As of today, winter is officially here. My winter wardrobe always ends up a bit neglected compared to my warmer weather options, so I’ve been making a point to beef up my options for colder days. So, I picked up Alala’s charge 1/4 zip to try. Here’s what I thought.
The charge 1/4 zip is a mock neck style, which is always an attractive feature for cold weather. It’s truly a 1/4 zip, since the zip opens diagonally just a few inches, as opposed to similar pullovers which have a deeper zip at the center of the chest. One important note is that there is no zipper guard. But, since the zip is asymmetrical, it doesn’t touch my chin when it’s zipped all the way up.
The design features thumbholes and simple foldover cuffs. I noticed that lululemon’s cuffs are a separate panel of fabric from the sleeve so that they can use a different seaming style on the inside of the cuffs. The end result is that you don’t feel the seam at all on lulu’s tops with foldover cuffs. Alala’s cuffs are the same panel as the sleeve, which makes the seam a bit noticeable when you’re using the thumbholes and/or foldover cuffs. This is a slight downside, but not a big deal.
I really like the little bit of flair that the embossed check panels add at the sleeves, chest, and sides.
The top is cut slightly generously. I’m wearing my normal Alala size, XS. For a more skin-tight look, I recommend considering a size down. The hem is contoured and a little longer in the back.
As for fabric, the material is very soft against the skin but also pretty lightweight. It has a slight sheen to it that’s really pretty. It’s not a true thermal, so it will be better suited to fall and spring when temperatures are more mild but still brisk. The fabric itself isn’t noticeably thicker than warmer weather fabrics, it’s mostly just the design that marks this as a colder weather piece. The fabric’s warmth level is comparable to lululemon’s swiftly long sleeves, for example.
Between this top and Alala’s alpine tee, which I featured in this post, I’m partial to the charge 1/4 zip. I like the way this one feels a little bit better, and I like the design a little more too.
Overall, the charge 1/4 zip is best worn in mild temperatures for a variety of workouts like running, cardio, or CrossFit.
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Outfit details
Alala charge 1/4 zip – embossed check – get 15% off with code AA15
Lululemon cool racerback – bumble berry – similar-ish color
Lululemon high-rise wunder under pants – dottie tribe – another monochrome option
Nike metcon 2 – black/bronze
Gosh I still wish I had bought those leggings…..
Anyways, I too love this top! I wear it for cool but definitely not cold temps. I almost feel like it’s even colder than a swiftly since the material is more cool and slippery against the skin vs. the more fuzzy swiftly fabric. I also thought the arms were comfier on this top than on the alpine tee which had the tighter meshy arms.
Oh, I still think it’s a little silly that I paid $130 for pants that aren’t even totally opaque, lol. The things I do for unique designs. :P
And yes, I agree on both counts! I don’t think the fabric is strictly similar to the swiftly, but the amount of warmth it provides is fairly comparable I think.
i have both of these items and love them and think they look great on you too
I adore those Dottie Tribe tights. I bought two pairs and very happy with them. I love special prints from Lululemon. They are opaque on me. I’m a sz2 and bought them TTS. They look great on you.
Nice! I love those types of prints too. There’s really nothing like them!!