Testing out the athleisure brand of all athleisure brands.
Welcome to The Great Try-On. With spring officially in full swing, it’s time to ready your wardrobe, and we’re here to provide a little shopping inspiration. We got to try on some of the best spring pieces from some of your favorite brands and documented it all from our at-home dressing rooms so that you can see how they actually look IRL. We hope that our photos and candid reviews will help you shop for spring wardrobe builders that you’ll wear over and over this season and beyond. A few years ago, I fell into a deep fitness hole. I had just discovered weightlifting, and the excitement of training for something transformed me into a full-fledged gym rat. Naturally, if you go to the gym five days a week, you’re going to need cute outfits to make it a little more worthwhile; that’s when I first discovered Alo Yoga. The brand’s main appeal was its abundance of leggings in a variety of unusual colors and finishes that you couldn’t get anywhere else—like pink iridescent leggings. Alo’s Airlift leggings quickly became my favorite pairs, and as someone who owns over 30, that means a lot! Over the years, the brand has expanded well beyond simply leggings and sports bras. Instead of being a destination for only workout clothes, Alo has positioned itself as a go-to for cute clothes in general. Of course, it’s still a place to buy really great leggings, but you can also find really on-trend pieces, too, like elevated sweatsuits and cargo pants. Kendall Jenner recently became an ambassador for the company, so I’d say it’s definitely expanded. Despite my steadfast allegiance to its leggings, I had yet to try any of Alo’s athleisure offerings—until now. For this season’s installment of The Great Try-On series, I gave a few of the brand’s best sellers and new arrivals a test drive. Keep clicking below to see how everything fared.
My Review: It’s 2022. In the era of electric cars and AI gadgets, we’re way too advanced to have a million different types of pants for every occasion. I don’t want to have to swap between “work” pants and “lounge” pants—this work-from-home life is just too unpredictable. These tailored sweatpants from Alo are an answer to my prayers—they contain all of the comforts of sweatpants without actually looking like them. It’s my first pair of hybrid pants, and I can say without a doubt I’m in love.
My Review: I’ve yapped enough about my love of cargo pants, so I’ll just get right to it—these are literally the most pleasant pair of cargos I’ve worn. They definitely lean toward the looser side, but I firmly believe cargo pants are meant to be as baggy as possible, so that’s a plus in my eyes. There’s the option of cinching the hem in for a skinny fit around the ankles, which presents a cool styling alternative. I chose to wear them with heels and a blazer to show how versatile these pants really are.
My Review: I’m extremely particular about my sports bras, so there were a lot of hurdles to pass before I could genuinely give this my endorsement. The first thing I noticed was how smooth and sculpting the material was—very similar to my beloved Airlift leggings, which I discovered was no coincidence, as this bra is their coordinating piece. Thin straps typically worry me when it comes to providing cup support, but I made it through eight rounds of sprints during a HIIT session with absolutely no problems. It’s definitely a bra that can carry you from yoga to intense cardio.
My Review: The shrug trend hit me hard last year, and I did my due diligence by adding this top to my cart. Honestly, there’s really no practical use for it, but it definitely added a level of intentionality to my workout outfits.
My Review: An Alo best seller, the Accolade sweatpants are pretty famous among athleisure heads. They have just the right fit—not too fitted and not too baggy—and the length hits nicely at the ankle without being too long. I recently wore these on a flight, and now I don’t think I can wear anything else while traveling.
My Review: Fashion can’t get enough of all things tennis right now. I’ve seen every brand under the sun release a tennis skirt, but it felt right to actually get one from a brand that knows a thing or two about performance gear. I have no doubt this could actually be worn for playing tennis, but in my case, it’s purely for the aesthetics. The collared bra is so flattering and supportive; it’s my new favorite thing to wear with high-waisted jeans and joggers. Even I, an anti-miniskirt person, felt good in this tennis skirt, so I think both pieces are winners all around.
My Review: If you want more complexity from your workout clothes, this bra will deliver. Although capable of withstanding a shadowboxing session, it’s more of a piece that’s meant to be seen. The crisscross straps were a little tricky to maneuver at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’s really smooth sailing. I think it’s nice to have more of a showy bra to style with my more elevated athleisure outfits.
