Fabletics Leggings: The PowerHold Story From Kate Hudson's Brand

Fabletics started in 2013 as an online activewear brand co-founded with actress Kate Hudson, living inside the JustFab family, an online subscription business with some 3.5 million active members at the time. Founders Adam Goldenberg, Don Ressler and Ginger Ressler built it, and Hudson came on as a co-founder in 2015.

 

What I find interesting is how involved Hudson was meant to be. Don Ressler said she works with the design team on ideas for the collections, wear tests the new styles and gives design feedback. That is a different story from a name on a hangtag. And the way you got in was a quiz: your workout habits, your color preferences, your size. It is a brand that started by asking what you actually wear, which is a good place for anyone sorting through Fabletics leggings to begin. I went deeper on a related idea in Garage Clothing: The Montreal Mall Brand Behind Perfect Peach Leggings. I went deeper on a related idea in Thrive Causemetics: The Brand Story Behind the Turquoise Tubes.

 

PowerHold is where I would begin. The brand calls it a signature fabric, designed with maximum compression to hold you in without holding you back. In my fashion dreams, an October morning means the Define PowerHold in Desert Shadows, a warm taupe with a smooth V-shaped waistband, under an oversized camel coat. The Merlot 7/8 Define is the one for ankle boots, since the cropped length leaves room for a sock. The On-The-Go in Heated Red has a side phone pocket, which is the detail I would want on an errand day.

 

Then the quieter personalities. The Boost in Admiral Blue and Sapphire Sky has a lace-up back waistband, and the Pink Crush 7/8 version does the crisscross. The Split Hem Define in Deep Navy looks made for white sneakers, and the Heatwave in black adds mesh panels at the calves. Practical tip: pick the length by the shoes you wear most, then the color.

Membership has always been part of how Fabletics works, though a report on the brand notes it is not required to shop, so you can browse like anyone else. The old model asked members each month to pick an outfit or skip. I think about that when I look at this many seamless options: a brand built on choosing is going to give you a lot to choose from.

 

The Seamless Scrunch is the one I would look at first. It comes in Oxblood, a deep red-brown, and Nightfall, a vivid indigo, and the page describes seamless construction with a hidden scrunch detail. In my fashion dreams, the Oxblood goes with a cream cable cardigan and sneakers for a long October walk. The No-Seam PureLuxe TLC comes in Tiramisu, a taupe-brown that reads like a matte neutral, and Berrylicious, a bright raspberry with a contrast waistband seam.

 

Then the fancier ones. The Booty Scrunch V-Back in Espresso has a square neckline and an open back cut-out, so I would keep the top half simple: a fitted long-sleeve, nothing that covers the detail. The TLC Twist 7/8 has a twisted cut-out at the ankle, and the Sweetheart has a curved seam up front. The SculptKnit in black has tonal mesh paneling down the legs, the quietest of the group.

 

Fitting room test: sit down, then bend forward, and check that the waistband stays flat and the seam placement feels right to you. Do it in daylight if you can.

 

What I would skip: the open-back Espresso pair under a heavy coat or bulky knit, where nobody sees the back.

Pockets are where leggings stop being gym clothes and start being daily clothes. A phone, a key, a card, a lip balm: if the legging holds them, the tote can stay home. The brand's own PowerHold page talks about reaching for them when you are boxing and squatting, but the pocket styles here are the ones I would pick for the commute.

 

The Oasis PureLuxe comes in black with a hip pocket, and in a Merlot 7/8 with side hip pockets. The Oasis Crossover 7/8 in Mahogany is a terracotta orange with a crossover V waistband, the one I would wear with a cream turtleneck and loafers, to look like a person who has plans. The Anywhere Motion365+ in Deep Navy is a plainer full-length option with a hip pocket, and the page notes its eco-friendly fabric.

 

For the more technical end, the Trinity Motion365+ Utility has two hip pockets and an invisible zip pocket at the back, which is the one I would pick for a long walk when the phone cannot fall out. The Stride 9 is a running legging with a drawcord waist and reflective details. The Motion365+ with ribbed side panels has drop-in side pockets. HeatherFlex in Rouge Heather, a heathered hot pink, has a brushed finish and a back pocket.

 

Pocket test: put your actual phone in each pocket, walk, and sit. If it shifts or pokes at your hip, move on.

 

What I would skip: a pocket that sits so low it presses on the thigh, whatever the color.

Fabletics did not stay in leggings. By 2017 the brand had added dresses, swimwear and footwear, and in this edit the flare pant shows how far the leg shape has traveled. October is the right month for it, with boots coming back and a longer hem finally making sense.

 

PowerHold turns up again, which I like: the Define Flare in Deep Navy is the same fabric as the leggings in a flared silhouette, and the Boost Flare in black adds a strappy back design. These are smooth and clean, and I can see them with a tucked-in white tee, a blazer and a pointed flat. The Sleek Seamless Flare, also navy, has a ribbed texture and split hem, and I would pair it with white sneakers.

 

Then the softer end. The Oasis Rib Crossover Kick Flare is a camel tan rib with a slight flare, and the Oasis PureLuxe Pocketed Kick Flare in Oxblood has side pockets. The Crossover Flare in black is a plain V-waistband version for weeknights. The HeatherFlex Mini Flare in Classic Grey Heather has a brushed look, and the Year Round Terry Flare in Utility Green has a roll-over waistband and a hidden drawcord, which I would wear on a Sunday with a big sweatshirt.

 

Hem test: wear the shoe you plan to wear and stand in front of a mirror. A kick flare should skim the top of the shoe, not drag.

 

What I would skip: the terry flare for anything formal. It is made for Sunday.

PowerHold is the fabric Fabletics talks about most, but the cold months call for something else, and this is where the brand's range earns attention. The Cold Weather group is made with a brushed interior and a moisture-wicking exterior, according to the product pages, which is the kind of description I look for before buying anything for November.

 

The Cold Weather High-Waisted Pocket Legging comes in Cacao, a dark chocolate brown, and Everpine, a deep evergreen. Picture the Cacao one under a long shearling coat with boots, and the Everpine under a chunky cream sweater. The Pocketed Mini Flare in Green Mystique, a teal-green, and Deep Plum is made for layers under a hoodie or a teddy jacket, according to the page.

 

If you prefer a smooth line, the Cold Weather Seamless Scrunch in Vintage Grey, a dusty slate blue, and Oxblood has four-way stretch and a hidden scrunch detail. For something softer, HeatherFlex in Deep Navy Heather has a brushed texture and a hidden back pocket, while the HeatherFlex Mini Flare in Black Heather is the one I would wear with a cropped puffer and ankle boots.

 

Fitting room test: hold the fabric against the inside of your wrist. The brushed side should feel soft and even, with no patchy spots. Then try the legging under the longest layer you own.

 

What I would skip: the brushed mini flares on a warm afternoon. They are for the days that start in a coat.

I would begin with the shoes I wear most. Sneakers and boots say 7/8 or full length, a flare says a longer hem, and a long walk says pockets.

 

After that, fabric. PowerHold for the days that need compression, PureLuxe or seamless for the quieter ones, and the brushed Cold Weather pairs when the temperature drops. Then color: Oxblood and Merlot for October, black for the days I do not want to think.

 

Fabletics began in 2013 with a quiz about workouts, colors and size. I would still start there, just with a mirror.