Lately, I’ve been loving the look of crisp white activewear. Yes, white is always dangerous to wear, especially for working out, but…that’s what Oxiclean is for! :)
I spotted this new white print from Alala, and since it’s one of my favorite colors right now and one of my favorite brands, I had to give them a try. I got the woven shorts and captain crops. Note that in some places these are called white shadow–it’s the same print!
Woven shorts in summer palm
I bought a pair of Alala’s sweat shorts last spring, and while I liked the design, the fit didn’t work out for me. Since these shorts are made of a lighter technical material, I wanted to give this season’s version a try.
The fit on these actually looked pretty good. The leg opening isn’t too large, which is a common problem for me. The bum doesn’t bubble out either. The rise is medium and definitely higher than most of lululemon’s shorts. The inseam is still short, though.
There are pockets in the front on either side, plus a zip pocket in the back. They also have a lightweight brief liner inside. I noticed the woven fabric takes on a slightly more ivory tone than the crops fabric below. They aren’t quite a true white.
That said, I had a major problem with these. The woven fabric doesn’t stretch. If I squat in these, they were quite constricting, especially at my hip crease. Also, the stiff fabric meant that these were a bit tough to get on. The fabric just below the waistband was tough to get up over my hips due to the lack of stretch. Once they were on, walking around felt fine, but I wouldn’t be able to wear them for my workouts.
Unfortunately, the lack of mobility in these shorts meant these weren’t practical for me. Back they went.
Captain crops in summer palm
So how about the crops?
When I hit the order button on these, I knew I was taking a big gamble. Besides being easily dirtied, white fabric also has the (probably obvious) problem of coverage. That said, I was emboldened by my positive experience with Alala’s electric stone print, which is also pretty light. I thought I might luck out with good coverage from these, too.
In short, the coverage is not bad for white, but is definitely not perfect. Colored underwear are definitely not an option with these. With skin-colored underwear, I found the coverage to be totally fine, including in the bend test. Full coverage undies are ideal, but you can get away with less–I didn’t notice any “crack shadow”, if you pardon the expression.
Just like what I love about the electric stone print, the fabric feels fantastic to the touch. It’s smooth, silky, and feels very luxurious while still technical. Note compression is low.
These bring me up to 5 pairs of captain crops, and my previous comments on the fit of this style remains the same. They fit snug through the waist and slightly bigger through the legs. I recommend ordering your true size.
Call me crazy, but I decided to keep these. I love how they look and feel, and the coverage is workable. I still love my Koral crops for when I need something with rock-solid coverage, but I love these for their crisp, light, and decidedly summery look and feel.
Shop summer palm
For Agent Athletica readers: use code AA15 for 15% off your order at Alala!
Wow! NICE new look to the blog!!
Thanks Carrie. :)
I want them! I’ve been obsessing over white too and just trying to pick the right pair! Ive been so into Alala lately. They got all my Memorial Day sales money and then I just had to jump when the tech fleece jacket got marked down to $220! With AA15 I got it for less than 50%. It came today and I just love it! Thanks for all your great reviews and reliable info.
omgosh! i have been wanting that jacket forever – thanks for pointing out that it went on sale!! can you advise on sizing? i would have probably ordered a M (I’m usually a S but sometimes a M in jackets) but now the M is sold out. ARG. it’s final sale too or i would for sure try a L (or even a S)??!! ill probably pass at this point, but would appreciate your thoughts. thanks!
I actually contacted Alala about sizing myself because of the final sale deal. I’m a solid small in Alala and 4/6 lulu. Usually more 6 lulu for tops and bras. They recommended sizing up but the med sold out before I could order so I took the plunge on the small figuring I could sell it easily if it didn’t fit since it’s so cheap(respectively) BUT the small fits great! It’s not as thick as I expected. I live in Alaska so a warm coat is nice and truly I kind of expected it to be a little thicker fleece but it is so cozy and cute. I’m so happy to have it after wanting it for more than a year! I will say too that I’m glad I was forced into the small, it’s a slightly tight zip over my bust but I think there would have been something lost in the feminine cut and details had I ended up with the medium. Love love love.?
Thank you so much!!! Very helpful. I actually wrote Alala too before hearing back from you so maybe I will wait and see what they say too before taking the plunge. I’m so glad it worked out for you!
I had fleece jacket and fractal tee in my cart, but the AA15 code was not accepted when I tried to check out. WTH? Are they applying restrictions to the code now?
That’s weird, I tried it too and it didn’t work. Frankly, I’m surprised the code ever worked on sale items, so perhaps that’s something they finally went back and changed with their codes. Oh well. :( Leis got a screamin’ deal at least. :)
I was online perusing the sale stuff again this am(I’m on a hair trigger with the Poseidon blanket jacket right now) and noticed the tech fleece is available in a med. just FYI :) I’m sure it won’t last long.
Yes! I got it! I was actually emailing with Alala back and forth about sizing and they told me a M was available. Wahoo! So excited.
Thanks to you for also alerting me. Oh and I have the poseidon blanket jacket. It’s lovely – pull that trigger!