Living in Lucy: Pack and Dash, Perfect Core and Power Flow Review

Left to right: Power Flow Tank, Perfect Core Capri Legging, Pack and Dash Short Sleeve, Pack and Dash Capri, Pack and Dash Jacket. Credit: lucy

When I work out, I’m all about comfortable clothes. But there’s more to comfort than just something that feels cozy—I also need to feel confident in my workout clothes. I need to know my shirt isn’t riding up as I run and my boobs aren’t popping out during Zumba and that my running tights aren’t giving me camel-toe. And I don’t want to have to check the mirror every five minutes—I just want to work out and let my clothes handle the rest.

Lucy gets it, as I saw recently when I reviewed a few pieces from different collections. This isn’t my first time in Lucy workout clothes, and I’m very hopeful it won’t be my last.

Power Flow

Out of the box, the Power Flow Tank ($49) looked like a pretty standard workout tank; no bells and whistles. But on me, it became something a little more special. Although it has a nice v-neck in both the front and back, it doesn’t come terribly low, which makes it great for spin class or a boot camp with lots of bending over. There’s a time and a place for cleavage, and the gym ain’t always it. Even better, the body of the tank is a little extra long and fitted without feeling at all clingy—perfect for those of us with a little softness in the belly area. My only complaint is that it looks best with a sports bra with wider straps; my halter-style bras didn’t complement the neckline.

Perfect Core

Can an active girl ever have too many black capri leggings? I tend to say no, but I’ve definitely gotten choosier about which ones are in steady rotation, and the Perfect Core Capri Legging ($89) goes straight from the wash to the top of my stack of workout pants (and generally, right back again). What makes them so great? First, they’re made of a great material (lucy powermax, which is moisture wicking and perfectly stretchy), have flat seams (so no chafing), and have a little something extra in the waist that makes me feel supported and contained and just generally awesome. And I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve reached for these plenty of times when I was going somewhere other than the gym—there’s very little embellishment anywhere, so they function perfectly as standard black leggings, which makes that $89 price tag much easier to swallow.

Pack and Dash

With as many races and running events as I partake in, I’m all about clothes that make it easier to carry a few essentials with me when I go. I can’t have a race sherpa for every long run or ride I go on, after all! Lucy has come up with a whole collection dedicated to just that—Pack and Dash, and I tried out three items: the Capri, the Short Sleeve and the Jacket.

The Pack and Dash Short Sleeve ($59) has become one of my favorite cycling shirts. Mine is in the Bluefish color, and I get compliments on it every time I wear it. The ruching on the back and drawcord hem are distinctly feminine, but the moisture-wicking material is definitely made for performance. It also features three pockets in the back (one large one with a drawstring and small carabiner to hook a key or something onto, one small one with a flap and opening for your headphone cord, and one medium flat pocket), which is awesome when I’m on my bike. I find that putting too much back there on a run is distracting—it bounces a little—but for anything really small and light (like your ID or some money), it would be ideal. There’s also a Tank with the same functionality.

The Pack and Dash Capri ($89) is made of a thinner, more spandex-y material than the Perfect Core Capri Legging and is definitely exercise-specific, which is fine—that’s what they’re made for. It features several small pockets for money, ID, Gu, key fobs or the like, as well as belt loops to hold a running belt and reflective trim on each leg. I wore them for a recent 15K and was really pleased—it was great to have something keeping my race belt from moving around on me, and reaching into a side pocket for a Gu was really convenient. I did find I had to tie the waist fairly tight to keep them from sliding down a bit, but not anywhere near the point of discomfort or anything.

The Pack and Dash Jacket ($128) is super cool, in theory. It’s ridiculously lightweight, has great pockets for stashing whatever you need, reflective trim on the back, and—get this—it folds up into its own stash pocket and attaches to your running belt. Plus, the color (Aster Blue) is killer. I couldn’t wait to try this out and fall in love. Unfortunately, though, the back yoke ventilation wasn’t nearly enough for me, and half a mile into a run on a chilly evening, I felt like I was wearing a plastic bag on my arms. I took it off and literally poured the sweat out before tying it around my waist. I can see wearing this for really light activity, or even for a race with a really chilly start when you don’t have someone to throw your extra layers to—I still think the way it can attach to a race belt is genius. I just don’t envision myself running in it again.

Four out of five isn’t too shabby! What are some of your go-to workout pieces, and why do you love them? —Kristen