Free Fly Women's Elevate Lightweight Tee Review: Warm Weather Tee

I’ll be honest with you. I didn’t love this shirt the first time I tried it on. The oversized fit felt a bit too much for my travel style, and I didn’t like how it looked in the photos of my trip to Colombia.

But after giving it another shot with high-waisted jeans, my opinion changed. I also got it in a different color. So here’s my update: I’m now sold on the Free Fly Women’s Elevate Lightweight Tee and it’s going to be one of the shirts I pack first for warm weather trips because of the performance fabric.

Here’s what changed my mind (oOoOo… mysterious!) and why this Free Fly tophas become one of my go-to travel shirts.

Why I love this lightweight tee

The Elevate Lightweight Tee is exactly what you want in a travel shirt: lightweight, packable, breathable and built for performance. Sounds almost too good to be true, right?

The weight of the shirt is ideal for warm weather trips, but I also love it for shoulder season layering under a hoodie, fleece or flannel. I have shirts that are thinner than it, and thicker than it, but I keep it around because it’s somewhere in the middle. It’s not see-through, but it’s not heavy by any means. It’s also drapey and relaxed.

What really stands out is how soft this fabric is. That’s no surprise coming from Free Fly, a brand that (in my experience) focuses so much on fabric feel. I find myself reading into the details of all their fabrics because their products like my Reverb Shorts, Bamboo Fleece Hoodie and my pocket leggings are really unique.

In this shirt, the ultra-lightweight lyocell blend doesn’t weigh me down, and the four-way stretch moves with me. Because it’s a loose fit, I actually didn’t consider how stretchy it is (it runs big, in my experience). But if you have more of an appropriate fit with this shirt, or if you wear it tighter, you’ll notice that stretch when you’re hiking, exploring a new city or just running errands.

My first impressions

It’s pretty thin, but hopefully as durable as I remember it being when I took it on my Colombia trip (that was where I gave it to my friend Alex–keep reading–and then I got it a second time). It’s soft, though: made from one of those fabric blends that I think only Free Fly can think up.

I say that because Free Fly was introduced to me as a brand that makes clothes for “being near the water.” So when I think of Free Fly, I’m thinking of fabrics that’ll dry fast, repel body odor and moisture, and also look cute and relaxed.

The fit: what to know

This tee is made to be loose, relaxed and semi-cropped. As someone on the shorter side, I find it’s most flattering when tucked into something high or mid-waisted—shorts, jeans or even leggings work great.

Keep in mind: I am 5’2” and all my clothes are petite sizes (or they should be). I find that even for a cropped style, the Elevate Tee runs long on me. But that’s me! If you’re taller than 5’3” you will probably find that it runs like a regular crop length–one that flatters.

Taller or average-height women will have no issue with the cropped style and it will look flattering no matter how it’s worn. The boxy fit gives it that modern, effortless look that’s perfect for both workouts and everyday wear.

I had this shirt in gray last year, and gave it to my friend Alex because she’s 2 inches taller and I said, “This is more suited to you than it is to me.” She wore it, and loved it.

One thing to keep in mind is that it runs a little big compared to true-to-size pieces like the Free Fly Fleece Hoodie (this is the most true-to-size of all the Free Fly products I’ve owned). I’d recommend sizing down if you’re between sizes.

Perfect for travel

The packability of this shirt is incredible. It packs up super small in luggage, especially if you use a packing cube to compress it even more. The quick-dry fabric means you can wash it in a hotel sink and it’ll be ready to wear the next day.

A few good travel features of it are the UPF protection, and the breathability. I took this shirt to Colombia, where it was always kind of humid, and instead of getting weighed down and sticky like cotton or cotton slub tees that I had packed, it didn’t cling or get heavy. So on the muggiest days, a shirt like this can really perform to help you out.

It also pairs well with shorts (athletic ones, or jean shorts), a skort or skirt, or high-waisted leggings and jeans. For me, the key is going to be tucking it into jeans (I can’t do this with leggings).

During my Colombia trip, I wore the Elevate Shirt with my Free Fly Reverb Shorts (they’re awesome for warm weather trips). I didn’t quite nail the look. And that was why I gave my Elevate shirt to my friend Alex, after seeing how she looked good in the gray color and the shoulder width suited her frame really well.

Now, though, I’m embracing the oversized style and I can picture myself wearing the Elevate shirt in Black, with high-waisted straight-leg jeans, on an urban trip, or a tropical one when we go abroad.

Is this one worth it?

The Elevate Lightweight Tee is one of Free Fly’s long-running essentials for women. I actually find essentials kind of hard to nail down: I want the feel, the fit and the style. When I think about all those things, I get picky.

The Free Fly Women’s Elevate Lightweight Tee is a cool idea because it’s multi-season. And it performs, whether I’m on my couch at home, or in South America backpacking with friends.

Next steps

If you’re looking for more Free Fly pieces, I also recommend the following items. Head to these links for photos on how the Free Fly suite of products fit me, and which are my favorites.

• Free Fly Women’s Bamboo Lightweight Fleece Hoodie Review - Perfect for layering
• Free Fly Women’s All-Day Pocket Legging Review - Great travel pants
• Free Fly Women’s Breeze Dress Review - Versatile travel dress

For more lightweight travel shirts, check out our Best Travel T-Shirts for Women roundup, where you’ll see the Elevate Tee.