Hiking Red Rock in Lane Bryant Sculpting Leggings

Lane

LIVI Active Leggings Review Sarah Sapora

L

Sarah Sapora Lane Bryant Activewear Review

There are  things I have always said that I wanted to do. Hiking? That was one of them. When I started my wellness journey in April of 2016, just the "idea" of going hiking was hard to comprehend. This is coming from the girl who would take her dog for a walk using an extendable leash... standing in one place and letting the dog only go as far as the leash would go because the walking was hard for me. For the last year and a half, there are times I've earmarked for a hike; milestones I said "let's hike to celebrate that" but it never happened. Two birthdays have come and gone and I hadn't given it a spin yet... I was tired of waiting.When Lane Bryant told me they had some new plus size activewear coming out, I didn't need an excuse to actually make it happen. Because that's what life is about, right? MAKE. IT. HAPPEN! SHOW UP FOR YOUR LIFE!These Sculpting Active Leggings aren't the first pair of plus size leggings I have worn from Lane Bryant, but they are by FAR the best. So here is my 100% honest review. And yes, this is a sponsored post -- but if I didn't actually like these leggings I'd find some half-baked way of talking about them politely. So, here you go.Thick Leggings = No See-Through Tush.First off, these leggings are THICK!!!! Which, if you wear leggings a lot (as I do) you know is awesome.  I have tried and tested black leggings from countless brands and I can tell you, up to now, there are only two other brands who make leggings that don't get see through on me. This specific pair from Lane Bryant is the third. NO SEE-THROUGH TUSH!!  I will never forget the moment I realized that my fav black capri leggings were see-through. Argh. When you workout several times a week, as I do, having leggings that actually hold up is super important. Otherwise, truthfully, you throw your money away. And who has money to throw away? Not me. I've worn leggings that cost more than these and are see-through.Tall Peeps, These Are For You!I am five foot four. I also like my leggings to be cropped. These are longer in length. For me, I was pulling them up all the time. I still loved them. If you are plus size and taller, you will have great luck with these. Also, the waist was higher on me, since I have this weird petite torso. If you like a higher waist leggings or you have a longer torso, these will do the trick for you.Compression and Sculpting = Keeps Me Feeling Secure and my Booty Looking AwesomeLeggings come with various degrees of compression. For example, some leggings feel more like fitted pants; they skim your body and are comfortable but allow for lots of jiggle, especially during high-impact activities. I, personally, have lots of jiggle - no shame in admitting that! Some leggings, hug your body and keep your bits and pieces in place... these are the kind of leggings I like. Otherwise (and this sounds really weird, but if you have ever lost weight or had a changing body you will understand what I mean) the reverb of my body bouncing back during high-impact activity gets in the way. The Lane Bryant Sculting Leggings have a solid, good dose of compression;  I felt secure, kind of like a nice and solid hug, the entire duration of my hike.According to the website, these bad boys also have sculpting technology to highlight my curves with body-mapping seams and sculpt my lines. It's hard to see how something looks on you but --- I think these body lines look pretty awesome! There's a hidden pocket in the waistband, which is also nice and thick so it didn't roll down or scrunch under my stomach. So back to the hike. Confession - I've lived in Las Vegas on and off for many years and never (like, never) been to Red Rocks. I literally had NO IDEA what a stunning natural resource was half an hour away. Also... maybe I never really thought about it because the idea of climbing and hiking never really excited me before. Now it does.We arrived in the late morning on an overcast, cooler day. It was in the 60's which, honestly, is perfect weather to hike in Las Vegas. When you get to Red Rock there is a huge loop (it takes about half an hour to drive) and you pick the trails you want to walk off the loop. They are rated by difficulty and some are certainly more popular than others. I started out on one that was labeled as easier, having no idea what it would actually be like... Except to get to the trail areas we had to walk down a huge, rocky hill. This is the kind of hill that would have rendered me totally useless in previous years. That, in itself, would have been all I could do and making my way UP the hill would have left me totally wasted. Not this time.I took each step excited. Careful, but excited. Looking out. Seeing the view before me. Looking at the possibilities. Where could I go? Where would my body take me? One of the single biggest joys on my journey has been discovering the power and strength my body has. Learning what it can do. Giving it space to shine. Testing it. Pushing it. Rising to the occasion, tired but with joy!We veered off the path. Climbing. Sweating. Hauling up rocks. Getting dusty. Finding massive vista views that were so stunning they made me want to cry. There were times I paused for breaks. (That's ok! Take all the breaks you need!) But not once did I say, "Nope, my body can't do that."It felt amazing.I am so grateful for this ever-changing body!In addition to the leggings, I took these two active tops for a test drive as well!First, let's talk about the tank.This is the Wicking Racerback Active Tank Top. Important note -- if you are looking for a tank top that has a shelf bra in it, this does not! You will need to wear a sports bra with this.  There are two things I really like about this tank top.First is the shape, it has a fitted top and then a nice a-line to it. So I felt it was comfy yet fitted and yet it didn't squeeze me too much. But here is the BIG thing. Like, REALLY BIG. Most tank tops in the back cut me in a way that the back fabric gets stuck in my back fat. Sorry to be so straight up, but it does happen. The shirt hangs a bit, and it often gets caught under my arms etc. The line of this tank top in the back was absolute perfection for me - not once did I have to tug it or wiggle it or adjust. It stayed in place the whole time. I can't tell you how much this means to me as a plus size woman who is actually active. When I move, I like my workout gear to stay where it needs to! The last piece I wore, was this French Terry Active Jacket with Hood. This is a totally solid piece of athleisurewear. I enjoyed the lightweight layer during my hike and can easily see wearing it too and from the gym. I would also wear it running errands etc. It's got a drawstring good and contoured seams and dips a bit lower in the back to cover your tush. It also has... thumbholes in the sleeves. Seriously, who doesn't love thumbholes? Why do thumbholes make everything awesome? LOL.I am wearing ALL of these styles in an 18/20 and find that they all run true to size. In the past, I have found some of Lane Bryant activewear to be boxy, which didn't necessarily work for my shape. This collection feels more chic and has a totally different fit than anything I have worn from them before.And now, what you are going to ask me is, it worth it?For me, I'd go with a YES! The leggings are a solid, well-fitting style made from a nice and thick fabric. If you are in the market for a pair, I would totally take the plunge. As I said, in all my time working out there are only three brands whose black leggings have rocked my world -- this pair is the third. I would pay full price and wear them happily. (I have paid full price for leggings before and been mad that I did..... truth. But then I was stuck because I had invested so I wore them anyway and just felt mad at life the whole time. Yup.)If you are on more of a budget, opt for the leggings first and foremost. The tops are great (you'll see me happily wearing each of them a lot on social media in the future) but if you are cost-conscious, spend on the foundation. A solid pair of awesome black leggings that is versatile and well made.Have any questions for me? Let me know!Here's a quick shopping link for each of the styles. (PS- there's no affiliate code here.) Happy shopping!French Terry Jacket with HoodSculpting Active Leggings (At the time of this post, the leggings were $25 off for a single pair!)Wicking Racerback Active TankPS. Lastly... Here's a crazy pic of me that my friends took on the some big rock. WHOOOAA!!!!!! That should give you some cool perspective.Note: This post was done in partnership with Lane Bryant but all opinions expressed are my own. I do not make affiliate commission from the links above (though I fully support influencers who do) and I really would buy these leggings on my own and in real life. The first pair I tried on, a 22/24 was too big. I'm an 18/20 across the board these days. xx