Colosseum Apparel: Two Hits, One Miss
We FBGs have reviewed the heck out of big athletic apparel brands. We’ve tested Nike and adidas and Brooks and Champion. So when less-familiar brands like Cory Vines or more fashion-inspired apparel cross our paths we enjoy taking them out for test drives — or runs, or squats or yoga classes. Jenn has already tested out some Colosseum Brand apparel, but I recently got to test out some of its Spring/Summer 2014 line for myself. As Jenn said in her review, Colosseum is designed for the “active fashionista” and I, a decidedly non-fashionista, was a bit baffled by one of the items. First up, my Colosseum loves…
Spotlight Seamless Bra
One can never have too many sports bras, and the Spotlight Seamless Bra ($39) fits nicely in my collection. It’s probably a little pricier than I’d like to pay for a bra that doesn’t give a ton of support, but I’ve never really been known to need a lot of support and typically don’t have to fork out a lot of money for my sports bras. That being said, it fits me great, the material is super soft and smooth, the thin double straps are really cute, and I loved the removable bra cups that gave me a little extra-extra in the chest region and a little protection from the cold, if you catch my (snow) drift. The Spotlight is made for light to mid-support, and while you might not want to run a long distance in it and it may not be your cup of tea if you’re really busty, it would be perfect for yoga, Pilates or any low-impact activity you’ll be doing. Plus, it comes in some really fun colors, like lemongrass!
Amplify Capri
Next up, the Amplify Capri ($69). In an effort to step away from the all-black workout pant thing I’ve had going on for years, I opted for these capris in Charcoal/Pink Raspberry.
These fit me great, and I loved how they hit me just above my ankle — for some reason it made me feel super sporty. They’re comfortable and they really stay put during a workout — no sagging or shifting here. Why are they called the Amplify, the word-nerd in me wonders? Maybe it’s because they amplify your run, but I’m guessing it’s because it amplifies your rear view. I don’t mean that they make your butt look big — ain’t nothing wrong with junk in the trunk — but the curve of the pink color in the rear definitely adds some curves, giving the illusion of a rounded rump even if your butt is lacking junk. Personally, I loved the fun pop of curvy color, but if you’re not into drawing attention to your rear, you could always go with the Black/Charcoal color scheme.
Drop Needle Drape Top
Now, this is where the non-fashionista me gets confused. I took this top ($54) out of the box and thought, “How do I even wear this?” The word “drape” in the name should have been my first clue that it was, well, drapey, but then the hole in the back had me struggling to find where to even put my head (the hood helped me figure that out). Even after wearing it a couple of times I’m only slightly more sure what to do with it.
The problem with it starts in that I’m a pretty standard size medium in all things, but this just feels big on me — it definitely doesn’t look like this when I have it on. The hole in the back makes me feel really exposed, not to mention that when I actually worked out in it, pretty much everything hung off of me and was exposed. (Like, doing plank, I was like well, hello there belly button, nice to see you!) If I was to wear this to work out, I’d need a long tank underneath it, and then — what’s the point of just wearing a lot of clothes? Plus, another point of confusion: In what instance would I need a hood but want a large hole in the back of my shirt? Still, it’s really nice quality, and I could see this as a cute cover-up before a yoga class or a bright pop of color (seriously, the yellow is awesome) to throw on when you want to look active but don’t really need to perform.
Anyone else love the Amplify for its rear curve-making talent? Or have a practical application for the drape top? —Erin