We’ve all seen the ads - 2 pair of leggings for $24! I would bet money that more than half of us looked into signing up. I don’t know how many of you took the plunge like me, but I would wager at least half, cause’ who doesn’t love a sale? Especially since quality athletic wear costs so much. Now how many of you quickly realized that you may have gotten the wool pulled over your eyes when it was time to place an order? Let me explain…

Fabletics has been around since 2013 (I know, I know, time flies), co-founded by Kate Hudson, the brand sought to close the gap in activewear between luxury and economy.

What they claim:

• stylish & on trend - some things are cute cute, others are eh…

• high quality - haven’t had any tears or holes, a few random strings from loose stitching but that’s it

• accessible price point - this is where it gets tricky…

In their marketing, Fabletics uses a lot of attention grabbing headlines - outfits starting at $19/month for new VIP members, get up to 50% off all day, every day, spend your credit whenever you want, no strings attached, etc. They lure you in with glossy promises, however if you aren’t careful you miss the not so fine print - “starting at”, “up to” - those very important descriptors mean the difference in the deal.

I took advantage of the 2 for $24 leggings but if you are like me, you need a matching outfit and your bra size poses a challenge, so of course that $24 quickly turned into $284 total. Here’s the breakdown:

The 2 for $24 knocked off about $70

There was a sale going on which gave me a 50% discount (I am always down for a sale)

My total after discounts came out to $126 which is not bad at all but had it not been a sale I’d be typing another tune.

The monthly membership fees didn’t bother me TOO much because I knew I would be spending it eventually as I needed to increase my workout wardrobe. The reason Fabletics ultimately didn’t work out for me is because there was always a shipping delay and the perks always came with a caveat. I had two credits from prior months that I didn’t use. One time because the shipping costs were a turn off, especially when I kept experiencing delays and the other time none of the outfits that caught my eye fit the $49.95 credit. When I finally decided to spend the credits I was met with all kinds of fine print - there’s a sale going on but if I want to pay the sale price I cant use my credit…if I want to use my credit I have to pay full price for the outfit or the legging or whatever I want to purchase, etc. What is the point of having VIP membership when you don’t get VIP treatment? The outfits minus the sale prices start at $90 (the $49.95 options) to upwards of $200+. In my opinion, this is not closing the gap with luxury, those are comparable to name brand athletic wear prices, if not more.

THOUGHTS

If you are in need of a jump start to your new exercise gear, definitely take advantage of the introductory offers. Get your 2 pairs of leggings during a sale and throw in a sports bra that goes with both pairs -OR- grab an outfit. After that? Cancel your membership and build it with other brands when they have an offer going on. You can also find great deals at the Ross’, TJ Maxx’s & Marshalls of it all.

Check out my YouTube video to see the outfits in action and find out what I do enjoy about the brand.

Click each outfit for a direct link to purchase.

Where do you find your workout gear?