Shelling out $98 for yoga tights I’m just going to get sweaty in is not my thing. Usually. However when you have a $50 Free People gift card + a $20 coupon for ordering the FP Movement High Waisted Sculpt Leggings that day, what did I have to lose?
As Free People describes them:
“In a second skin seamless fabrication that prevents skin irritation while you break a sweat, this moisture-wicking legging also features an engineered fit and slimming waistband that holds shape- no matter what…. Ideal for training, yoga, running, cycling & other sports.”
via FP Movement
As some of the other reviewers on FP.com mentioned, they are *crazy* small right out the gate. Like when I first pulled them out of the bag I very legitimately thought I’d be lucky to get an arm in let alone the thighs one naturally acquires from almost 10 years of running.
BUT. I figured the hardest part (waiting for USPS) was already done, it wouldn’t hurt to try them on.
Nervous about busting through the tights like The Hulk in all of poor Bruce Banner’s shirts, I was incredibly mindful about every step + tug getting them on. This ended up working out to my advantage
If I had to putting them on it would have to be: LUXURY.
Every inch I pulled the tights up higher was like rolling straight butter (or ghee if you’re Team Ayurveda) onto my legs. In the best possible way it felt like I was pulling on a wetsuit of love + compression. The material is thicker than I’m used to for workout tights but I attribute that to all those extra compressive powers used to hold everything up + in.
The material does have a *slight* sheen to it but that could be on me for not measuring correctly to get the right size as some reviewers mentioned they sized up. There’s also a subtle pattern going down the side of the legs to help give it a little dimension + personality without screaming “I’M A YOGA TIGHT” Because #athleisure.
SUPER fact about these tights… they’re adjustable!
If they’re a little too long or you want more of a crop fit you can just cut along the bottom + get a perfectly customized tight.
Once I got these on I couldn’t wait to put them through the ringer with a variety of workouts to see if they were everything FP claimed to be.
run
Maybe this is simply the nature of high-waisted running tights so I’m just not accustomed to it yet, but these didn’t seem to stay put around my waist while I was running. Luckily I was doing some run-walk intervals so I was already slowing down but it felt like I had to yank them back up again all. the. time.
I also felt like I had to widen my stance a little bit so they wouldn’t pill when my thighs rubbed against each other. Plus there aren’t any waistband pockets so if you wanted to store a key or credit card while you were out on a run, you’re SOL.
Not off to a strong start here, Freeps.
yoga
You know when you’re in Three-Legged Dog and your leg’s floating up in the air and you feel that gap between your tights + root chakra?
This exact moment is where these babies shine.
The material truly feels like it moves with your body as if it were your very own skin.. that is if my skin was “purple potion” which is really more maroon than purple, but I digress.
I know it’s probably a placebo effect, but I felt like I could get deeper into certain poses than I would normally be able to (hip openers in particular if you haven’t picked up on that one yet).
cross-train
I didn’t do much cross-training in these so I won’t spend much time on them but the waistband wasn’t a problem at all doing some weight training at the gym. It didn’t hurt that since they’re made of that lovely up + in material it looked like I’d done significantly more squats than I actually had.
final THOUGHTS
A super functional + flattering tight for cross training + yogis (maybe especially those who aren’t going command-om to class). Not super thrilled about their performance while running but I’m really excited to not have to sacrifice function for a fun twist on standard black yoga tights – though these totally come in black too for those curious.
Want to see more pictures of these tights in action? Head over to my Instagram account.
Have you tried this or any of Free People’s other activewear pieces? What are some of your favorite multi-purpose activewear tight brands? Let me know in the comments below!
