Liana Restore Soft Lite Long Sleeve T-Shirt

Change can be good but, in my experience, when Nordstrom/Zella changes their products, it's for the worse. the old Liana top was so soft and light. This one has a slimmer fit and is more than twice as heavy (yep, I weighed it on a highly accurate kitchen scale). This now feels like a cold-weather baselayer instead of the previous iteration that I could wear all summer. It doesn't drape well and is not flattering. Zella did the same thing with the now-discontinued lettuce-edge top but in reverse. The original version was made of a substantial and warm knit, then they started producing inferior quality versions and *poof* they're gone. They must have sold tens of thousands of the original Liana, I bought eight of them and so did several of my girlfriends. If it works, leave well enough alone!

I have many of the Zella lightweight shirts in another style, so I didn’t hesitate in ordering. I received the first one and noticed immediately that the fabric was not soft, was not thin or lightweight, or stretchy. I tried it on to see why it was so different. It is very hot, as it didn’t stretch at all, and the size I normally wear looked awful. Baggy at the bottom and tighter in the bust. Just for reference, I am 5’5 and weight 120, so I always wear an XS. Bring back the soft, lightweight, stretchy heathered tops you had before. These are going back!

This is not the Liana of yore. The fabric is rougher and the neck is higher, more like a crew. Still, it is a quality shirt that fits true to size. The color selection is improved which is what drew my attention. Previous Liana only came in gray and blue. My two soft gray earlier versions still have of plenty life in them, so I returned the new one.