Over the previous couple of months, I’ve been working via the grueling (and at instances ugly) means of overhauling my sports activities bra assortment. It was like all my outdated standbys misplaced their stretch and assist in a single day—though in equity, I hadn’t purchased any new ones in years. To melt the monetary blow of bra buying, I seemed 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 chunk 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 adore it a lot, I not too long ago 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 should you’re in search of most assist, however I believe they play effectively collectively. The news neckline doesn’t plunge too low, and the cups don’t need to do all of the lifting, because of 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 high, relying on my plans and the temperature.
The one problem I’ve with the design is that the band and straps aren’t adjustable. The whole bra is fabricated from a nylon and Lycra materials that’s extremely stretchy and what I’d name reasonably compressive. Which means, the band and straps might be considerably accommodating—however if you need a really dialed-in match, it’s your decision one thing with buckles or a hook-and-eye closure as a substitute.
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 buy sports activities bras in smalls or mediums, recognize all of it the identical? Sure. The small-medium is simply the precise measurement for me. The band feels a bit of comfortable once I first pull it on, nevertheless it rapidly stretches to suit comfortably round my higher torso.
And by chance, the model offers a measurement chart, so you’ll be able to simply discover the choice that fits your normal 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 once I take into consideration this sports activities bra. It doesn’t rub or squeeze anyplace, and it doesn’t chafe beneath 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 substitute so many bras this 12 months—funds is every little thing), however that is how I’d think about they really feel: glossy, delicate, and comfortable.
