Fabletics - April 2015

This month I ordered the 2-piece Nehalem Bay outfit from Fabletics.  My outfit included the Zion Tank in seafoam tie dye & black and the pants are the Salar Capris in black.  The tank has a built-in bra with removable cups, and is made of 89% Polyester/11% Spandex.  The pants are mid-rise, with 20" inseam, made of 88% Polyester/12% Spandex.            

I'm 5'5", 36B, rectangular body shape. I wear size 2 to 4 in jeans and got the tank and pants in Small:

Cost of Outfit:  $49.95 VIP Member price
Outfit Value:  $109.90 Regular price
Impressions:  I love the seafoam color and pattern (the picture of me above was taken in poor lighting so it looks more green than the bluish seafoam that it really is) of the tank top.  I wasn't sure about how much I would like the feel of the strappy back when I ordered it but it feels comfortable and will be nice for hot days.  The elastic band of the built in bra is a bit firm (not much stretch) which made the tank a little more difficult to pull over my broad shoulders but it fit around my bust fine once on.  The removable cups are substantial enough that there shouldn't be any "surprises" showing through when it's cold.

The bra provides enough coverage and support for me and the type of exercising I  do but probably not if you are busty and like to run a lot.  And wearing another sports bra underneath would just look and feel weird with the strappy back design.  The capri pants are the same Salar style that I got with my trial outfit -  which I still really like.  During Checkout, I also got a free 2 year magazine subscription.  I chose Shape magazine but you have the choice to submit a form for a refund of the magazine worth $20.  I plan to take the refund, which takes a few weeks to process, but that would bring the actual cost of my outfit down to $30!  Overall, I'm pleased with the design, quality and value of this outfit.  I mostly do yoga, pilates, and walking so this outfit is perfectly sufficient for what I need. 

In the review of my trial outfit, I forgot to mention that Fabletics VIP Members are automatically enrolled in a rewards point program.  You earn 2 points for every $1 you spend and 20 points for every item you review.  You can also earn points through referrals.  When you earn 1000 points, you get a credit for a free $50 outfit.  This is my second outfit from Fabletics ($50 each), and I have reviewed 3 items earning me 260 points so far.  So at this rate, I would earn a free outfit after buying 7 or 8 outfits.  The points are good for up to 2 years.  If you regularly buy workout gear, this is a nice incentive to joining Fabletics.

UPDATE:  As of April 16, 2015, Fabletics has changed their reward points system: 

FASTER REWARDS
Starting today, you no longer have to wait until you earn 1,000 points
before you’re eligible to receive a reward. Instead of converting your
points into credits, you can now redeem them at any time for your favorite
Fabletics gear in our new Points Shoppe. Rewards start at just 300 points!

According to their email, you can now start redeeming items when you have acquired 300 points but the types of items you can redeem in this point bracket are things like headbands and hair ties.  For 2000 points you can redeem a single clothing item like a tank or pair a pants.  So you would now need 4000 points to redeem for a complete outfit now!  And points are now only good for 1 year which means I would have to buy and review about 14 to 16 outfits in less than a year to gain enough points to redeem for a free outfit or else I lose my points.  This new rewards program is incredibly bad compared to the old rewards system.  In my opinion, it's not much of a rewards program at all now.

Note on Customer Service:  One big negative I realized with Fabletics when I ordered this month is the customer service's inability to efficiently make changes to an order you have submitted.   I originally ordered another outfit but realized I forgot to change the pant color before I submitted my order so I called customer service to change the pants to the color I wanted.  The representative was very friendly but their system for processing and changing orders is seriously flawed.  The rep said that the only way they can make a change to an order, even something as simple as a color choice, is to cancel the entire order and submit it again, piece by piece, with the new change.  In the process of them doing that, the outfit I wanted sold out!  Apparently customer service also has no way of checking item stock to know if something is still available, about to sell out, etc.  So really, they can't do much more than I can do myself on my own computer!   It was a bit frustrating but I'm glad I know that now for future purchases.

Fabletics

I will be honest and admit that I'm one of those people who wears workout gear more than I actually work out.  But they're just so comfortable when I'm working around the house!  I mean, cleaning and yard work counts as a workout, right?  Although I've been trying to resist the idea of ordering from Fabletics for a long time, I finally gave in to all those Kate Hudson commercials on tv.  Here's hoping it'll motivate me to actually workout more.  You don't have to join the membership program to order from the website, but you will have a higher price tag than members.  If you become a Fabletics VIP Member, you get 50% off your first outfit which is a very enticing discount on a quality workout ensemble, plus discounted VIP prices on future items.  The one negative of taking this deal and becoming a member is the recurring monthly-order program.  At the beginning of each month they email you outfits that they've picked out for you to consider based on your profile preferences and you can choose to order one or indicate that you want to skip ordering that month.   If you don't "skip" by the 5th of the month, you will automatically be charged, whether you pick an outfit or not.  If not, then the money will remain on your Fabletics account as a credit for future orders.  So having to remember to pick your outfit or skip a month before the deadline so you don't have to deal with an unwanted charge could be a little annoying for some people. 

 

I ordered the Blossom 2-Piece Oufit - Oula Tank & Salar Capri for my intro outfit which cost me $24.97 (Reg. $49.95) with free shipping.  And if you've ever bought pieces from Lululemon, or the like before, you know that you would not get an entire outfit for that price, even on the luckiest of sale days!  I picked this one because I prefer racerback tanks and capri length pants. 

They had many different outfits and color/pattern combos to choose from but I'm a simple, neutrals kind of girl.  And when it comes to clothing this fitted, I think black pants and tops are a little more flattering on me than multi-colored patterned pants and neon tanks!  Maybe I'll try something a little more adventurous in the future. 

I'm 5'5", 135 lbs, rectangular body shape, and I ordered the tank and the capris both in size Small but you have the option to mix sizes.  The outfit fits well and the material doesn't stretch thin and see-through when you bend over, etc.  The pants have just the right amount of compression and the tank is made of breathable lightweight fabric.  I did a 40-minute strength and weight-loss yoga workout wearing this outfit and didn't have a problem with riding up, slipping down, bunching, chaffing or anything like that.  However, I can't speak yet for performance during more aggressive exercise like running.  There was no stretching, shrinking or pilling of the fabric after the initial washing.  I also want to point out that the tank and pants are not made of the same fabric and they're not the exact same shade of black.  The tank is a truer black while the pants are more of a greyish-black.  So even though these were advertised as a outfit, they are more mix and match type pieces rather than matchy-matchy pieces.  Overall, I'm very pleased with the fit and quality for the price so I'll likely order more in the future.