Review
Last week I posted this picture on Instagram, with the following caption:
“Guys, I tried to hate it, I really did. But I don’t. Actually, I love it. Like lots.”
So what is it? And why did I want to hate it?
And mostly…why do I love it?
***Edit: This company is no longer in business. wahhhh.***
What It Is
It’s Ellie, the new fashion-focused, super comfortable line of workout gear for women.
Why I Wanted to Hate It
Ellie is the reincarnation of pv.body, the company that hand-picked luxury workout gear and made it magically appear on your doorstep every month. {Read why I wasn’t a fan of pv.body.} To say the company had some hiccups is an understatement. There were issues with returns, customer service, and the biggest of all: the mysterious switch from popular brands of workout gear to their own brand new clothing line. I felt it was sketchy, to say the least.
Why I Tried It
After having some issues with promotion codes not working and receiving the same outfit twice, I’d almost given up on customer service helping me out. Then I found Hope, who was more than helpful and extremely apologetic. She sent a replacement outfit, and without me asking, also sent me a sample from Ellie’s first collection of fitness clothing.
Why I Love It
So here’s the deal. I wanted to hate it. I wanted to hate the company. But when I tore open that signature shiny pink package, the clothes looked cute; they looked comfy; they felt divine. I had to put them on. They were calling to me: weaaaarrrrr meeeeeeeee!
Guys. SO comfortable. Like more comfortable than the Lulu that everyone obsesses over. And cute. AND fit. Perfectly.
I wore my outfit 3 days in a row. {Seriously, ask anyone that saw me at the gym or picking the little man up from school. Not ashamed.} It was in the name of testing it out, I promise. 
What I Got
The Bottoms
I got the New Obsession Leggings. They’re dark grey, full-length leggings. Seamless. Waistband-less. Yeah, that’s a thing and I love it- no, they don’t fall down and they don’t pinch either. These leggings are skin-hugging without being too tight, especially behind the knees {a weird pet peeve of mine}. The subtle two-tone pattern makes your legs look badass too- like you have awesome calves & quads.
The Top
Catch Me If You Can Longsleeve top. Charcoal gray with black accents. Luxuriously soft. Lose, but form-fitting. Water & wind resistant. Thumb holes. Roll over hand covers. Enough said. Did I mention soft? I wish they made baby clothes this soft.
Meet Ellie
So what’s the deal?
There are 2 ways to get Ellie.
1. Buy it. See a piece you like? Purchase it or anything else. No other details or requirements. Just normal shopping.
2. Be a Fit Fashionista. Join the Ellie club and go the subscription-based route. You pay $49.95 for any 2 Ellie pieces- 2 tops, 2 bottoms, or 1 of each. It’s a subscription, but you can pause or skip any month, any time. Plus you get free shipping, free exchanges, and first-serve access {pieces are limited time only}.
That’s about $25 per piece. Considering the prices of the items, I’d say that’s a good deal. {Feb: $34.95-$69.95; March: $34.95-$64.95}. Plus, right now you can get 20% off, which makes it less than $20 per item.
Each month, a new collection of 24 pieces debut. Right now you can shop from the February collection {the one my pieces were from} or from the just-released March lineup, the “Little Black Collection”.
So while the company got off to a rocky start and I’m still a little unsure about the whole “let’s switch to our own brand thing”, so far I think it’s a good thing. I MUCH prefer the Ellie clothes to the other items I got. We’ll see, right?!
Have you tried Ellie yet? I’ve seen some awesome pictures on Instagram- I love the electric blue capris and the loose white tank. Would you try Ellie after the whole pv.body debacle?
Psst… I’m revealing my secret life as a human tissue on tiny sneakers today. Head over and tell me your best natural cold remedy secret!
Products
It’s with regret that I even need to write this post, but I’m very careful and considerate of what brands and products I choose to review and/or promote here on with a Side of Sneakers.
Apparently I wasn’t careful enough this time around.
A couple weeks ago I enthusiastic reviewed pv.body, a company that mails high end, name brand workout apparel straight to your doorstep. Pretty cool, right? I thought so too. I was sent a sample outfit to review. While the pieces I received weren’t “name brand” in the sense that I’d heard of them, they were well constructed, made of high quality fabric, and retailed for a higher price than the cost of the monthly subscription.
I thought it was a great concept. So great that I after testing out my sample outfit, I signed up and paid for my own subscription. I signed up with a coupon code during a month with a promotion for an extra free top, making the cost of the first month less than a single piece I would typically pick up at Target. {Seriously can’t beat that.}
That’s when things went downhill.
First, when I checked my credit card statement, my coupon code wasn’t applied. Second, when the pretty pink envelope showed up on my doorstep, there was no extra workout top. Third, I received items of a style I very specifically did not choose in my style quiz. Fourth, I got the same outfit as my first box.
I’m a nice person so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and the opportunity to fix things. That was three weeks ago. The charge has yet to be fixed and I can’t get anyone to help me with the issue of the missing top or switching the outfit. Obviously I’m cancelling my membership.
Normally I would just assume they were busy and they’d get back to me when they could, but then Sarah piped up with some interesting news. File that under “things that make you go hmmmmmm”.
Now I know many people have had some great experiences with the company, especially in regards to changing sizes or swapping styles, but it’s never a good sign in my book when you can’t even get in touch with customer service.
I’m not one to bash companies or throw people under the bus, but when I review something on my blog and encourage you to check it out, I need to feel 100% confident in my recommendation. Unfortunately, I need to retract that support at this time. I hope the company will get there act together and get things sorted out appropriately, but if you were thinking about subscribing I’d suggest holding off for the time being.
Have you tried out Pv. Body yet? How was your experience? What do you think of the whole “bait & switch” tactic?
Review
What if we lived in a world where goodies could magically appear on your doorstep every month?
Oh wait.
We do.
I’m pretty sure the trend started with beauty products {something I know nothing about} and the concept has since exploded into everything imaginable. It’s like a hip version of the fruit of the month club {although I certainly wouldn’t turn down fruit on my doorstep every month either.}
Of course I’m a fan of the food and health product based boxes, but this one might be my favorite so far. Workout clothes. In a box. On my doorstep.
No shopping around, no going to the store, no cheap-o gear. I’m a Target girl through and through. My workout drawer{s} consist of almost entirely Champion C9 gear. I have 2 Lulu pieces I adore, a pile of race shirts, and that’s about it.
Plus it came in a pretty package.
PV.Body sends you a workout outfit every month: one top, one bottom. Brands they work with include Lululemon, American Apparel, Lux, and more. The outfits retail for up to $150, yet the monthly subscription cost is only $49.95. Ok, “only” is a stretch- that’s still a chunk of change when you can get a couple pieces for that amount at your local super store, but it’s not apples to apples.
I was a little disappointed when I first opened my shiny pink package. The pieces I received were from Electric Yoga, a company I’d never heard of, and I’m not a yoga fan. I’d seen Instagram pics of people receiving Lulu and American Apparel, so that’s kind of what I was expecting. But then I tried them on and was admittedly swayed by the quality and fit of both pieces. I received the Compression Capris in black and the Seamless Racer Back Tank in a bright turquoise blue. {The tank is $68; not sure about the pants since they’re out of stock online.} Plus, the tank has it’s own QR code, which is pretty cool.
I LOVE the tank- it’s stretchy and soft and supportive all at the same time. It fits tightly, yet still breathes. The pants are pretty cool, but I probably wouldn’t have pined over them in the store. They’re really thick and suck you in all the right places- exactly like compression gear is supposed to do- and have a cute fold-over waist. I love that they’re black since I tend to wear workout pants over and over again. 
I would probably be more inclined to love these if it were warmer out- right now I’m just itching for a pair of long pants and long sleeves to bundle up in. {Can’t you see me shivering in the awkward self portrait below? And you’d think I’d be used to those after 36 weeks worth of doing them…}
Speaking of that… you’re not just sent a random box of clothes. You take a style quiz online before placing your order. You can change it any time you want {you can also pause or cancel your subscription any time} and returns & exchanges are free and easy. For whatever reason, the quiz I took asked many of my preferences, but didn’t ask what style pants/tops I like. I looked at the quiz online and I could easily select long pants in the winter and shorts in the summer. Good to know!
I think it’s a pretty cool concept, especially for someone who is usually hesitant to fork over a lot of money for one piece of gym wear. But considering I wear workout gear 93.7% of the time, you’d think I could stand to wear something a little nicer once in awhile.
Easy peasy lemon squeezy: pvBody is easy. Take the quiz, sign up and boom, an awesome package arrives at your door each month with a hand picked outfit for you!
Every outfit is styled just for you by a pvBody expert. Each month you receive an outfit worth $150, but you pay just $49.95. You’re getting great, quality pieces for a fraction of the retail cost thanks to the relationships pvBody has built.
pvBody is not just another clothing company, but a lifestyle brand. Their blog is a great place to check out tips and tricks for healthy, delicious meals and at home workouts.
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of pv.body. The opinions and text are all mine. <—except for the gibberishy paragraphs above
The good news for you? –> Signing up for pvBody with this link gets you a $15 Lululemon gift card, plus 25% off your first month subscription.
What type of “box” would you go for? Food? Fitness gear? Beauty products? Books? Video games? Baby stuff?
