Lookin' Good!

Wanna Be A Work Out Hottie?

Owning an outfit like this is certainly going to make you want to work out~right?:)

Today I'm going to share with you some of my favorite athletic "STUFF". Before I begin, I must warn you that most of the clothing I'm going to feature ain't off the blue light special rack. When it comes to athletic wear, quality and comfort cannot be compromised!:)

My Favorite Athletic Brands:

Lululemon: (stores only-outlet here in Washington!) Warning: Once you start buying athletic pieces at this store you'll be addicted. This store's got it figured out when it comes to athletic clothing. My first introduction to this store was the simple purchase of a headband. The first time I went into the store I had a minor high price heart attack. But after a few more headbands (which are hands down the BEST non-slip headband ever -$10-$14) I finally broke down and purchased a pair of pants and then came the hoodie. You MUST save your lunch money and buy one of their hoodies. Once you put in on, you won't take if off! You definitely won't regret purchasing a basic black pair of pants either. They're excellent quality and you'll wear them a TON! In fact, I'm wearing mine right now! This store is worth the road trip. However...make sure you pack a healthy snack. Click HERE to view site.

A lulu hoodie (above). If you buy one of these it will be your new BFF! I'm not kidding!

Athleta: (on-line only but great return policy) I love their clothes for travel and they have cool swimsuits. Click HERE to view site. If nothing else click HERE to get their catalog! They have darling little active dresses.

Lucy: How can I not like this store- My daughter shares the same name! They carry a really nice basic black athletic pant. Love their skirts and casual everyday out and about pants. Great travel clothes as well. Click HERE to view site. I'm obsessed with THIS jacket. Anyone wanna buy it for me?:) Darn! I bought THIS skirt last summer at full price and now it's a bargain. It's an AWESOME skirt. Perfect for a shopping trip, a day at the pool or for a walk on the beach... in Hawaii of course!

Nike: The infamous Nike. Never out of style and always made in China. I'm sure I will always and forever sport the classic Nike swoosh. I favor their shoes more so than the clothing cuz I have found that their apparel doesn't breath well and isn't as comfy cozy as my other favorite brands featured. BUT THESE Nike pants look good on anyone's butt-guaranteed. I'm pretty sure everyone at the YMCA I use to work at owns a pair of these.:) I've had mine for a good three years now and they have been washed a gazillion times and still look great. Come in capri length too.

Zella & American Buddha: Pilates/yoga stuff. Can be found at Nordstrom. Excellent "lounge wear" brands. I have THESE Zella shorts~Love them!

American Buddha~Gotta love the "stylish" sweatpant!

Under Armour: In the past I use to purchase this brand and it's also a good one for men. But now that my hubs and I have discovered Lululemon we pass it by. However, it's still excellent stuff and is fairly affordable as well. They carry fabulous sport bras.

The Uniboob!
Ladies (gents you can skip over this) let me tell ya...sport bras have come a LONG way probably since you have tried one on. If nothing else, if you have boobies that keep you from working out, you MUST "invest" (yes, it's an investment at these prices) in a decent over-the-shoulder bolder holder. As much as I love Target, the "Champion" sport bra doesn't cut the mustard!!

With names like "TaTa Tamer", "Bounce Breaker" and "Lift & Separate", you absolutely cannot go wrong with a Lululemon bra. Yes, they are pricey but so is a new glass eye due to the fact that you poked your original out from bouncing around with improper support! Other suggestions: I really like THIS bra (pic. above) and THIS bra. If you are blessed with larger tatas you might want to check THIS or THIS out. Please do yourself a favor. Put your big girl panties on and go buy yourself a new QUALITY sport bra. Painful shopping experience but it will make ALL the difference!

On Bottom:
Stick with the basics. You absolutely cannot go wrong with solid black. It hides well, especially while doing a squat or reverse crunch! A style that I personally tend to stay away from is the stripe down the side look. Nothing says "I've been working" out like a big fat stripe. When you find a bottom that you love, buy two. You cannot go wrong with a pair from Lucy, Lululemon or the Nike ones featured above. Another thing...watch out for the PLS (panty line syndrome)! It's not sexy!!

Up Top:
I do not spend money on athletic tops. I'm Not a big fan of the "nylonish" feel. So, I prefer to workout in a simple cotton T. I'm not a big tank top fan either. Mostly for two reasons. A) I'm always cold and B) I cannot stand to see a bra strap hanging out of a tank (note: a sport bra is the exception). My suggestion: spend money on the bra before spending it on a fancy top. However, sportin' your hubs old T is bound to make you feel worse about yourself! And...for the sake of the rest of us, I beg you not to show the world your belly while you're working out. Even if you have a six pack. WE DON'T WANT TO SEE IT!:)

Sockies
Sorry...no recommendations here. I'd rather put my $$$ towards a piece of athletic apparel that gets seen. Anyone out there have a recommendation? I wear Puma "no show" socks on my toes.


Nice to meet SHOE
I admit it. I am a shoe addict and I especially love a snazzy lookin' athletic shoe. I refuse to admit how many pairs of athletic shoes I have but, give me a break, it's what I do for a living. I wear a lot of Nike's-mostly out of cuteness (not necessarily comfort) and they tend to be in abundance at Nordstrom Rack which equals HALF the price. I am not a fan of "cross trainer" shoes and even though I'm not a big "runner" I usually end up with this style of shoe because they tend to be A) lighter in weight B) breath better C) just down right more comfortable than other styles of shoes. I'm anything but a shoe expert when it comes to athletics but for comfort I prefer Brooks and Saucony. Okay, so I'm probably going to offend someone out there but even though they may be heavenly, I beg you not to buy a pair of THESE...FUGLY! ("fugly" is the word I use for "extra" ugly!) P.S. I really want THESE to be my next athletic shoe!

Bottom Line: Is it necessary to drop a wad of cash on workout clothes? Absolutely not! But one thing I know for sure is you'll feel A LOT better about yourself if you're clothed in someting you feel good in!

Successful people replace the words “wish”, “should”

and “try” with “I will”.

Loved this quote from the Lululemon web site.

My apologies! I blahed on too long about athletic fashions. Healthy snacks will have to come tomorrow. Until then...take a walk!:)