Has anyone done this yet? Just kidding. There are Ivy Park fit reviews on the Interwebs. I like this one on Jezebel. Agent Athletica did a fit review for an item similar to something I tried, but the crops I tried had a higher rise and a different waistband.
First off, I want to say that I have found a whole new respect for real “fashion bloggers” who actually take good pictures of themselves that are able to showcase the clothes in a meaningful and helpful way. I don’t know that I’ve necessarily been able to achieve that, but I did want to try! I’m spending a few days in Nashville, which has a Nordstrom, which sells TopShop which is carrying Beyonce’s fitness brand, “Ivy Park.”
I’m a super amazing blogger, so I totally even remembered to take pics of fully half of the items I tried on.
This is the first outfit I tried on.
Overall, I like, but do not love, this tank. This fits well and is comfortable, but, it’s mostly Polyester, as you can see on the website: 92% Poly, 8% Elastane. The shorts, I actually did like. They are 50% cotton, and quite comfortable. I also liked the longer length. These are the stats, from the website, about a size medium: 10 1/2″ front rise; 16″ back rise. This is great for “hippy” girls like myself. I need a little extra room at the back. These are actually high rise, as well. However, I’m not a very big fan of high rise items, so I sized up, and will wear these looser, but on my hips, rather than at my natural waistline. This is the only item in the collection I purchased. PS: These are the “Logo” shorts, but my hand is covering the logo.
NEXT!
Next, I tried on these pants. Comparing them to Lulu, as I do, they’re basically as compressive as Luxtreme, but they did not feel right on. The waistline was good, but the hips were tight. (I followed the size chart for these, and I sized up below for a different pair.) These are the “Y” High Rise Three-Quarter Leggings, $58
NEXT:
The next thing I tried on were these blue pants. I really do like this color! The hips fit fine, but the waistband was loose on these- probably my own fault for sizing up, but the size down’s hips were too tight. Indeed I am a curvy lady. The main thing that I actually didn’t like about these was the shorts underneath. I know they’re going to provide extra coverage, which is fabulous, but I could see the lines from the shorts showing through the main fabric of the pants. You could see it in the pictures, if you knew what you were looking for- but it is rather faint. The lines may or may not bother you, given that they are indeed hard to spot. They did bother me though, since my one mantra in clothing is “smooth lines.”
Finally:
The last thing I tried on were these called “Seamless Capri Leggings, $52″ They reminded me very much of the Lululemon “Flow & Go” tights, due to the type of seamless fabric. However, these are 72% Polyester, and a pair of Flow & Go tights, as shown in a pic of a Lulu tag below, are 90% Nylon.
Opinion:
My overall impression of the designs are that they’ve been done. The tank is pretty nicely designed, having a slightly unique mesh placement and the straps are not entirely predictable, but everything else is very typical athleisure wear. They’re nice designs, but there’s nothing inherently unique about them. The blue color is quite striking in person though, and the details on the Seamless capris are dandy.
The prices on these, in my opinion, especially for the A-list celebrity they’re attached to, are very reasonable. The prices vary widely, so it’s possible for anyone to buy a piece of the brand if they’re just huge Beyonce fans, (how about a $14 headband?) and there are also high-Nylon content leggings available for $165 for anyone willing to pay the price for a high-quality, celebrity-endorsed item.
Quality wise, there’s a lot of hit & miss. I always pay attention to fabric content. When I buy Lululemon items, I always check. A lot of items by the same name vary in what type of fabric is in them. For example, I recently made a post about the Real Quick Crops, and how much I like them. However, some of them have a high percentage of Nylon in them (like the Deep Zinfandel) and some of them have a high amount of Polyester in them (the printed ones). Guess which ones I bought? I’m happy with the shorts I bought from this Ivy Park collection. They’re comfy, soft and 50% cotton, which is good enough for me- especially since they were only $26, which is half what Lulu shorts cost.
The fit was not the greatest for me. To be honest, this is an issue I have with a lot of items “off the rack.” Too much space (a gap) in the back, and not enough give around the hips and thighs. It’s because I have a rather low waist to hip ratio- which just means that my hips are a lot bigger than my waist, making it hard to find clothes that fit. This is why I love Lululemon leggings: They (almost) always fit in both the hips and the waist. I’m sure a lot of other people will find that Ivy Park fits them just fine.
This is just my opinion though, what do you think of Beyonce’s new line? Let me know in the comments! And hey, while you’re here, don’t forget to enter the draw I’m having for a $100 Lululemon gift card!
Are the Ivy Park Leggings squat proof?
The ones that I tried were thick, high-quality and not sheer at all! Thanks for asking! Whenever you buy leggings, be sure to check the fabric- the higher the Polyester content, the more likely they are to sheer out.