There’s not one, not two, but THREE reasons I’m excited to share this post today. Number one, I’m *loving* these photos. Number two, these sparkly, shiny leggings are so fun. Number three, giveaway!! Yesssss. Read on…
Disclosure: the outfit in this post was complimentary from Evolve Fit Wear. As always, all opinions are my own.
Photos by Julia Romano Photography
Evolve is a yoga-focused retailer with a formidable and unique collection of brands and styles. They carry a whole boatload of notable fitness fashion brands like Mara Hoffman, Onzie, Splits59, Alo, Werkshop, and Goldsheep. On top of that, they also have a lot of brands you probably haven’t seen elsewhere, like Purusha People, Sadhana Clothing, Jiva, and Just Live.
There are lots of brands I’d like to try from Evolve, but Purusha People was at the top of my list! I’ve been eyeballing their shiny, sparkly leggings for months and I finally got my hands on a pair!!! These are their northern sky leggings, a mermaid scale print rendered in a clean silver. I wore these under a dress to work, and the engineers kept calling them fish leggings. I promptly pointed out that they’re actually mermaid leggings. Not the same thing. Yeesh.
The fabric is plain black on the inside, but the outside is covered in an iridescent scale pattern. As you can see in the pics, these aren’t just a scale look, but a true metallic that reflects light in a really neat, rainbow kinda way. Purusha People’s leggings are eco-friendly and locally sourced and sewn (in Los Angeles). I think that’s especially awesome considering they can pull that off while still offering a very reasonable price compared to other luxe activewear.
Anyway, I got these in size XS. They fit pretty true to size in my opinion. If you’re unsure what size to pick, I’d suggest going with your larger size. The foil printed fabric isn’t quite as stretchy as unprinted fabric. Also, the fabric is totally opaque.
Speaking of the fabric, the foil is printed on as individual scales. So, these do require a bit more tenderness than most active pants. Rough surfaces like barbells or anything else that scrapes against the pants could damage the scales. So, if you’re not up for wearing these for gentle workouts or casual use, it’s best to channel your inner mermaid with a more traditional, more durable fabric.
The length was quite long on me with a lot of scrunch at the ankle, so to help keep the leg line clean and the scales smooth, I tucked a couple inches of the hem under. The inseam on my pair measures 29″, the same length as my lululemon wunder under pants, which means these should be tall-girl friendly.
The waistband is extra-wide, but the rise is medium, not super-high. There’s no outer seam, which means the scale pattern is uninterrupted down the side. There’s also a slit key pocket in the waistband.
The one potential downside with the extra-wide waistband is that the seam on the inside of the waistband isn’t flat. So, there’s a small flap of fabric there, and if you’re not wearing underthings with decent coverage, the foil fabric that comes through on that flap can scratch against the skin a bit. Not a big deal at all, just something to note.
But, overall, these are a really unique pair of leggings and it’s hard not to feel magical in them. I just love them. How could I not??
Also, some details on this “dogs before dudes” tank by Treekisser. It’s a lightweight cotton tank with the lettering screenprinted. I got the size S, which is the smallest size available, and it’s a relaxed fit on me. Note the length is on the shorter side, so if you’re very tall, this might not work that well on you.
Now, for the part you’ve been waiting for: one lucky winner will win a $100 shopping spree to Evolve. With that, you can buy a pair of any of Purusha People’s shiny, fabulous mermaid leggings! Some other great options could be a fun print from Goldsheep, Alo’s insanely popular moto leggings (if you’re willing to chip in another $10), Koral’s lustrous leggings, a luxe top or two from Joah Brown, or some fun graphic tanks. The sky’s the limit!
The giveaway is only open to US residents this time. You can earn up to 3 entries, and you’ll have a week to do it. The giveaway ends 5pm Pacific time next Monday, the 16th. A winner will be contacted ASAP, so keep an eye on your inbox!
Also: bonus! Even if you don’t win the giveaway, you still get a bonus! Use code AGENTATHLETICA10 and you’ll get 10% off your order from Evolve.
P.S. Like these pics as much as I do? Use the nifty li’l pin it button on any of these images if you’d like to share them on Pinterest.
Shop this post
Northern sky mermaid leggings | Dogs before dudes tank
More sparkly leggings | More graphic tanks
OMG! I love these! Ive seen them around online for a while but I think your review may have made up my mind. I’ve really gotten into different styles of yoga pants especially ones that stand out and these are in that category.
Oh yes, they definitely stand out, that’s for sure. :)
your reviews are AWESOME!! the pictures are AMAZING!! Thanks so much for all the work you put in and thanks for a great giveaway opportunity!!
Thank you so much Michelle. :)
these are just beautiful, but I’m totally intimidated by the “care” instructions… no abrasion, wash immediately after sweating, some peeling will inevitably occur, etc. i NEVER wash my clothes immediately after sweating (cause i have sh** to do after sweating), and almost all of my workouts involve some contact with various equipment. i would love to hear how these hold up over the next couple months… i.e., are they truly only for casual use or can they withstand some working out, sweating, and gentle washing?
Totally agree with you! I love the design of these, but I can’t spend $100 on pants that have to be babied (I’m already super anal about how I wash all my workout clothes but any more than that is just too much!). I need my workout clothes to work as hard as I do. Would also love feedback from anyone that gets these if these are indeed as fragile as the care instructions would leave one to believe. But they look so incredible so here’s hoping they are tougher than they seem!
Yeah, I’m curious to see what happens there too. I’ll try to remember to report back if (when?) anything starts peeling.
just saw that heylululemon is going away… kinda interesting (and ironic) timing since you just did that “how to beat lululemon” post!
Yeah, I’m not sure what to make of that. Maybe they got tired of hearing us call them out on their flaws. :P Or, perhaps more likely, they probably just found that it didn’t get enough engagement/ROI for the money they had to pump in to maintain it.
Haley, the founder of Purusha people, is the sweetest! I bought a pair of her tights years ago when she was just on etsy. Really love these! And yes yes, gorgeous pics…so green!
That’s great! It’s always nice to support brands with nice people. :) They seem like a really genuine company.
do you review any clothes that you purchased yourself, or do you only do care-ofs anymore?
Actually, just last week I posted two reviews of items I purchased:
http://www.agentathletica.com/ivy-park-review-low-rise-crops-cobalt/
http://www.agentathletica.com/lurv-atomic-kitten-leggings-review/
You’ll also notice that in April, 5 of the 6 review posts I published were for items/outfits I purchased myself. That said, right now, I happen to be juggling a lot of requests from companies who want to showcase their new collections. Since fashion is seasonal, these things tend to come in waves, and this is one of those waves.
I don’t have infinite money to buy clothes to review, so accepting some complimentary items means that I can review more things. I see this as a net positive for readers, since readers get more information that way (not to mention readers themselves sometimes get free stuff, like in this post) than if I was strictly limited to my budget. I’m sorry you don’t seem to see it that way.
I appreciate your honest and fun reviews! I love exploring new brands with your guidance :)
Thanks Jennifer! I’m glad you enjoy them. :)
these pictures are beautiful and you look so happy in them! love the pink and silver combination. i’m also short (5’2″) and like the look of tops that are hip-length or shorter, so i’m into this length. i had never heard of joah brown before but am really tempted by a few of their slouchy tops!
Yeah they look so comfy but stylish. Perfect combo. :)
I love this whole outfit, and the photos are gorgeous! I love sparkly/shiny things, and those tights make me happy just looking at them. And thanks for coordinating such a great giveaway!
Thanks Jenn! I have a hard time resisting shiny things too…
I have to agree with another commenter. I prefer reviews of items you have purchased vs items you are given. There is going to be an inherent bias (even unconscious) for a positive review of a freebee. I just can’t take them as seriously. I don’t mean this as a personal attack just as a fact. I scroll past these reviews and actually read the reviews of items you’ve purchased. But there have been so many freebee reviews….
Oh yeah, I definitely get that and I can’t blame you if you aren’t as keen on them. Obviously I do my best to fight bias as much as possible, but I’m still human. That’s one reason I have been purposing to focus on factual details instead of just generically fawning over something. In my mind, info on things like sizing and fabric isn’t influenced by how the clothes came to me, but is still helpful to others. And, by including a disclosure, at least you know upfront whether you’re interested in reading. :) I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.
And, as for your last comment, it’s true that I’ve had a *lot* of requests the past few months. So, it’s definitely been a challenge to figure out how best to balance the many factors (doing what feels exciting and right to me, making readers happy, offering giveaways/discounts so readers can benefit, treating brands fairly, etc etc). I still haven’t quite gotten it down, but it’s something I spend a lot of time thinking about and I’m definitely working on improving. :)
personally i enjoy all of your reviews… like sometimes if there is something i have my eye on, i am tempted to email that company and tell them to send it to you for free so that i can get a helpful review :)
that being said, from my perspective, you (and most people) do indeed write different reviews when you get something for free. this is particularly an issue if you don’t love something but don’t feel like you can publicly HATE on it (like the align pants… lol) when it was a gift. so you have to be tricky!
as a reader, i assume that i will be able to tell your positive reviews from your “positive” reviews. i used to be a professor and i frequently both wrote and read rec letters for students. just like it is EASY to “damn someone with faint praise” in a letter of recommendation by stating facts without being overly positive, you are certainly capable of doing the same in your activewear reviews. in fact you have done this. many times.
im glad you put the disclosure there up front. for those who want to skip the freebie reviews, the disclosure alerts them as to what is coming (as you pointed out), so it is helpful to see it right away. however, it is also useful for those of us who do read the freebie reviews because it lets us know that you will be more subtle in your criticisms. your tact in these freebie reviews has actually left me snickering to myself on many occasions :)
On that note, one thing I’ve learned is that writing a measured critique is just plain better. If I’m too negative, people tend to get the wrong impression and are turned off. For example, a long time ago, I blasted an entire lulu upload because I was disappointed in the ugly designs. Despite my best efforts to be lighthearted and clever, I got called a “petulant child” in the comments. So, I’ve made a point to practice tact in everything I write here, comp review or otherwise. If there’s something I truly hate, I usually just don’t review it, unless it’s something people really wanted to hear about. And that’s another side of this: people really want me to do reviews and will often bring up specific brands/styles. Those may or may not be my cup of tea (in terms of style/function/whatever), so I really can’t justify spending my own money. As a solution, sometimes I’ll get in touch with the brand and work out a comp review. But then people get squirrely about the comp reviews. Can’t make everybody happy, that’s for sure.
Good points. I remember that petulant child comment. I could never be a blogger – I would cry! For what it’s worth, I thought that upload was holy-mother-of-pearl awful too.
Anyways, just keep doing your best!
Hahaha, indeed. Blogging is definitely not a good place to be if you’re worried about everyone liking you. >_<
love these pics
Thank you!!! :)
Wow, I can’t believe I won! I’m a little overwhelmed by the amazing selection on Evolve but very excited. I’m thinking about some fun leggings for yoga/barre plus a cute crop top and/or mesh bra (love that high-necked one you had recently).
Yayyy, so excited for you Hilary!! :) I hope you can find a combo you love!