The Athleta location closest to me at the Paddock Shops in Louisville, KY invited me to the store to try some things on and share about the sale. This post isn’t sponsored, but I did receive 3 pieces in exchange for an Instagram post… but I also bought things as well! (And TBH, plan on going back for a couple more pieces that I haven’t stopped thinking about.) There are affiliate links in this post, so if you buy from one of these links, I may make a small commission on the sale.

As I shared a while back, the Athleta in-store shopping experience is really unique in that there is no separate plus size section, with most items in sizes XXS-3X on the racks together. You can read a bit more about my feelings on this and how it brought up a lot of emotions. Since that post, sister company Old Navy has introduced the same concept to their stores – I wrote about their BODEQUALITY initiative here.

Since Athleta made sweeping changes to their stores and their sizing, I’ve become a major fan. Their Elation Ultra High Rise leggings are my very favorite, and I wear them at least 3X a week, whether for lounging or for riding the Peloton. It’s important for me to note that while I’m a major fan of the brand, I also acknowledge that their sizing still isn’t as wide-ranging as it could be. Their size 3X is a generous size 26 in my opinion (I’m usually a 28 and have fit into the dozens of items I’ve tried) and there are many people who fall outside of that size that aren’t being served by the brand. I truly hope that the larger sizes at Athleta sell well and make a strong business case for expanding their range. I wish we didn’t need to have business cases to prove we’re worth making clothes for, but it’s the reality we live in. It’s only made more challenging by the fact that so many women don’t realize certain sizes are actually available in-stores when we’ve been excluded for so long.

How to get the Athleta Friends & Family discount:

Athleta makes you work a little bit to get the 20% off Friends & Family discount, but it’s easy enough!

• Become a Rewards Member – you can sign up here if you’re not already a member. It’s free and you earn points with each purchase that get turned into store credit.
• Get a postcard from store or a friend/family member: These contain codes you can use in-store or online
• Go into a store and ask for the discount during the sale period, September 9th-13th, 2021

Athleta Try On

I went a little overboard with items and had a full dressing room! It’s just exciting to have options, and I appreciate the staff being so helpful. I’m wearing all items in size 3X or 26. Here are some of the things I tried:

This yellow/chartreuse is so fun. It’s one of my favorite colors to wear, but it’s so hard to find anywhere. I’m still thinking about this vest, and have an idea of how I want to style it. This was my first time trying the Ultimate Stash Pocket tights, and they were nice and had good compression if you’re looking for that. The camo sweatshirt was a surprise – the thumbholes were a fun detail.

I have this Conscious Crop top/bra in white, and really liked this muted lilac color with these joggers. I will say that I think their bras aren’t really right for me as I tend to get spillage on the sides because the cups are too small. I’m a G cup, so I think if you’re truly in the DD- range, it might work. I use them as tops while I ride my bike, and wear my ENELL Racer bra underneath.

Also, I have no idea what kind of print these joggers are meant to be, but I fell in love with them as soon as I put them on. The fabric is dreamy, they’re high-waisted, and I like the colors. Maybe there’s a story behind the print name: Meadow Decadent Chocolate?! In any case, spoiler alert, I took these home.

This sweater is so ridiculously soft – it’s a poly/merino wool blend that is cozy, but not hot (if that makes any sense). It also comes in a lilac color, which you can jump to the end of this post to see.

The Pranayama Wrap is one of Athleta’s most popular items, and it’s for good reason. The fabric is so soft and cozy, and it can be worn over anything. I own it in a blue shade, and this black felt like a must-have completer piece.

The Zephyr Tank is perfect for work or travel – the fabric doesn’t wrinkle and is slick and lightweight while still feeling luxe. The cut was unique and I appreciated that the highest part of the bottom hem still left my stomach covered. They have this fabric in a few different tops, and I want to try those eventually.

I love a vest, and this featherless one has a smaller quilt and an inner string at the waist to pull in if you want some more shape. It has 2-way zippers and zippered pockets. The Outbound top feels like an elevated long sleeve tee. I liked the fabric so much that I tried it in black and brown. The Farallon joggers are really comfortable and have more of a slub knit/weathered feel. I was supposed to be in Montana this week for work (moved to virtual because of rising cases), and this definitely would have been one of my top travel outfits.

Again, soft fabrics are a staple at Athleta, and I think I could live in this sweatshirt all winter.

I don’t love the combo of items I assembled above, but I do love everything seperatley. The top is the same as the black one I had above, and the color is a unique, warm neutral. The moto jacket is rare in that it’s both structured and stretchy – a great cut, seaming, and asymmetrical zip all help. You can’t see much of the pants here, but I bought them because they’re a comfortable wide leg that doesn’t wrinkle, are perfect for traveling or being on the go, and look polished with a tuxedo stripe down the side of each leg.

Again, cozy sweatsrhit. This particular one was much thicker and had a more boxy shape than others I’ve tried. Nice, but not right for me and my long torso.

This V neck is so soft and cozy, but still looks polished. I would wear it with jeans, trousers, or even a pencil skirt (with a front tuck.) I bought it – had to have it. The Brooklyn joggers aren’t for me. They have a sheen to them that seems to accentuate my lower belly and much preferred the other 2 jogger styles I tried.

I was looking forward to trying some of Athleta’s dresses, but they didn’t have many in-store. I’ve eyed this Presidio dress all summer, and the staff found one for me in the sale section. I think it’s intended for summer, but it’d be really cute with a denim jacket. I might pick this up in black online as it may be more versatile than this lilac.

These were some of my favorite items that I left with, in addition to the Nolita wide leg pants and the Sunset V-neck:

Conscious Crop D-DD+ in White
Salutation Textured Joggers in Meadow Decadent Chocolate
Pranayama Wrap in Black
Hanover Sweater in Shasta Purple

Athleta Giveaway:

I’m giving away 3, $50 Athleta Shop Cards on my Instagram! Head to the post here and enter before September 12th. I’ll mail them out the 13th, so you won’t be able to use them for this sale, but you can score some other items later!