In 2013, when Fabletics was launched, I never had any interest in their offerings. I found the “celebrity launches1 X-brand” strategy to be overplayed and I was disillusioned with that type of approach by then. I quickly gave up and moved on, also deciding that the “membership-based” model was not for me. I even saw some murmurings online that cancelling may have required a phone call and I prefer that if I can click a button to join, I ought to be able to click a button to leave as well.
However, recently, I decided to take another look into the company after making a purchase at their brick & mortar location near me. Conveniently located next to the Athleta and just across the street from my local Lululemon, it was impossible not to notice the bright colors and fun patterns in the window display.
What I am Loving
I made my first purchase in January, 2023 and have since joined the membership- which you can now cancel online– and have been enjoying the clothes.
My first official order contained the Boost Medium Impact Sports Bra, Boost PowerHold High-Waisted 7/8th Legging, Define PowerHold Ultra HW 7/8 Legging and Forever Fleece Hooded Onesie.
It turns out I absolutely adore their Boost Medium Impact Sports Bras, and have purchased them in a plethora of bright, fun colors including “Electric Rose/ Wavy Cheetah,” “Celeste (blue)/ Classic White,” “Deep Navy/ Multi,” “Indigo/ Ultraviolet,” “Black/ Micro Dot,” “Neon Pink Tropic,” and “Spotted/ Black.”
Of course, I also love getting the matching pants and have several pairs of the Boost PowerHold High-Waisted 7/8 Leggings. They are full-coverage, high-waisted, comfy and provide a tight, reliable (don’t slide down or shift out of place(!)) fit during sweaty cardio sessions.
Pricing / Purchasing Model
As mentioned above, I do like to buy matchy-matchy items. Thankfully, my purchases are at the “member price” level and not retail. I must recommend becoming a member if you plan to make any purchases. Unfortunately, the discounts are necessary, and I personally don’t see the value at the retail price. I honestly think it is just a price set arbitrarily high in order to get you to sign up for the membership, which I have to recommend, given my perceived value of the products. They’re great, mostly, but not worth the retail price. So, my advice is that if you want to try the brand- join the membership and cancel if you decide you aren’t actually that into the clothes.
The purchasing-decision-making process is interesting at times. You accrue one credit per month, and I do enjoy getting matching pieces, so I often find myself buying one (at the “member price”), and using my credit for the other. Many people might wonder why I wouldn’t just wait a month to buy the second item, but supplies are always scarce- especially for the prettiest items- and things always sell out. So, there have been instances where I’ve purchased the pants, but missed out on the matching bra and vice versa. Their strategy seems to be always having something going on (which makes complete sense), like one week they’ll have a pretty large product drop, followed by a huge sale on older products the following week, then, maybe an influencer-backed collection the following week, then maybe a decent discount on the stuff they dropped a few weeks prior with more limited size offerings, then another new drop, then another sale… slowly marking down the old stuff until they practically give it away once sizes are especially scarce.
Yes. I said “practically give it away.” Once the season is over and things need to move out of the warehouse to make way for new offerings, Fabletics will hold a “Warehouse Sale” and items will be priced in the $10-$24 range on average. I have ordered many a legging for only $15, or tops for $10. I just ordered a cute lilac top for $10.
One more thing: I have had to make some returns. I have had an item arrive damaged. I have also had an incorrect size show up. It happens from time to time and it’s an absolute breeze to return your items. I’ve never had any return-related issues, but just a heads up that mistakes can happen, and Fabletics seems to handle them well.
The App Experience
The app is super easy to use, to order, track your orders, and set up returns. I have zero complaints, and I don’t find it clunky- except when trying to find my size in certain items. Sometimes, I filter by size and things that don’t exist in my size show up in my search results anyways. But overall, great app experience with easy navigation. I have not had to reach out to customer service ever for any problem because the app has everything I need available. They even use Happy Returns for returns and that has been a seamless experience.
TLDR
Bottom Line: Fabletics is great value at the member price. Sign up if you’re interested to get the initial offer, and see if you enjoy the clothes and the unique shopping experience. If it’s not for you, it’s pretty simple to cancel.
- Technically, JustFab had already been established in 2010, but Kate Hudson began the Fabletics offshoot and promoted it heavily at launch. She continues to hold 20% of the company in equity. ↩︎
