Unless you’ve been living under a rock the past few months, you’ve seen something about leggings. Out shopping, you’ve probably spotted someone with some kind of wacky printed leggings. On Facebook you’ve gotten the invite to the party to buy a pair. Maybe you’ve been thinking about jumping in on the trend but don’t know if it’s worth the cost of them. I was on the fence myself. Never did I think I would willingly put myself in a pair of spandex pants and leave the house. Imagine my shock as I was actually paying money to do just that! A friend invited me to a Facebook party she was having so I accepted the invitation and placed my order for the party – a pair of simple (in the leggings world) of black and red plaid style leggings and a plain black top. Since I hadn’t tried the popular name brand leggings and wouldn’t be able to make a fair comparison, I decided to reach out to a friend who sells the other brand and get an outfit from her too. I picked a fairly plain pattern and a plain light pinkish top to match. Now that I’m the proud owner of two pairs of leggings and two shirts, let me tell you what I’ve learned:
The Looks
First off let me start with the looks. My 12 year old took these pictures for me. I had to weed through several dozen of them because he’s more of a “hold the button down for a few seconds and hope one turns out” than “let’s take a second and take a couple good ones” kind of photographer. I ordered the Abby + Anna (A+A) look from a friend’s party and the Lula Roe (LLR) from a friend who’s a consultant when she had one of her album sales.
LLR
A+A
Leggings
Both the leggings LLR and A+A seemed super soft on the outside. So soft actually that I caught myself rubbing my legs throughout the day (not something I would normally do in my jeans or sweatpants…lol). I was really worried about how the leggings would look. Having big thighs (and legs and belly..), I was so worried the print or pattern was going to be horribly distorted once I got them on. Because the sizing is such a wide range, I didn’t know how it would work. A size 12 body isn’t like a size 20 body so selling leggings that fit both made me a little bit nervous. I didn’t need to be nervous about the pattern distortion at all. Neither of them stretched and looked weird.
I preferred the A+A waistband more personally because it was thinner than the LLR waistband. It didn’t give me too many problems folding over once I found the right spot for it. (Maybe if I had a flatter belly this wouldn’t be a problem??)
As far as length of the leggings goes, I was worried because I generally have to buy tall jeans or pants to make sure they’re long enough for me. This wound up not being a problem for me at all. The A+A were slightly longer than LLR but honestly the different wasn’t much at all.
Shirts
LLR shirt sleeves are a little bit longer than the A+A sleeves. LLR had the feel and texture of a regular t-shirt type shirt while the A+A shirt was super soft and had a bit more of a dressy look. I think either could easily be dressed up with some jewelry or kept casual just the way they are. One thing I wasn’t a fan of was the hanger straps in the A+A shirt. You do kind of need them if you’re going to hang the shirt, but they’re in an awkward place and hard to keep inside the shirt while you’re wearing it.
Ordering
Ordering from either is a bit tricky honestly. LLR you need to find a consultant (or several depending on what you’re looking for) and follow their group to see when a sale is going to happen. Many of these are first come, first serve so if you have your heart set on something, have some money set aside and make yourself available the second their sale opens. A+A’s website is available any time but restocking usually occurs Tuesday and Thursday so those are your best bets when you’re trying to get the best selection. Popular items do tend to sell out quickly so touch base with your consultant if you’re looking for something specific. They might be able to keep an eye on the website and let you know when something’s back in stock so you can order.
A Few Other Things
Both brands offer other options as well if you’re not a fan of leggings. From capris to dresses to Mommy and Me styles, there are really a lot of different things and hopefully you can find something. These also make a really great gift. Since you don’t have to buy something in a super specific size, picking up something neutral and having it shipped right to the recipient is a great way to take care of holiday shopping without stressing about knowing the exact size of the person you’re buying for.
Check the sizing too! Some things run true to size (TTS) while some things run a bit bigger. I ordered a size smaller than I’d normally wear in both shirts. Your consultants will know how things run if you’ve got a question on something you’ve got to order in a specific size.
A+A customer service was beyond awesome! My order shipped quickly but the communication was just as quick when I noticed a small hole in my shirt. I simply returned it and was issued a refund so I could purchase a replacement or different item that was in stock. I didn’t have any issues with the LLR items so I can’t speak to the company’s customer service but with their extensive network of consultants and massive fan base, I would hope it’s just as good.
Do you have a favorite item from either of these brands? Share it in the comments please so I can start of list of pieces I need to look for.
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