From butt-lifting leggings to waffle fabric trousers, Halara's activewear has been all over our TikTok feeds recently. Showing up in influencer shopping hauls and in-app advertisements, Halara is being praised for its range of styles, inclusive sizing, and affordable prices. But! While Halara is undeniably popular in the digital world... does it hold up in an IRL sweaty hot Pilates session?
To find out, four Cosmopolitan editors shopped their own Halara haul and ordered a selection of bestsellers from the brand.
Scroll on for our honest review on Halara activewear and for all the deats on how we put the pieces through their paces...
How we put Halara to the test
I, along with some other editors, chose some of our favourite styles from the site along with bestsellers. We wore them throughout our entire workday, during tough workout classes, and of course while bopping around with friends. The styles boast top-tier comfort and versatility, so you can truly wear the brand for any type of occasion – from pilates class to a fancy dinner. Some pieces definitely performed better than others… but we'll get into that in a bit.
Easy Peezy Dress
Pros:
- Easy for everyday wear
- Bathroom-friendly shorts
- Built-in side pockets
Cons:
- The built-in bra might not be enough support for larger chests
- One editor felt the built-in shorts ran small
Jasmine's take
I was excited to see what all the workout dress hype was about, and it's safe to say that the virality is definitely warranted. The fabric is super soft while still being supportive enough to work out in—it immediately became my go-to dress for pickleball. And of course, there are a bunch of different silhouettes, colours, and lengths to choose from.
Hannah's take
"I wore my Halara dress two days in a row when I first opened it up because oh my gosh it is so comfortable?!" exclaims shopping editor Hannah. "It's honestly the ultimate lazy girl outfit, I throw it on when I don't want to think about what to wear, and so many people complimented me on it! This might be TMI but it's so pee-friendly. The shorts are attached to the dress in the front but open in the back, so if you hate the feeling of fully undressing in a public restroom you'll love that you can just slip down the attached shorts."
Kim's take
"The silhouette of this dress is so cute and I love how thick the material is," says deputy shopping director Kim Duong. "The easy on-and-off built-in shorts are a genius design. I'm in between sizes and sized up with this dress, but I found that the shorts were still a bit too tight and bunched up a lot, which made doing squats an even less enjoyable experience. Overall, it's a cute dress that I'd wear for errands or light cardio. But I'd skip it for higher-intensity workouts."
Best customer review
"Comfy, fun dress. Perfect for exploring on holiday – the little built-in undershorts prevented thigh chafing. No need for a bra; great dress."
Backless Cut Out Dress
Pros:
- Lightweight
- Cute design
Cons:
- Back hook closure can be tricky to put on when in a rush
Kim's take
And because you could never have too many dresses, Kim also tried out the Backless Cut Out style. "This dress is so cute with its back cutouts, twist design, and flared silhouette. It's an easy number to throw on when you want to be casual but still feel cute," says Kim. "The material is slightly lighter than the OG Easy-Peezy dress, but still durable and substantial. I personally prefer the feel of this thinner fabric—it's also cooling which makes sweaty workouts or running errands in the summer more comfortable."
Best customer review
"I'm usually between a 6 and an 8 so was conflicted with XS or S but S fits perfectly. Really comfortable to wear and definitely one of my favourite things I own! Lovely colour that is accurate to the advertised colour (majolica blue). Clasp is easy to do myself which is rare for dresses but I'm also confident in how secure it is, and that I can really move and it won't come undone. Really flattering!"
Breezeful Pleated Skirt
Pros:
- Versatile
- Has built-in shorts
- Comes in plaid patterns too
Cons:
- Slit makes it fly up a bit easily (but it has built-in shorts!)
Meg’s take
"ICYMI, Taylor Swift wore this unique tennis skirt to Coachella, and after trying it myself, I can truthfully say it checks all the boxes," says associate shopping editor Meg Uy. "Unlike other athleisure skirts, it has a cool, adjustable buckle strap on the thigh that gives the sporty piece an edgy touch. I love how it exposes the built-in spandex shorts on the left side for a lil skin-baring moment. Its sweat-wicking fabric is incredibly lightweight and breathable, which is perfect for those days when you're out and about for hours. The one gripe I had was that the skirt would fly up easily even with a light breeze and I was constantly having to keep it down."
Best customer review
"Oh my god, I absolutely love it! I kept seeing this on my TikTok page, usually I wouldn't get stuff I'd seen on TikTok, but I took a chance and glad I did! The material is lovely it's soft and buttery like, it has stretch, the skirt is lovely and flowy. It's giving cute, edgey and sexy all at the same time! GET IT!"
Our Halara review: the details
The quality
I was a bit skeptical of the materials since the price was so low compared to other athleisure brands, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is everything buttery soft and super stretchy, but I also found the workout clothes to actually be pretty supportive. The Easy Peezy Dress has a built-in bra that is sturdy enough to eliminate the need for a full sports bra, plus that bathroom-friendly built-in shorts design is game-changing. The material is not only comfortable, but also smoothing on the body. Over the three months of testing (and washing) our clothes, the quality has held up well without any pilling.
The sizing
We appreciated that the size range starts at an XS and goes up to a 3X in every single style and that overall the pieces fit pretty true to size. We did find that one dress ran slightly smaller than another dress (despite being the same size and of a similar design) and that the built-in shorts rode up a bit too much, making them unideal for high-intensity workouts. In everyday clothes, like the trousers and dresses, we felt that there was ample comfort and elasticity for all-day wear.
The designs
We love all the different silhouette options Halara has to offer (no wardrobe fatigue here!). And that easy-on/off backless shorts design? Game-changing! We also love that Halara takes pride in incorporating community feedback when designing clothes. They use customer reviews and algorithms in order to create top-tier designs that are as fashionable as they are practical. For example, customers wanted to be able to use the bathroom while sporting the dresses, and Halara delivered—its backless shorts design was created! When customers wanted a longer dress, Halara made different length options!
Our final verdict on Halara
Despite some slight fit issues, overall, we would highly recommend Halara for any of your wardrobe needs. In search of some new office outfits? They have a plethora of business-casual designs.
Looking for a workout outfit? You can find everything including sports bras, leggings, and of course the viral Easy Peezy dress. You can even shop for a special occasion with their line of comfy-yet-elegant dresses. Everything looks super chic, while providing top-tier comfort for all-day wear for just a fraction of the price.
Jasmine Hyman is the Assistant Beauty Editor at Cosmopolitan, where she writes about the latest beauty trends and must-have products. Her most prized beauty possessions are a meticulous skincare routine and salon blowouts. You’ll also likely find her in bed reading a good book or endlessly scrolling TikTok (spoiler: it’s usually the latter) while listening to Harry Styles’ entire discography on repeat. Follow her on Insta to be inundated with pictures of her meals.
