Lace Up Cami Comparison

This lace up cami comparison post was written in October 2018 and updated in July 2019.

The lace up cami trend hit the Instagram scene hard in 2017 and 2018. It was one of those waves that hit hard and fizzled out just as fast, however, I’m still a fan of the trend, and realized that you can actually still purchase all of the below options. So I’ve updated this lace up cami comparison with new links and information to share for those that still love wearing this style like me!

I have actually owned one of these lace up camis for a while now, and it’s one of my favorites. That cami sparked the idea for this post because I wanted to know if I overspent on the one that I have or if I was missing out on something not having the original designer one. So, I bought 3 versions of the popular lace-up cami tank top at varying price points to compare them and tell you which one is the best value!

Lace Up Cami Comparison

Amazon Lace Up Cami Tank Top

Buying Experience:

I ordered this cami from Amazon. The first tip-off it wasn’t going to be great were the images used on Amazon. They are either images from the Cami NYC top via Revolve, or a pixelated cropped image of DTKaustin (used without permission) wearing a Cami NYC top. Most of the options for this top were taking weeks even months to ship here and cost an additional $13 or so dollars to ship the $4 top. I did finally find that would be delivered within a normal time frame. (A couple of weeks which is way longer than I’m used to, especially on Amazon!) The one I found did not require extra payment for shipping, but heads up, the listings change daily. 

When it arrived, it was packed in the thinnest plastic packaging folded into quarters. This thing was basically smaller than an envelope! Once I opened it I found the real kicker: I had to lace it up myself! It had obnoxiously long strings, and I had no idea what to do with the ends!

Price: $2.14-$10.99 The one I ordered was $6.99.

Size: S

Fit:

The fit on the Amazon top was extremely small, ran short, and barely covered my petals. I’m typically an XS, but the S in this case was so tiny! I’d size-up two sizes if you do want to try this one. The V in front was also very wide and the lace was mostly open, so you could see right through it. I had to pull the string so tight just to cover myself (maybe the plus side to lacing it yourself?), doing this though, ended up pulling the fabric in an unflattering way. The lace around the V also doesn’t reach the hem of the top, so it awkwardly just stops, and the two sides overlap at the bottom making the string pull the sides in weird directions, again.

Quality:

If you couldn’t tell already, this was not a quality piece of clothing. From the stretchy polyester-blend fabric to the shoestring I laced through the giant holes in the lace, it was not a great piece. The top is only partially lined which looks more like it was to help hide the seams rather than actually add a layer, and it flips out at weird directions.

Overall Opinions:

I think you’ve probably assessed by this point that I was definitely not a fan of this top. I don’t even think it’s worth the little money you would spend on it. I photographed it so you can see the awkward proportions.

WAYF Lace Up Cami

Buying Experience: 

WAYF Poise Lace Up Cami tank top is sold at many of the big department stores, and ironically, now in 2019, on Amazon, so buying experience will vary depending on where you prefer to shop. This top on Amazon is listed under the WAYF brand with free returns and available to Prime members. When shopping, note the brand to be sure you’re getting the “real” one! I picked mine up on a whim from Nordstrom a while ago, and it is now available on Nordstrom Rack as well in many colors.

Price: $55 original, $21.97 as of July 2019

Size: XS

Fit: 

The XS, my normal size fits perfectly on me. The length hits right around my hips, the V and lace-up hits me perfectly so you don’t see my petals (what I wear instead of a bra), and it’s very comfortable. The deep V comes to about the middle of my rib cage. it’s fully lined, so I’m comfortable wearing it all night long!

Quality:

The quality hasn’t been an issue for me. It is polyester but closer to a chiffon material. It’s held up through the years I’ve had it! The only downside is that it is dry-clean only, and I go to the dry cleaner about 2 times a year so I’m not getting as much use out of it as I wish I would have.

Overall Opinions: 

This is the top I’ve had for years now and wear very frequently. I love it. Highly recommend, especially at the discounted 2019 price!

Cami NYC Lace Up Cami

Buying Experience: 

I ordered two sizes, one from Revolve, and one from Cami NYC. I ordered from Cami NYC when they were having a sitewide sale. Heads up, any items on sale are not refundable (I didn’t realize this but they had amazing customer service and helped me out). Read through their return policy carefully before ordering, or be 100% on your purchase. Packaging from Cami NYC was beautiful. The lace up cami tank top came in a gorgeous branded box tied with a bow. Inside the cami was wrapped in tissue paper. They really take care to produce a beautiful package and show that the product is something they value, which is something I love about the company.

Price: $158

Size: XS

Fit: 

Honestly, I was disappointed in the fit. I tried the XS and XXS. The XXS was too tight around the chest (which I had been told it ran small for those with a chest prior to) I decided to try both sizes since I don’t, in fact, have a large chest, and I wasn’t sure what would work with the lace-up. Since the XS fit better I’ll talk about that one’s features. The XS fit in the chest, true to the advice I was given, if you have a larger chest you will need to size up. The issue is the lace-up part was too wide-set for me, and the V came down to the bottom of my rib cage. I have narrow shoulders, so this is likely an isolated incident, but my sticky petals showed through the lace-up and the lace. Had I not been wearing them the top would have been wildly inappropriate. 

Quality: 

The quality of Cami NYC’s Charlie cami was much higher than the others. It is 100% silk shell with polyester lining, dry-clean only, and fully lined. The white was NOT transparent.

Overall Opinions: 

I really wanted to like this top. I ordered it in white thinking I would love it and want to keep it (and not have the same color as my WAYF one). Unfortunately, with the lace-up, it was not a good fit for me. Maybe I’ll try another style one day because the quality is truly amazing. UPDATE: I have since tried additional styles and love them! This was just not the right fit for me. I do think the price is high, but you can always shop their sale (non-returnable) or look for their pieces in an outlet like St. Bernard’s where I found my new one! Additionally, I’d still probably purchase a full price cami at some point, because factoring cost per wear, it would probably be worth it for me since I wear camis very often.

Which Lace Up Cami is the Best?

I’m sure you’ve figured out already that I think the WAYF Poise lace up cami tank top is the best value for the product if you’re going for looks. If it fits you properly, and you’ll wear it often I do recommend trying out the Cami NYC Charlie top. I plan to try other styles from them and hope they fit better!