Sun, Mar 16, 2014

On the weekends, I moonlight as a stylist at Atlanta Activewear.  I act as your very own personal shopper, someone who sees your body the way it is, not in that crazy mirror you have in your head.  My biggest pet peeve? This statement:

“I just don’t get WHY you’d spend money on workout clothes…”

Here are the 10 excuses I hear most about people not wanting to spend money on activewear, and why I think they are lame:

1. “I sweat too much wear anything other than my college t-shirts.”  If you’re sweating that much (and dare to say you sweat more than I do) then you, my dear, are in DIRE need of some moisture-wicking, quick-drying clothing. Your sweating probably won’t be as bad when you wear something that isn’t suffocating your skin.  You are why these brands exist.

2. “Target has the same stuff…and it’s half the price.”  Yeah, it looks the same, but you can see through yours and not mine.  Target has done a fabulous job of making cute activewear, and it’s a great entry-level product for people doing low impact activities.  But let’s do some math:

My BodyRock Sport bra cost me $80 with Swarovski Crystals. It’s expensive, no doubt.  My target neon pink bra cost me $17.  I have to wear 3 Target bras ($17 x 3 = $51) in order to avoid bouncing boobies.  The Target bras shrank, faded and discolored after the first wash.  After 5 washes (2 weeks), I had to go purchase 3 more.  That’s $51 x 2 = $102 (per month in my case).  I’ve had my BodyRock Sport Elena bra for exactly one year, approximately 100 washes, and at least 200 wears.  No shrinking. No Fading. Not a single swarovski crystal lost. Number of Target bras I’d have to buy to keep up with that? 78.  78 bras at $17? $1,326.00  My $80 BodyRock bra seems to be a steal….



3. “I’m too fat for leggings/tanks/skorts/shorts/fitted pants/spandex in general.”  Your lack of self-esteem is my first problem.  No matter who you are, you deserve to look great.  Second, you know that dressing appropriately for your body type is important for life in general, so why doesn’t that apply to your workout gear? Truth be told, you’ll look thinner in appropriate activewear than you will in the rest of your wardrobe. Pinky swear.



4. “I don’t want to be one of those girls who looks put together at the gym.” Seriously? You don’t want to be one of those girls who takes pride in herself, yet every time you run into someone you know wearing your college t-shirt still soaked in sweat an hour after your workout and baggy Nike Tempos you say to yourself “Dammit. I wish I looked cuter right now.” When I run into my ex-boyfriend post-workout, I say to myself, “Thank GOD for these ROGIANI leggings, I look 5 lbs slimmer, and this RESE top is totally dry after my 7 mile run…good thing since he lingered on that hug.”

5. “I can’t afford it.” OK. Legitimate statement, but you don’t have to buy current season and in the long run, a better quality product will save you money (see math problem above)…  Brooks Running, BodyRock Sport, and Atlanta Activewear have tops from $19, bras from $20,  and bottoms from $16.

6. “It’s not Lululemon. I only wear Lulu.” First, WHY? And then I’m like, “well, that’s a shame.”  Give me a call the next time those Groove pants of yours go bally or you run into 15 people in the same outfit.



7. “I can’t run/crossfit/lift weights/hike in YOGA pants!!” This isn’t 1994, no one is making sport specific gear anymore.  Moisture-wicking, quick-drying…why’s it gotta be a one sport wonder?

8. “I’m a size 14/16/18/20/22, brands don’t make plus sized activewear.”  Liar, liar, pants on fire! MPG Sport’s XLarge runs at about a size 22. Adidas XL is about an 18/20. Nike carries plus size up to 3X. Moving Comfort makes sports bras up to a 44E. There are plenty more where that came from.  Shoot me an e-mail if you need help, [email protected].

9. “I do crossfit/am a triathlete/run ultramarathons/do hot yoga/do bootcamp/insert any other “hardcore” activity here. They won’t hold up.” But your made in China Nike gear will? Hold the phone.  For hardcore workouts you need hardcore clothes, and these clothes may look cute and innocent, but sweetheart, they’ll give even the toughest workout something to cry about.  Looking as good at the end of your workout isn’t about not trying hard enough, it’s that you’ve found products that stand up to a beating.

10. “I’m too lazy to get dressed for the gym.” That, my friend, is a personal problem.  Take pride in your workout, your workout wardrobe, and yourself.  My suggestion for the lazy problem? Buy all black…then no matter what, you match.

Gosh it felt good to get that off my chest! All brands are not created equal, but by all means use the entry-level brands as accent pieces!