Hard Tail Forever Review – Contour Rolldown Ankle Legging

Author's Rating - 7.7 /  10

Bottom: Hard Tail Forever Contour Rolldown Ankle Legging in XS, Color Double Electric Lines.

PROS / Hard Tail Forever Contour Rolldown Legging is made with soft Cotton and Lycra blend fabric. It is comfortable and breathable. The contoured waistband provides secure and smooth fit.

CONS / Since it's cotton, the legging absorbs moisture and leaves wet spots during a hard-charging workout.

BOTTOM LINE / It is a comfortable legging and perfect for low-sweat activities such as restorative yoga. But for $99, I expect more than just comfort.

Overall 7.7 / 10

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Quality / 30%

9

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Performance / 30%​

5

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Comfort & Fit ​​/ 25%

9

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Design & Style / 15%

8

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​Price: $99

About Hard Tail Forever

Hard Tail is a Santa Monica based active and lifestyle clothing brand, founded in 1992. All of its clothes are made in the USA. Tie-dye color schemes and soft cotton fabrics are Hard Tail signature design elements. Hard Tail clothes are not cheap, average $80 for a pair of legging.  

Hard Tail was introduced to me by my yogini sister about 5 years ago. She highly recommended it. I bought my first Hard Tail legging back then, which was a Low Rise Ankle Legging. I appreciated its soft cotton fabric and vivid color, but I wasn't impressed by its fit and performance. The low rise and narrow waistband legging is not just working for me, so I shied away from it's leggings.

Hard Tail Contour Rolldown Ankle Legging UNFOLD - 

Hard Tail re-drew my attention last year. I noticed the Contour Rolldown, Flat Waist and High Rise leggings online, which provide much more comfortable fit on the waist than the Low Rise ones. Also, they help to keep my belly tucked in. I purchased a few pairs of leggings from Hard Tail last year and the Contour Rolldown Ankle Legging in Double Electric Lines is one of them. I first saw the color Double Electric Lines from Nordstrom, but it was sold out before I decided to buy it. Luckily, I was able to get in from Essential Apparel.

​1. Size –  My regular size, XS.

​2. Style – Ankle legging. 

3. Inseam – 25.5" long with minimum scrunch around my ankles.
 
4. Front Rise – About 9.5" when it's folded as shown in the picture on the left. Since you can fold the waistband, it's up to you on how low or high you want it to be.

5. Waistband – The total width is 5". The width will vary depending on how much you fold the waistband down.

6. Fabric – 90% Supplex® Cotton, 10% Lycra® Spandex. Most Hard Tail clothes are made with Cotton and Lycra bland fabric. There are pros and cons of the cotton. I like its softness and breathability, but it absorbs moisture, which is horrible for high-sweat activities.

7. Design for – Non-heated / restorative yoga and daily  lounge wear. I like to wear it when teaching classes because I know I am not going to sweat. 

8. Cost –  Sticker price $99. Currently, it's on sale at Essential Apparel for $68.99.

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​9. Stitch Seam – Mix of flat locking seams and overlocking plain seams. The overlocking plain seams are used on the inner legs, while the comfortable flat locking seams are used everywhere else. If you don't know what it is, please refer to Closet 101 for explanation.

10. Crotch Seam​ – No gusset. I am surprised that there is no gusset for such high price and quality legging.

Hard Tail Contour Rolldown Legging is a comfortable and cozy pant that I like to wear around the house and to teach yoga classes. However, Hard Tail legging are not meant to be worn for high-sweat activities like heated yoga. I did wear it to a heated yoga class once, and I was so embarrassed that I could see wet spots in the groin area. Considering most of Hard Tail clothes are not high performance, I feel it is not worth the money. In terms of quality and comfort, Hard Tail definitely meets the mark.

Where to Buy Hard Tail Forever - 

You can find the Contour Rolldown Legging in Double Electric Lines at Essential Apparel. The same color (Duble Electric Lines) but different style, Flat Waist Ankle Legging, is available at Hard Tail Forever and Zappos.

Here are the stores that carry Hard Tail Forever clothes:

• Hard Tail Forever website for the most complete selection. The product information is lacking on its website, which doesn't inspire the confidence. For example, the description, materials and measurements are missing. There were times that I decided not to purchase the items because of that.
• Londo Mondo is a another good place to shop. It often offers 20% off coupon. Londo Mondo recently launched a new website, MyHardTail.
• Other online retailers include Bodies by Leigh, Essential Apparel, Evolvefitwear, Yoga Outlet and Zappos.

More Hard Tail Clothes are available on Amazon