Fit Fashion Sports Bra Review: Brooks Epiphany Bra II
I am not shy about the fact that I love discount shopping. Why should anyone have to pay an arm and a leg for quality items, you know? For that reason, I love TJ Maxx and Marshalls for picking up fitness gear when I don’t have a lot of time to shop (or when I have to pass the activewear section to get to the home goods…).
Last week, I stopped by the TJ Maxx in Olney, Maryland. That TJ Maxx has an amazing activewear section. Seriously! There were so many big names, and the prices were great!
One thing that kept calling out my name was the Brooks Epiphany Bra II sports bra. I know that Brooks is a great brand for runners, but I’ve never tried on a single sports bra from the brand. They had a bunch, and in different colors. One red flag before I went to the fitting room: They only came in letter sizes (e.g. S, M, L). Ruh roh…
I grabbed two sizes because I wasn’t sure where I would fit. With my size, the guidelines on the tags didn’t seem to suggest one or the other, so I grabbed both. It’s a good thing I did that, though, because then I could get a real feel for this sports bra.
Comfort: The material felt good, but the fit just wasn’t right. I tried on the medium, and it fit in the band, but was too snug everywhere else. I tried on the large, and the band was saggy, it was so big, but the rest felt comfortable enough.
Design: I like the racerback design of it, but other than that, it has some major flaws. The band isn’t sturdy enough, and the sports bra is a little too low cut to really be practical.
Support: None. Seriously, I could hold my hands over my chest, and it would be more supportive (though my arms would be wicked sore. That wimpy band… I’m telling you. It is the worst. The cups aren’t molded or separated in any way, so there’s no support there either.
Colors: If there is anything that is working with this bra, it’s the color. There were several color options at TJ’s, though, these same color options do not appear to be available anywhere else, which is kind of a bummer. It looks like pink, blue, black, and powder blue are the only colors currently available at what I will refer to as regular retailers, including Brooks’ online store.
Cost: $*
At TJ Maxx, this bra is obviously pretty cheap; however, at $29 for the same name but slightly different sports bra online through Brooks and REI, it’s relatively inexpensive. Nevertheless, I just don’t think it’s worth the money.
Pros: Color section and the fact that they’re available at TJ Maxx.
Cons: This sports bra is clearly not meant to be worn while, you know, participating in a sport. If it had some molding and a better designed band, I might have given it a second thought. Additionally, the sizing just seems odd. I normally wear a medium in sports bras when they don’t come in cup sizes, but the medium here was just way off, and the large wasn’t right either. I felt like the Goldilocks of sports bras in that fitting room. 🙁
TL; DR: If I was looking for a bumping around bra, this would be good. As far as using it for any sort of exercise, heck no. One downward dog, and we’d have an overflowing boob situation. I don’t even want to think about what would happen to me if I tried to play volleyball or run in it. Yikes! Despite the awesome price at TJ Maxx, I say skip this one.