Zella Activewear Reviews: Live In Leggings and Bike Shorts, Sports Bra, Studio Pocket Leggings, Restore Soft Pocket Lounge Leggings and Longline Bra
This post was a long time in the making… I’ve purchased a variety of Zella leggings since the 2015 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, and I’ve since amassed quite the collection of leggings (plus a couple of sports bras and a pair of bike shorts!). I figured it was well past time to do a giant review of all of my Zella activewear, especially now that the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is underway.
Zella is an in-house Nordstrom brand, meaning that no one else carries Zella except for Nordstrom. I had heard great things about their Live In leggings, which is what inspired me to purchase them six years ago! I tended to buy something new by Zella in every Nordstrom sale since, and I must say that some of my most recent Zella purchases are also my favorite. They are my go-to leggings!
Let’s dive in to this GIANT list of Zella reviews! (I currently own 11 items plus I included two recent returns for a total of 13 items reviewed!)
Read next: My past Nordstrom Anniversary Sale purchases
For sizing reference, my current pandemic size is XS-S/0-2/25-26 depending on the item. Before the pandemic, I was typically a size XS/0/25. I am borderline petite at 5’4” and have broad shoulders and long arms. I tend to size up in tops for extra room in the shoulders and length in the sleeves. I buy a mix of petite and regular length jeans and pants depending on the inseam.
ZELLA REVIEWS
Live In Leggings (black and navy, size XS)
The Live In leggings are the OG Zella leggings. My black pair was the first pair I purchased back in 2015. Notice how the navy pair is a higher rise—I purchased those in 2018 and they had lengthened the rise! I much prefer the higher rise. I find the Live In leggings to be substantial, and the material isn’t thin or scratchy. (Though the navy pair feels slightly stiffer, if that makes sense?) They are reversible. I do wish they had pockets, and the length is a bit too long for me (they pool at my ankles). I don’t reach for these as much after gaining weight (too tight now) and buying new pairs, so they will be passed on to new owners soon.
How I wore the Live In Leggings: in an “at home” style sudoku (navy), with cozy things to work from home (navy), with a wubby pullover (black), with black and grey for the outdoors (black)
Live In Capris (black, size XS)
I purchased the Live In Capris (similar cropped leggings) at the same time I bought the OG Live In leggings in 2015. I figured I’d want another style to mix things up, and these just haven’t been worn often enough to warrant keeping them around. These are the same quality as the regular Live In leggings but are cropped (and hit just below the knee on me). Notice how the rise is a tad lower. These are also too tight on me now.
Impulse Sports Bra (black, size XS)
After not buying anything Zella in 2016, I picked up the Impulse Sports Bra (similar or similar) in 2017. I’ve noticed that Zella sports bras are not as highly rated as their leggings, but I took a chance on this sports bra anyway. It’s hard to tell, but there are seams running along the front of the cups that are obvious if you wear a shirt over it. I’m a huge fan of the strappy back! This came with removable cups that are of course a pain in the butt when washing. Unfortunately this sports bra is now too tight on me and it feels like I might dislocate my shoulders when taking it off lol.
Live In Pocket 7/8 Leggings (black, size XS)
I was delighted to find 7/8 leggings in the 2019 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale! I ordered the Live In Pocket 7/8 Leggings (new high rise version) to compare them to the OG Live In leggings, and these fit me way better in the length. 7/8 is the way to go if you’re petite (or borderline petite!). I also love how these have POCKETS!!! I didn’t find the material to be scratchy or rough, and they’re also a good thickness. I just wish the rise was higher! Not sure I can go back to anything below high-rise anymore. The unfortunate thing about these leggings is they tend to slide down a bit.
How I wore the Live In Pocket 7/8 Leggings: in an “at home” style sudoku
Live In High Waist Pocket 7/8 Leggings (grey forged and green urban, size XS)
I panic bought two pairs of the Live In High Waist Pocket 7/8 Leggings at the start of the pandemic because for some reason I felt like I needed more leggings to wear to WFH. LOL. I honestly didn’t realize these leggings were a different style than the black leggings above until I started putting this post together. These fit almost exactly like the leggings above, except these have a higher rise, and I definitely feel more comfortable in a higher rise these days. Otherwise these are exactly the same (and these also slide down a little bit with wear…).
I will say that Nordstrom completely misrepresented the green urban color. Their stock photos made it seem like it was a dark olive green, so imagine my surprise when this sort of blue-green pair of leggings showed up. I haven’t had that issue with leggings in other colors so hopefully it was just a fluke! Obviously I didn’t care enough to return them, haha.
How I wore the Live In High Waist Pocket 7/8 Leggings: in an “at-home” style sudoku (grey)
Live In High Waist Pocket Bike Shorts (black, size XS)
I also ordered the Live In High Waist Pocket Bike Shorts at the start of the pandemic, thinking I’d need more lounge-y short options for working from home during the summer months. I really love these shorts and wish they still fit as comfortably as they did when I first got them! I wish I had gotten a size small. Oh well. I love how the fabric is thick without being super compressive, and of course, the pockets are extremely useful. The inseam is also a great length if you happen to be petite!
How I wore the Live In High Waist Pocket Bike Shorts: in an “at home” style sudoku
High Waist Studio Pocket 7/8 Leggings (black, size XS)
I purchased the High Waist Studio Pocket 7/8 Leggings (similar “lite” version) in the 2020 Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I actually bought these in the very last minute of the sale, and they ended up being one of my favorite Zella purchases thus far! I wish I had gotten another pair (or another color). These still fit me like a DREAM, even in XS. They’re stretchy and conforming without being thin or revealing of my lumps and bumps. The length is perfect, and there’s pockets! The high rise is snug without digging in, and they don’t slide down. These truly are the dream leggings for me.
How I wore the High Waist Studio Pocket 7/8 Leggings: with a wubby pullover in the snow, with cozy things to work from home
Restore Soft Lounge Longline Bra (black, size XS)
Another 2020 NAS purchase was the Restore Soft Lounge Longline Bra and the coordinating leggings (see below). I REALLY love this set! The bra is more of a lounge bra than a sports bra (hence the name), but you could probably get away with something low impact like yoga or walks around the neighborhood. It’s not super supportive for much more than that. It’s basically a crop top with a built in bra and fun strappy back!
How I wore the Restore Soft Lounge Longline Bra: with the matching leggings to hike at Grand Teton
Restore Soft Pocket Lounge Leggings (black, size XS)
I couldn’t get the bra and not get the matching Restore Soft Pocket Lounge Leggings! I absolutely LOVE these leggings. The length hits my ankle without pooling, and the fabric is stretchy, soft, and not see-through (the three Ss, if you will!). I find them incredibly comfortable to sit in. Plus, pockets! I opted for the black color because the pocket seams were less noticeable, but I’m highly tempted by the other colors in the NAS this year. I just love them!
How I wore the Restore Soft Pocket Leggings: with a wubby pullover to hike near Boise, with the matching bra to hike at Grand Teton
High Waist Studio Lite Pocket 7/8 Leggings (olive branch, size S)
Renew 7/8 High Waist Leggings (pink mauve, size S)
This year, during the Nordstrom Half-Yearly Sale at the end of spring/beginning of summer, I ordered a couple more pairs of Zella leggings in new styles to try. As I mentioned multiple times before, I’m more of a size small than a size extra small these days, so I wanted to see how size small compared. Long story short, both of these leggings were unfortunately returned.
I though the High Waist Studio Lite Pocket 7/8 Leggings were the same style I ordered in the 2020 NAS, but it turns out the leggings from NAS didn’t have “Lite” in the name. And sure enough, these leggings were different. They felt thinner and the color looked splotchy up close. The small also felt tighter than all of my other leggings, which are size XS!
The Renew 7/8 High Waist Leggings didn’t work out for the same reasons (even though I was closer to keeping these): wasn’t a fan of the thin fabric and size small felt too small compared to the size XS leggings I already own. These leggings might work better in darker colors but then I’d worry about underwear showing through…
