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 It was like all my outdated standbys misplaced their stretch and help in a single day—though in equity, I hadn’t purchased any new ones in years.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 procuring, I regarded 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 chunk 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 adore it 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 most likely aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, particularly in the event you’re searching for most help, however I believe they play properly collectively. The news neckline doesn’t plunge too low, and the cups don’t need to 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 problem I’ve with the design is that the band and straps aren’t adjustable. Your entire bra is product of a nylon and Lycra materials that’s extremely stretchy and what I’d name reasonably compressive. That means, the band and straps could be considerably accommodating—however if you’d like 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 appropriate measurement for me. The band feels a bit comfortable after I first pull it on, nevertheless it rapidly 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.
Unique picture by SELF senior commerce author Sara Coughlin
Unique 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 beneath my armpits, which is an annoyingly frequent downside for me. I don’t personal any high-end sports activities bras (once more, I’ve needed to change so many bras this yr—finances is every little thing), however that is how I’d think about they really feel: glossy, delicate, and comfortable.
