Stonewear Nimble Shorts and X-Back Top

Stonewear’s been around a little while now. Long enough to get on my radar but not long enough for their stuff to be seen with any regularity in Alaska. We’re a few years behind everyone else.  This was really a shame in the mid-90s, let me tell you. I thought we were past it but I did see a real, honest-to-Dog mullet a few days ago, so maybe we’re not just “a few” years behind after all.

Stonewear sent up a sports bra and a pair of long shorts. I would have picked neither on my own. Sports bras seem to last me forever (I haven’t purchased any new ones since before 2005 and I’ve yet to ever actually wear one out) and long shorts…well, I live in Alaska, so if we can wear shorts ever, they probably won’t be long ones. Still, one thing I’ve learned in this gig, if you let the client pick the gear they want you to review, you might end up pleasantly surprised. These were great items and I’m intrigued to check out more Stonewear now.

Cross Back Top

Just look at that photo. Looks like a normal sports bra, yeah? I haven’t had much luck with the crossback sports bra style in the past. It tends to be less supportive and more “diggy” as in, digs into my flesh. Boy, was I surprised when I put this baby on, though – I loved it! There is something about the cut of this top that goes way past the typical. I usually opt for racerbacks because this style of top tends to lend the wearer those lovely back rolls that spill over the top, making it really not cute to wear without a shirt over (and with a pattern this adorable, you want to wear it without a top – really you do), but somehow this bra completely eliminates that problem. It also gives great coverage on the sides which makes it feel nice and secure. If I ever were to climb in the desert, I would want to climb in this top. I have not yet identified the tiny little shorts that will similarly eliminate unwanted lumps and bumps, so stay tuned on that, and in the meantime, I’d probably climb in these shorts instead:

Nimble Shorts 

I look different in these shorts than the model. My shorts fit a little looser and baggier. I feel so skater-y in them. But I love them. The fabric is soft and swingy and the cut is great. They’re nice and low but they don’t expose any coin slots when you bend over, making them good for every occasion. I’ve worn them hiking, to the gym, and around the house. I like them at the gym; it’s great to be able to wear shorts and not show any extra somethin’ when you’re using the leg press machine, if you know what I mean.

I found the fabric a little warm for hiking, strangely enough. Then again it’s been unreasonably warm in Alaska this summer so maybe that’s just the weather. Temps in the 80s feel like a nuclear inferno to us.  I also wasn’t super nuts about the long, off-center drawstring. It’s cute and all but it does sometimes get in the way and the shorts are tailored well enough that you don’t really need a drawstring at all.

Generally the Nimble shorts won me over to longer shorts, so on overly warm but overcast-with-no-chance-of-tan days, I love these. It’s also really hard to get them washed because I wear them to sleep in as much as possible.

I’ve really enjoyed this round of Stonewear product exploration. So far, so good – can’t wait to check out the rest of the line!