Pants that last? Kyodan. (and are they secretly lulu?)

September 14, 2014 / Aimee / 7 Comments

Had somebody ask recently about durable leggings:

Good question, CJ!

I personally haven’t had any durability issues with any pants except the cotton ones form Old Navy Active. (They fade and look pretty homeless pretty fast.) Everything else seems to last a reasonable amount of time. (Grain of salt: I am a workout leggings hoarder and many pairs in rotation, so each pair gets rest.) So I’m not an expert in durability. BUT I do have an outdoor roller-blade hockey playing friend who took a pretty gnarly knees first-spill on asphalt in a pair of capris by Kyodan and she swears they didn’t suffer a bit. Pretty impressive. I mean, if they can stand up to asphalt I would think they can handle a year of thighs rubbing together? (That’s where my stuff wears out first. I think I patched a pair of favorite jeans like 7 times in the crotchular area. #pearshapedproblems.) Anyway. Kyodan.

What is Kyodan? It’s a more affordable fitness wear brand that’s carried at T.J. Maxx. People really like them, and they even have a Facebook fan page. That says something.

These running capris from Kyodan cost $25

These guys are $20. And they look a lot like the Chaturanga from Athleta.

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Hell, as long as I’m looking around for Kyodan on TJMaxx.com, here are some more things from them:

Kyodan Open Back Burnout “long bra” tank $17

Kyodan Aztek Mesh Back Athletic Shirt $20

Now, there are some rumors going around the interwebs that Kyodan might be manufactured in the same facility as LuluLemon, and might be a way to get Lulu without paying out the lulu for it. But there are also a lot of people who say that’s bunk and the quality is not the same. I don’t know. I have a hard time shopping in T.J. Maxx for non-home stuff. (I can’t stand digging through sloppy unorganized racks. It feels like a garage sale.) BUT, they have a website, so you don’t have to work too hard to buy some Kyodan and find out for yourself. If you do, let me know the verdict!

My favorite tights: Chaturanga from Athleta

September 2, 2014September 2, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

So, you know I have over 20 pairs of workout tights/capris/pants/leggings whatever you want to call ’ems. Anything dark, knee length, and thick enough not to show my cottage cheese, and high enough to hold in the muffin top, I like. But I think I just realized I have a favorite.

I just got a fresh pair of Chaturanga capris from Athleta. I already have a full-length pair that I wear in the winter, which I love. And I just pulled these on and they’re just…so easy. So stretchy and forgiving and comfortable. I guess most of my capris are “performance fit” which means tight as hell so they squeeze you in and support your muscles and jiggly bits. So it is such a treat to pull on a pair and not feel like a sausage for once. I love you Chaturanga.

http://athleta.gap.com/browse/search.do?searchText=chaturanga

Already had Chaturanga Odyssey Tights (looks like space dye in real life)…..Just got Chaturanga Stardust Capris. (looks like cheetah/snow leopard in real life)

Note: they are NOT thick, which I usually would not recommend. And they’re probably not great for running because they’re not performance-tight (which means they’ll probably slide down as you run). So I can’t recommend them for running. BUT I can recommend them for pretty much everything else. As long as you get a dark pair, preferably a pattern, you should be comfortable and camoflauged. Just like Imma be all friggin day in these puppies. Ahhh. Chaturanga.

They come in every length: shorties (tiny for you obnoxiously fit skinny minnies), shorts (not sure who, but if that’s your gig go for it) jammers (ditto. maybe under a skirt or something? it’s a mystery to me. but to each her own), capris and tights. In whatever pattern you could want, even crackly faux-leather and stripes. Bazam.

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Eating is fun.

August 13, 2014August 12, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

Two things have made my produce and protein lifestyle infinitely more fun this week: QUEST BARS! SHIRATAKI NOODLES!

Dude. I was at ye olde Vitamin Shoppe the other day contemplating protein pudding, and happened upon Quest Bars. I tried a cookie dough and a cookies and cream. And they are the shit. I love me some cookie dough. I am capable of eating half a tube, easy. But obviously that’s not a constructive activity. This Quest Bar was very cookie dough-like and delicious. Screw you Atkins bars. Screw you Pure Protein. I know I shouldn’t be eating any of these science experiments, but when I need some “junk” food, I am absolutely Quest Bar for life now.

Speaking of needing to eat something that reminds me of real food…remember noodles? You know, those starchy carb bombs you used to eat when you thought vegetarian pasta entree was the good weight loss choice? Well they’re motherfucking back on the table. Shiritaki noodles are these pretend, made from nothing, quazi-noodles that take zero seconds to prepare and you can stuff in your face like real pasta without the bloated, jangly, insulin disaster after. And they’re in your grocery store right now. I promise. Look above the tofu. Nasoya Pasta Zero. Put it in your face. pasta-zero-all-natural-shirataki-spaghetti-noodles_0

June & July WorkOutFits, and a note about time.

August 12, 2014August 11, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

Gotta get better at posting my WorkOutFit pics! I post on Instagram, but still. I should post here too.

So, in June and July I kind of fell off the workout wagon. I had a freelance gig in the city, which means almost 3 hrs of every day got eaten by commuting. And then the hours got kind of long (had a 70 hour week in there), so pfft. That’s it. No time to workout.

THIS IS YOUR FITNESS PLAN ON ADVERTISING. And this was a good week. Srsly.

On that subject: I know that EVERY SINGLE FITNESS / NUTRITION PLAN EVER says that you have to make time. And I know that people with full time jobs and families somehow manage to fit in workouts. Or so the ads for P90X3, etc. would make you think. But I kind of don’t buy it. I don’t have kids. I have a home gym. And a gym-gym. and access to boot camp and dailey method. But after a week working on-site it was obvious, even though I was determined to make it work this time, there’s still just no effing way. At least not in my industry and not with my commute. I work on the train. I have like 45 minutes of free time at night, and that’s after I eat a too-late dinner. And I can’t do my job if I’m sleep-deprived, so that’s it. I’m sorry every fitness plan ever, sometimes I can’t make time. I think it’s a myth they put out there to make us feel like we’re not trying hard enough. Oh yeah, and to sell DVDS.

The one good thing that always comes out of an on-site gig is refreshed perspective on how much time I DO have (when I’m working from home) to work out like a madwoman if I want to. But basically, there’s no way to be as healthy as I want to be while commuting to the city. Which is why I’m freelance for life now. I have to do on-site gigs sometimes and they cost me. But it’s better than full time without any fitness fo’ sho.

So I’m puffy and frustrated, my ass is ginormous and creeping down the back of my legs, and my belly is bloated. And I’m and quite sad that I had a work gig blow up my life EXACTLY the second after I had started to make some real fitness progress and was feeling really capable. I was looking forward to bootcamp! I was enjoying kicking my own ass! Because I was fit enough to push myself. Because breathing hard was the zone not the edge. Do you know how good that feels? It feels AWESOME!

Oh, and did I mention I went off paleo and stuffed carb-drugs into my face for a week? That happened too. I mean, my nieces ate fresh restaurant pizza three feet away from me and I hadn’t had carbs for months. So. Yeah. Who can survive that? I knew it was time for a break, and that’s OK. (If only to remind me of how much better paleo feels.) But I took a week instead of a day. Don’t do that. Especially after losing a month of workouts. Don’t. It will put you where I am: fat pants mc whiny-town usa.

WAAAAH. But what are you gonna do? Sometimes you gotta work long hours. Sometimes you gotta eat a pizza. Or two. All I can do is acknowledge where I am, (bitch about it on my blog), and know that it’s going to be uncomfortable for a few weeks until I re-claim some fitness. And wear tunics. All tunics all the time. Because that’s what they’re for.

Anyway, here are the few WorkOutFits from the last month and a half or so.

Me trying to send a message to myself when frustrated by work-related weight-gain. Note the TUNIC.

Me likey the nike. Also: TUNIC.

This was before the work weight showed up. Got a new Lulu tank on sale. SWEET.

Tried some GapFit in the dressing room. Didn’t buy. Also: got called into work while I was in said dressing room. On a Saturday.

This Lulu Tank was also on sale. I thought bribing myself with new tops would help me stay on track. (Note darkness outside window, this was a pre-work workout.) But no. Fashion is powerful but it cannot create time.

This was also pre-weight gain. Great Lulu top for muggy sweaty summer days. Four stars.

It’s a workout dress. Because Tunics don’t cover your butt.

desperately need to log some treadmill time. WithoutWalls top.

This is where I am now. All tunics all the time. Gap Body tunic. Old navy lace-bottom pants.

Do not be fooled by my skinny mirror, the optical illusion of ombre, and the strategic gut-blocking phone placement. But do take notes. 🙂 Old Navy top, Zella leggings, Brooks shoes.

Even my hair needs a forgiving cover-up sometimes!! ha!

Anthro’s got Activewear

August 11, 2014August 11, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

…and it’s exactly what you’d expect.

FYI: URBN’s sister brand, Antrhopologie, now has active wear, too. Their new (ish) line is called Pure + Good and it claims to be made “with luxury in mind.” As you would expect with something coming from Antrho, there are some ruffles, some mixed materials, and some lace. Girly details. And it’s as pricey as you’d expect. Leggings are $98. I can’t speak to the quality, because I just discovered it online this morning, but reviews seem to be about in line with reviews of all Antrho stuff: really cute, maybe shorter than it looks in the pictures, and questionable quality on some of the pieces. Also, it’s online only/mostly. Looks like Boulder might be the only brick and mortar location that carries activewear.

Overall: more Pretty than the Sweaty. I need stuff that looks like it can take a beating. But if Anthro’s your gig, congratulations and enjoy.

Commuter Jackets Worth Checking Out – Title Nine

August 4, 2014August 3, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

Title Nine: Like I’ve said, I have a ton of respect for them, their message, and their sports bra expertise. But their clothes just aren’t quite my style. So I was surprised and stoked to see some pretty slick commuter jackets in their fall catalog. (Commuter means biking, but they work for any kind of schlepping outside of a car.) And they’ve got some good looking leggings too. TitleNine.com

Trinity Jacket from Title Nine

Accelerator Trench from Title Nine

Peacekeeper Trench by Title Nine

Master Trench by Title Nine

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And you can’t be mad at the founder of Title Nine or her message. Go Missy Go.

Zella is stellar.

August 3, 2014April 19, 2016 / Aimee / Leave a comment

Hey, today’s the last day of the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. So I apologize for being so late to the game on this, but HAVE YOU TRIED ZELLA? Zella is Nordstrom’s fitness wear brand, and they’re pretty great. My sister-in-law convinced me to try them after swearing they were “non-cellulite-showy-offy.” And at $30 a pop (until tomorrow, then $44) for their super-popular “live-in leggings,” I mean, come on. Done.

I ordered a few different pairs, and even in purple, they are flattering. No celulite. Not too thick. Not too thin. Not too low. Not loose, but just tight enough. Im an idiot for not trying these before. EXCELLENT value. Pro pro pro. I’d take better pictures for you BUT THERE’S NO TIME! The sale ends tomorrow. Get it! (zella pictures are linked) And YES, Zella comes in plus sizes.

sorry for the shitty photo. Guess my mirror is dusty.

LEGGINGS OF THE DAY.

July 25, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

Totally don’t need these. Not gonna buy them. But I admire them very much. If you’ve got legs, please buy these and melt all of the faces with your snazzy leggy fun power.

Onzie Track Legging available at WithOutWalls.com (Urban Outfitter’s fitness division).

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How to wash your workout wear.

June 30, 2014December 16, 2016 / Aimee / 1 Comment

OK. So. Now that you’ve ponied up 100 bucks for a schmancy high performing pair of workout pants, you need to take proper care of them to make them last.

Why? Because if you don’t, they will start to hold onto odor, they’ll stop wicking, and they’ll lose the perfect stretch and compression you paid so much for.

HOW should you wash athletic clothes?

-In COLD water. (hot is bad for elastics)

-Only with other performance fabrics. Why? Because heavier/ rougher fabrics will beat up the sport fabric. Rough it up. Stretch it out. Cause it to pill.

-And HANG DRY. Before and after you wash. You should really hang your workout clothes up after you peel them off. Let the sweat evaporate, don’t throw them into your laundry pile all crumpled up and wet to fester and rot. Hang them to dry after washing, too. I am personally a hang dry-only freak. I hang dry everything except for sheets and towels. Because I can’t handle the emotional damage that shrinking will cause. I’m dead serious about this. Do not wash my clothes. Beware the wrath of the girl whose favorite whatever doesn’t fit anymore because it accidentally got thrown in the dryer. You do not want to be on the receiving end of that torrent of uncut rage and tears.

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Don’t even aim a blow dryer at my shit. I will cut you.

WHAT kind of detergent should you wash your athletic clothes with?

-POWDER not liquid. Why? Because you don’t want residue. Any residue stuck to the fibers will coat them and keep them from wicking. You also don’t want fabric softeners or “optical brighteners” because they also coat fibers. So unfortunately, Woolite is out.

-This is also why “Tide plus Febreeze” or any regular wash that just adds an odor eliminator doesn’t cut it.

-Most “sports detergents” focus only on body oils and odor. Apparently, active wear really likes to become permanently stinky. Because body oils and stinks bond differently to synthetics than they do to cotton. I guess I’ve noticed that a little, but overall, I’m more concerned with keeping the wicking performance and elasticity. And I assume if a detergent is good enough to preserve elasticity, it’s probably already got the odor and body oils thing covered.

Even the most “sporty” sports detergents (Win, Sport Wash) are liquid. So despite their macho labels, high prices, and sports-store distribution, they’re totally not ideal for keeping the physical performance properties of the fibers in tact. WTF right? BUT. Good news…

There are a few powdered sports washes out there, Vapor Fresh Sports Laundry Detergent (which is a good source of information, too) and Sports Suds. I haven’t tried either, but it seems like they should be good.

Raw_Athletics_1003__72903.1401903568.386.513 350-sport-suds-laundry-detergent-400g-jar11455

I usually use Forever New. It comes in through the “fine garment care” door instead of the “odor eliminating” one. It’s for delicates and it says that it “preserves fiber flex” and “maintains elasticity.” I mean, if people wash their french lingerie in it, I trust it.

Here, I’ve done the shopping for you!

Forever New: $14.50 for 32oz (16 washes) on Amazon, prime eligible.

Vapor Fresh: $22 for 80oz (32 washes) + shipping on their site, same on Amazon, but prime eligible.

Sports Suds: $21 for 14oz (34 loads) through Amazon, prime eligible.

I was about to just order some more Forever New, but after doing this research for y’all it’s obvious that these other guys are cheaper per load, so I’m going to try Vapor Fresh, too. Although, I’m still not sold. I don’t trust a detergent designed by a boy to eliminate stink to take care of lycra and preserve stretch as well as a lingerie detergent. Hmmm… Either way, I’ve gotta stop using the Tide with Febreeze. My clothes just feel slimy. Bad news.

BUT WAIT THERE’S MORE The residue from liquid detergent is coating your washer too. So you’re supposed to clean it out by washing old towels in your new powdered detergent first. Not sure how this is going to work for me since we wash everything else in liquid…but…I guess we’ll just have to gradually switch from liquid to powder for everything. No reason not to.

Here’s what Sports Suds says about that:

http://www.sportsuds.com/First-Use-Information.html

So. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you you’re doing everything wrong. But now you know. And I learned some new stuff too. If it makes you feel better, I can’t do my stinky-ass laundry for a few days because I’m waiting for the special detergents to get here…

Why so ‘spensive? (The rise of $100 yoga pants.)

June 20, 2014June 20, 2014 / Aimee / Leave a comment

Oh, workout clothes. You so silly. The really good pants can cost $100. And the nice tops can cost $70ish. You only wear the stuff for an hour at a time. And then it’s going to smell like butt. Literally. Where do they get off charging that much for smell-like-butt clothes?

Well. Back in the day I would have thought it was just branding and luxury marketing and all that seventh grade stuff. Charge more and people will think it’s better. Then every yoga mom has to have a Lulu logo on her butt. But now that I actually design and manufacture stuff myself (paper goods, not clothes. bsandrs.com) and have a friend who designs and manufactures jeans (tallwaterjeans.com), I understand the work that goes into production and development and how much quality costs. And also, the more workouts I try, and the more laundry I do, the more I appreciate high-functioning stuff.

So. Why do they charge that much for smell-like-butt clothes? I’ll tell ya.

1. Quality of fabric. The fabric matters a ton. The fabric is what determines sheerness, wicking, longevity, fit, whether or not your cellulite shows, whether or not they keep their shape or stretch out, how easy they are to get in and out of, and whether or not the pants will slide down when you get sweaty. That’s why LuluLemon got big. Not just because they were design leaders, but also because of Luon fabric.

LuluLemon

2. Technology. Not only do they have to be the right thickness and all of that, these fabrics have to breathe and wick and stretch both ways. They have breathable panels in body-mapped places. And those silver seams? Those actually cool you down and don’t absorb your stink. (I worked on adidas for years. Trust me. I know things.) F-yeah, science.

Athleta

3. Design. Designing fitted things is hard. Designing fitted things that stay in place while flexing to and fro is hard. Figuring out how wide to make a waist band and how tight or high it needs to be to keep your poppin fresh dough from spilling out is hard. Placing the seams in a way that draws the eye around your leg, cutting the strap so you don’t get armpit boob, adding a key pocket without actually adding a pocket is hard. (It adds material, complicates pattern, takes longer to manufacture…) These are the things that make good pieces good. And they’re what make you keep on choosing to wear that one top or those certain pants instead of all the others.

Splits59 Spinning Crops

4. Engineering. If you have more than a B cup you know you need a real jog bra, and you understand what a feat of engineering that those suckers are. (Bounce. Moving Comfort.) And some workout pants even have built in spanx-y panels and butt lifters and stuff (Lucy). Compression patterns support your muscles and help you work longer. It’s way more complex then sewing two halves of a pattern together.

Moving Comfort

So you see, a quality piece of fitness apparel takes a lot of work and design and R&D. It’s made with stuff that costs a lot more than cotton because it has to do a lot more than cotton. And the benefit you get out of that piece (comfort, support, confidence, performance) is directly related to how much work went into creating it.

I still have my first pairs of Athleta and LuluLemon capris. They’re at least 5 years old. And I still pick those guys from my drawer before all of the rest. Meanwhile, the Old Navy Active yoga crops I just bought for less than the cost of my lunch are thin and scratchy, don’t have stretchy thread, and will be busted in a matter of months. There’s cost per wear. And there’s just wasting time churning through cheap stuff when one great piece will remove “shop for gym pants” from your to-do list for years.

I am absolutely not trying to peer pressure you into buying something you can’t afford. (Hello, I wear old navy tank tops 90% of the time.) But I am for sure telling you that there IS a difference and you will get A LOT of use out of the good stuff for a LONG time.

And yeah. It’s way cuter.