Over the previous few months, I’ve been working by way of the grueling (and at occasions ugly) technique of overhauling my sports activities bra assortment. It was like all my previous standbys misplaced their stretch and help in a single day—though in equity, I hadn’t purchased any new ones in years. To melt the monetary blow of bra purchasing, I appeared to Amazon, the house of activewear dupes, for reasonable(-ish) choices.
That’s the place I discovered Baleaf’s Freeleaf Bra ($46, amazon.com), a bit I used to be deeply skeptical of at first. However its value (which ranges between $32 and $46, relying on Amazon’s present offers) and cute, strappy again satisfied me to take an opportunity. Lo and behold, it’s now a part of my heavy rotation—and I find it irresistible a lot, I lately purchased a second one.
The design
The Freeleaf is a longline bra with a scoop neck, molded cups, and criss-cross straps. All these options most likely aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, particularly in case you’re in search of most help, however I believe they play effectively collectively. The inside track neckline doesn’t plunge too low, and the cups don’t should do all of the lifting, due to the strap configuration: One set of straps creates an X throughout your shoulder blades, whereas one other pair runs straight down out of your shoulders to the bra’s band. And, for my part, a longer-line bra with a pleasant, vast band isn’t a foul factor—I can put on my Freeleaf as an everyday bra or a crop prime, relying on my plans and the temperature.
The one situation I’ve with the design is that the band and straps aren’t adjustable. The complete bra is product of a nylon and Lycra materials that’s extremely stretchy and what I’d name reasonably compressive. Which means, the band and straps will be considerably accommodating—however if you need a very dialed-in match, you might have considered trying one thing with buckles or a hook-and-eye closure as an alternative.
The sizing
Baleaf makes use of a mixture of standalone sizes and ranged sizes, so your choices are small-medium, large-X-large, XX-large, and 3X-large. Is that this complicated? Sure. Did I, as somebody who by no means is aware of if I can purchase sports activities bras in smalls or mediums, admire all of it the identical? Sure. The small-medium is simply the appropriate measurement for me. The band feels a little bit comfortable after I first pull it on, but it surely shortly stretches to suit comfortably round my higher torso.
And fortuitously, the model supplies a measurement chart, so you possibly can simply discover the choice that fits your commonplace cup and band measurement.
Authentic picture by SELF senior commerce author Sara Coughlin
Authentic picture by SELF senior commerce author Sara Coughlin
The texture
Clean is the primary phrase that involves thoughts after I take into consideration this sports activities bra. It doesn’t rub or squeeze anyplace, and it doesn’t chafe below my armpits, which is an annoyingly frequent drawback for me. I don’t personal any high-end sports activities bras (once more, I’ve needed to exchange so many bras this yr—price range is the whole lot), however that is how I’d think about they really feel: smooth, comfortable, and cushty.