Over the previous few months, I’ve been working by means of the grueling (and at occasions ugly) strategy 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 seemed to Amazon, the house of activewear dupes, for affordable(-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 worth (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 just 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 in all probability aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, particularly should you’re on the lookout for most help, however I feel they play nicely collectively. The inside track neckline doesn’t plunge too low, and the cups don’t must 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, large band is rarely a nasty factor—I can put on my Freeleaf as a daily bra or a crop prime, relying on my plans and the temperature.
The one subject I’ve with the design is that the band and straps aren’t adjustable. All the bra is product of a nylon and Lycra materials that’s extremely stretchy and what I might name reasonably compressive. Which means, the band and straps may be considerably accommodating—however if you need a really 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 should purchase sports activities bras in smalls or mediums, recognize all of it the identical? Sure. The small-medium is simply the proper measurement for me. The band feels somewhat comfortable after I first pull it on, nevertheless it rapidly stretches to suit comfortably round my higher torso.
And fortunately, the model gives a measurement chart, so you possibly can simply discover the choice that fits your normal cup and band measurement.
Unique picture by SELF senior commerce author Sara Coughlin
Unique picture by SELF senior commerce author Sara Coughlin
The texture
Easy is the primary phrase that involves thoughts after I take into consideration this sports activities bra. It doesn’t rub or squeeze wherever, and it doesn’t chafe underneath my armpits, which is an annoyingly widespread downside for me. I don’t personal any high-end sports activities bras (once more, I’ve needed to exchange so many bras this 12 months—finances is every thing), however that is how I’d think about they really feel: glossy, tender, and cushty.
Discussion about this post