OK, I'll admit that I sometimes trawl through the Sweaty Betty website considering my next purchase, and the Super Soft Crop Strappy Vest is an item that I had come back to many a time before finally deciding to take the plunge and give it a go. In fact, Sweaty Betty has a whole collection called the Super Soft family which features clothing designed for yoga. If you were interested, I’ve also reviewed the leggings from this range. 

Anyway - onto this review!

Summary

The Super Soft Crop Vest was created with yoga, pilates and barre in mind and I must say that It is a thoughtfully designed item. It has lovely soft fabric, a fitted design that still allows you to breathe easily and the strappy back detail creates a fun and interesting feature. All in all, I’m a big fan of this top and I quickly realised that it was going to be difficult to find many faults with it. However, do read on if you are interested in the further nitty gritty details! 

Pros

• The strappy design on the back provides added fun/flair
• Top is snug and supportive but not too firm
• Panelling on the front creates a lovely shape and structure
• Fabric is indeed very soft
• Removable bra cups 

Cons

• Fabric can ride up slightly when inverted or moving between certain poses
• Removable cups can shift between wears/washes and require readjustment 

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Material

The Super Soft Strappy Vest is made from 69% Polyamide and 31% Elastane. Like the name suggests, it is very soft to wear and has a slightly brushed, matte appearance. The fabric feels substantial in terms of thickness but not in an overly bulky way. 

Appearance

Fit/Style

In terms of appearance, this vest is up there for me as far as yoga tops go. It has a flattering V-neck with fairly thick front straps and like the Super Soft Leggings, it’s a structured fit which provides plenty of support whilst wearing it. The cropped design is also a great length that sits somewhere in between a bra and a standard length yoga tank. 

Also, we can’t scoot over the strappy back design as this is a stand out feature of the top. I personally love an intricate back design as it adds a bit of style and flair to what might otherwise be a plain tank. YES, I know that yoga isn’t about aesthetics, but if you are going to spend your hard earned £ on a quality vest, it may as well be an attractive design right? It depends who you ask. 

Coverage

I think Sweaty Betty have got the coverage bang-on with this neckline as whilst the V-neck opens up your chest and shoulders in a flattering way, it’s still high enough that you are adequately covered and there is little chance of ‘falling out’ or nip slips during practice. 

In terms of length, you could pair it with mid to high waisted bottoms, depending on how much skin you prefer to show. I particularly appreciate the length being cropped as it’s great for those with short torsos (me) as there is no chance of fabric bunching around your mid section or hips, which is sometimes a problem. 

In the pics provided, I’m wearing it with high waisted leggings so it meets the top of my leggings without any skin showing, however I would expect on most people that the bottom of your belly will be visible to some extent wearing this. Regardless of your torso length, it’s a cute design that all different bodies could enjoy wearing. 

Removable cups 

There are removable bra cups that provide good padding and nipple coverage. It’s nice to have the option to keep them in or remove them, depending on your preference. Like most tops with removable cups though, the cups can be a bit of a pain as they tend to float around in the top and get twisted in between wears. However, I haven’t had any trouble with them moving around whilst I’m wearing the vest which is the main thing. 

Colours/Patterns

At the time of writing this review, this vest has 5 colour options. Most of these are in solid colours but there is one patterned option. The particular colour that I own is a gorgeous shade of Teal that is named ‘Agate Blue’ 

Comfort

While wearing

Overall, I’d describe this top as high on comfort.

I was worried there was a chance that the strappy back would dig in when lying on my back but this doesn’t seem to be the case. I’ve worn this during savasana, happy baby and various supine poses and I’ve found it to be all good on this front.

If I was to be pedantic, the bottom of the top does ride up slightly during the course of your yoga practice which can expose a bit more of your tummy than when you are staying still in it. This is hard to avoid though as the reality is that a cropped top doesn’t cover your whole torso (that’s kind of the point). Therefore, I’d say that’s the risk you take if you choose to wear a yoga top that is shorter in length and you will need to be comfortable with showing a bit of skin as you invert or move between poses.

Support

This vest provides somewhere between light to medium support. I wouldn’t say it’s completely in the ‘light’ category due to the fact that the paneling and the seams create a snug fit against your body that provides a fair amount of structure. However whilst this might be so, I still find it really comfy to practice in and it doesn’t restrict my breath or dig into any parts of my chest or back. 

Breathable?

The open neckline and cropped aspect of the top certainly allows you to stay nice and cool if you are to work up a sweat. This top has also been designed to be breathable and sweat-wicking which is really important for yoga and I have found it to be effective on both fronts. 

What type of activity is this best for?

This tank is suitable for most forms of yoga from gentle flows to more challenging power yoga. I would argue that it’s slightly too firm to wear to a restorative class if you are sensitive to form-fitting clothing but this would differ from person to person. Outside of yoga I would wear this for a gym workout but I wouldn’t find it supportive enough to go running in. 

Sizing

This tank top is available in sizes XXS - XXL which corresponds with UK size 6 - UK size 20. 

I’m usually a size 10 UK so I opted for the small which fits really nicely. I also tried on the medium but it was noticeably big around the bust (causing some gaping) and the waist. Based on my experience, I’d say this top is true to size. Sweaty Betty suggests that you size up if you are in between sizes. 

Quality

After washing

Sweaty Betty recommend that you wash this garment at at 40°C (104°F) on reduced spin.

I personally wash this in a delicates bag to avoid the strappy back getting caught on anything inside the washing machine such as zips from other clothing etc. So far this top washes nicely and holds its shape well. 

Durability

I have a feeling that this will continue to be a fairly hard-wearing vest due to the thickness and quality of the fabric. I haven’t noticed any pilling or warping of the fabric to date, however I will continue monitoring this and will update this review should it change.  

Price

£60 - £65