
I like to balance the loose-fitting muscle tank silhouette with fitted crops. This tank is a nice change of pace when you and your midsection don’t feel like going for a skin-tight tank.
As I mentioned above, I typically wear an XXS/XS (lulu 2) on top–this tank is an XS. Since this is a loose-fitting top, sizing will be forgiving. It fits slightly bigger on me than the model on the website, probably due to the fact that I’m on the smaller side of this size. Since I have a full-ish bust for my frame, it makes the lower half of the tank hang a little further from my body. If your bust is a little smaller and/or you want a tighter fit, you might consider a size down.
One of my favorite things about this tank is how easily it will transition out of the gym. The fabric and fit doesn’t make it look like a gym tank at all, and you can dress it up with skinnies, heels, and some simple gold jewelry. When temperatures start to rise again, I could easily wear this to out to dinner, errands, etc. I am a huge believer in quality over quantity and choosing versatile pieces for my closet, and this tank is the perfect example of that. It’s a great addition to my wardrobe that I’ll get a lot of use from, so I’m really glad to have it.
Black Friday Bonus!
Arguably the best part of all this: Alala is doing a Black Friday promo right now, so if you’re interested in trying anything from this post or just trying the brand in general, you can get some fantastic prices.
Overall, I’ve been really impressed with Alala’s fall collection. Out of the 5 pieces I have, all 5 are winners. That’s a pretty solid success rate if you ask me, so I definitely recommend giving them a shot.
Orders under $250 get 30% off orders if you use code THXGVG30, or a whopping 40% off with code THXGVG40 if you bump up over $250 (this is based on your pre-discount total). You have through Monday to use the code, and it applies to anything on the site!
If you haven’t seen it already, be sure to check my review of the cobalt captain crops and weekender dress for more of the lowdown–both items in that review are currently available!
I’m ordering the sophisticate jacket in black, which I’ve been lusting after for quite a while, plus a heathered grey weekender dress since I love my black one so much. I’m also eyeballing the cut bra in eclipse, map print take sides knee tights, captain crops in eclipse, twilight tank in eclipse, and the map print atlas long sleeve, so a couple of those may “accidentally” end up in my cart–I’m not ruling it out…
Thanks for this! Just ordered 2 tanks and a pair of crops. Love your site!
I also tried Nancy Rose’s plank crops lately and really like them. They’re also luxtreme-feeling and have good coverage. I’m built similarly to you (petite crossfitter) although I am a size bigger – a 4 in LLL. I wore a 4 in Nancy Rose.
Awesome, I hope the goods work out for you! :) I haven’t tried Nancy Rose, but I will have to put them on my list, some of their stuff looks really nice indeed! It’ll have to wait, though, Black Friday is putting me in the poor house for a while, ugh.
you look pretty damn good in those pictures! how the pants compare to the groove pants (other than the pockets). thanks!
Thanks. :) Like you said, Alala’s have the pockets, but they also have the drawstring and rolldown waistband that lulu’s grooves don’t, as well as the seaming differences (curved seam around the back of the leg versus straight line up the back). I imagine you also took note of the comparison pic that shows that Alala’s have a bit narrower cut. Also, the fabric feels a bit different: Alala’s have a silkier feel, not quite like luon. Hope that helps!! :)
I missed out on the victory bootcut pants and I am so sad!
Aww boo, maybe something similar will come out later this fall.