Dear Athletic Clothing Companies: How to make non-ridiculous fitness clothes

Today I came across a picture in a magazine of a model wearing these pants:

stellaredcapris

All I could think was Holy Menstrual Explosion! Aren’t white pants with red splotches all over the crotch a woman’s worst nightmare? The funny part is that they were designed by fellow possessor-of-lady-bits Stella McCartney so we can’t chalk it up to a lack of understanding of female biology. (At the very least they could have made them blue – like the innocuous not-blood used in tampon commercials, right?) And yet while these bloody bloomers are one of the more egregious examples of bad fitness clothing they’re certainly not the only offender.

Snapping a hole in the butt of my capris with a jump rope. Triumphantly pressing a heavy bar overhead, only to have my bra go north with it. Accidentally kicking my shoe across the room during a kickboxing class. Doing a headstand in a loose t-shirt only to be blinded and then hog-tied by said shirt as I thrashed around trying get out, cover up and not land on any passerby – in that order. I think we can all agree I’ve had more than my fair share of gym wardrobe malfunctions. (We won’t even talk about all the torn shirts, peekaboo bras, rogue nipples, inadvertent moonings and split crotch seams I’ve witnessed – I think I’ve embarrassed all my gym buddies enough for one lifetime.) And I think we can also all agree that the majority of them were definitely my fault. But there are some – like the sports bra incident – which were caused by ill-fitting or poorly designed clothes.

And this past week I almost fell victim once again, thanks to a pair of workout capris that could best be described as the fitness version of a$$less chaps. It sounds so unbelievable that I offer the photographic evidence:

IMAG1347-001

You like my pink polka-dot undies? I bet everyone at the gym would have too! And yes that mesh panel runs the entire width of my butt, from hip seam to hip seam. (Shirt pictured is not from the same company – the shirt is Lucy and I LOVE it.)

This would have been bad enough but the accompanying top (not pictured) hugged my lower belly like a second skin, sagged on my chest and then hit right at the top of my thigh (a.k.a. the fattest part of my leg) thereby making me look flat chested, thunder thigh-ed and 6-months pregnant. The whole lot was one hot mess.

Now, before we go any further, I want to say that getting to try out the latest and greatest in fitness fashion is one of my absolute favorite parts of my job. Quite often I get the stuff for free and I’m not trying to look a gift horse in the mouth or be ungrateful. 99% of the time this process works seamlessly: I try the stuff, sometimes I love it and blog about it (and with really great companies score stuff for you guys too!), sometimes it’s just meh and I don’t. Occasionally it’s boring or unflattering. Rarely is the stuff awful. But after a… surreal… conversation with the company that left me with the  feeling that they expected me to fit their clothes rather than the clothes to fit me, I decided that enough is enough.

Dear Fitness Clothing Companies,

1. Don’t use fit models for designing, use fit women. Women using fitness clothing for its intended purpose come in all shapes and sizes but often have larger quads, butts and shoulders thanks to all our awesome muscle and so it would be helpful if you could design for more of an athletic figure rather than, well, a catwalk figure. Some companies really get this and even use real athletes to model their clothes (Thank you Athleta!) but so many more don’t. We’re not all built the same which is why different styles, adjustable waistbands, strategic ruching and other methods of customizing the fit are so important. I don’t expect my clothes to fit as if they were custom-made but I do expect them to not fall off my butt when I sprint on the treadmill.

2. Respect the boobs. Shelf bras work for almost no one. (Unless they’re just “lounging” – see below.) I’m about as small as they come – my cup size appears on Kindergarten charts under the apple – and even I don’t get enough support from them. Please recognize that women have more issues than just “big” or “small” chests. Boobs go through a lot of changes in our lifetimes: puberty, pregnancy, nursing, aging, menopause, breast cancer and many other things effect the ability of the girls to stay upright, face forward and mind their manners. Most of this is taken care of with a good sports bra – and bra technology has come a long way in the past few years! But if you’re going to make a bra part of your top then you need to put more thought into it than just running an elastic band around the front middle.

3. Assume the clothes will be used for their intended purpose. If you are creating “lounge wear” then by all means include cleavage zippers, single-stitch seams and light gray cotton leggings. But if you call them workout clothes then expect us to jump, run, twist, lift and get really, really sweaty in them. That means we don’t want shirts that roll up like a window shade and pants that slip down into crack town. We don’t want the range of our arm or shoulder motion limited by too-tight sleeves or badly placed straps. We want to squat without fearing the rip of a seam or a foldover waistband gone rogue. (True story: I used to own a pair of workout pants with two vertical zippers on the front waistband. Every time I jumped they slipped down a leeetle bit farther. So eventually I’d have to yank them back up which would then catch my skin in the zipper. I looked like I had bug bites all over my business.)

4. Use “aspirational” very carefully. In a discussion with one major apparel company I told them that I found it odd that they only used very tall, very thin, and very ripped women in theirs ads and catalogs when that was so far from what the average woman looks like. They replied that they knew their models didn’t look like their customers but they wanted to be “aspirational” – a way to inspire women to be “better.” Which would be great if I aspired to be very tall, thin, ripped (and tan and blond). But I actually aspire to be a better version of myself, not someone else entirely.

5. Flatter us. No really, tell us you love us. Tell us you think we’re gorgeous. Tell us that our hard work in the gym is really paying off. And tell us that by flattering our assets. Things to consider:

– 3-inch rises make even tiny models have muffin tops – do not make us wear pants that need a bikini wax to wear. And take pity on the moms among us who thanks to post-baby trauma have the lower tummy pooch. Yes, some of us want our pants to come up to our navels.

– Careful with large all-over patterns. Done right they’re fun and spunky but done wrong and you’re two sizes bigger in an instant and we do not like those kind of magic tricks.

– Just say no to cameltoe – do not stick a seam right down the center of the crotch. Just stop it. Our labia are not the Red Sea and do not need to be parted. (Nor do our butt cheeks)

– Enough with the see-through pants already. This is not a hard problem to see – just have someone put the pants on and do a deep squat in front of you. Nor is this a hard problem to fix – use thicker fabric, don’t use 100% cotton, attach a skirt, insert a panel, reinforce the gusset. Do whatever it takes to keep our Victorias a Secret.

– Careful with pocket placement.

– Design your “control-top” waistbands or other shapewear features to actually shape and not just relocate the fatty bits out the top of the garment.

– Plus size does not mean “same thing just bigger.” From what I hear from my size 16-and-up friends, their weight can be distributed in different ways which means differing designs, patterns and the placement of extras needs to be considered. Offer options beyond plain t-shirts. Larger women belong in the gym every bit as much as smaller women and they deserve to look as cute as they want to.

6. My last tip: Don’t be ridiculous. When you design something you think is pretty sweet then just take a moment to consider how the ladies in your life would wear it. So many problems could be avoided if just one person piped up and said “You know? I don’t think my mom would like to look like a used maxi pad.” Function over fashion always! Some of us (namely, me) like the super trendy, bright, unique gym clothes and others of us prefer to stick to tried-and-true basics but every single one of us will tell you we don’t give a 1-lb dumbbell about the color or pattern if they just don’t work right. And for the amount we’re usually paying for this stuff, it had better work.

In the end, the above fitness company offered to send me a different pair of capris. Nice of them except it’s still ignoring the fact that it wasn’t a matter of getting the wrong size but the fact that they were strangling my thighs and calves and loose on my waist. I’d have to diet myself into an entirely different body shape to fit those things. And that’s still not fixing the problem of FULL BUTT NUDITY.

Don’t be ridiculous.

What’s the most ridiculous piece of fitness clothing you’ve ever owned? Ever had a wardrobe malfunction in the gym? What’s the one thing you wish you could tell fitness clothing companies??

81 Comments

  1. ahh…you crack me up! (no pun intended!) Add to your list: consider those of us who are “vertically challenged”. I tried the pvbody website and they sent me “capris” – if you were more than six feet tall, maybe! These capris were way beyond my feet and the tank top that came with it fell below mid-thigh. I sent them back, explaining my lack of body length. 😛

    Love your blog! You always make my day! 🙂

  2. You are hilarious! Say no to camel toe!!! And those red and white pants… Scary!

  3. Hit on another pet peeve of mine, ill fitting workout wear. I also have issues with sizing. Ridiculous. I must say though, I love “HerRoom.com” website for sports bras, because they actually show a model running and give her bra size! Keep me laughing Charlotte:)

    • Great tip! I love HerRoom too! Although I’ve never bought a bra there – I use them for my corsets etc. TMI? 😉

  4. I work as a personal trainer/group exercise instructor, so I see a LOT of wardrobe issues of my own and other people…yeesh. The one thing that I think all the women in my classes complain about is sports bras (hello, we live in the 21st century, there is NO reason why we shouldn’t have a SB that actually keeps our chest from pretending its a yo-yo AND be affordable. Isn’t there some sort of astronaut fabric out there that will do this?). My chief complaint is that most exercise tops super cute, but when you start doing a bent over row suddenly you can see all the way from your neck to your belly button, you wish you’d just worn a t-shirt.

    I’ve even gotten into the habit of twisting my tank tops into the straps of my sports bras to keep people from seeing down my shirt, but that should not be necessary.

    And Wendy – I agree with you on the vertically challenged thing! Finding pants that fit is a dream come true!

    • I’ve done the twisted-straps-into-bra thing too!! Cotton is the worst because as you sweat it gets looser. I swear by the end I look like I’m into bondage or something… And yes please to astronaut fabric:)

  5. Haha.. love this, and so true!

    I had my sister take some pictures of me for a mini photo-shoot I was doing for an upcoming blog post (super amateur photographer; amateur blogger).. so in one “scene”, I was suspended from some gymnastic rings and went to do a flip. And hello hot pink floral panties! Like I’ve worn these pants to the gym.. and clearly every squat, every deadlift must have been a show.. Eek!

  6. Amen, sista!

  7. “Our labia are not the Red Sea and do not need to be parted.”

    Bwahahaha… I think this is one of my favourite sentences I’ve read on this blog.

  8. Amen Sista!!

    Holy bejesus do you have any idea how hard it is for me to find tops that I can work out in?!?!? I’m a 16 – I’ve got broad shoulders and an ample bust and workout tops just don’t fit. None – anywhere. And pants that don’t roll down – I’d like those too please.

    Yes I’m overweight but ya know what – that’s why I exercise and I don’t wanna look like a slob while I do it!!

    • 100% on this one. Why is it that 90% of all tops have those useless shelf bras? And I am also ample busted, but my shoulders aren’t all that wide.

      So I find a top which looks like it could be cute. And maybe even better a bubble hem, so it won’t cling to my tummy. And sure enough, with the shelf bra, if I am lucky I can pull it over my boobs. But on the flip side, I look like a porn star, because that top is so low, you can see half of my sports bra.

      And pretend I do find one of those elusive sleeveless tops with no shelf bra? Well If I get it to fit my breasts, it is completely low/loose on the side because it is too wide for my frame. Hmph.

      Or I find a shirt with no shelf bra, but by the time I get it in the largest size, it barely fits over my breasts, and comes up like a half shirt.

  9. It is officially your fault that I spat tea all over my work keyboard because I laughed so hard.

    This is absolutely marvelous! I died at the “rogue nipples” mention and the comparison of ladyparts to the Red Sea. Good gracious. Still have the giggles.

    My least favorite is athletic two-piece swimswuits. I could strap a belt around my boobs and get the same amount of coverage. Some of us don workout bathing suits with the motive of ACTUALLY WORKING OUT, not setting ourselves up for a nip-slip.

  10. Thank you! Along similar lines I would say don’t make me pick between camel toe and muffin top. That’s the worst! I have some bras and some tanks that I adore and are perfect but pants I still struggle with. I love my lulus but even some of them have that problem.

  11. Amen to this post! My husband keeps wondering why I keep ordering and having to return so many capris and it is because they are all see-through! Wish they would use thicker material.

  12. I hear ya. A new fitness store opened in my neighborhood and I went in to see they had a lot of good fitness wear that actually fit normal women and came to your waist – Lorna Jane stuff too (which fits amazingly – no wierd muffin top styles or crazy venting)…except the only had XS-M in size in the whole store. Now I’m a size 7 and I am their medium…so that’s just crazy. I mentioned to them as I got a pair of pants that maybe they want to have sizes for all women to wear. I know for me having nice workout clothes keeps me motivated to workout…and if I couldn’t find my size in something in a whole store back when I was struggling to lose weight it would have made me feel awful and be so discouraging. We come in all sizes.
    I have my best luck buying fitness wear at Value Village of all places…

  13. Yes! I have this problem with any fitness bottoms – I have a rather round behind but smaller waist meaning that either I wedge my bum so that the trousers stretch to brusting point across it so that the trousers fit me in the waist, or I have to get ones that fit across the bum but I end up hoisting up every 10 seconds when running! Come on people!!

  14. Yes! I have this problem with any fitness bottoms – I have a rather round behind but smaller waist meaning that either I wedge my bum so that the trousers stretch to bursting point across it so that the trousers fit me in the waist, or I have to get ones that fit across the bum but I end up hoisting up every 10 seconds when running! Come on people!!

  15. I would like to personally burn those red and white pants….for the LOVE of workout clothes!

    I actually dont think I could do white workout pants, because a) the gym is gross and b) I’d totally have to go commando! Which is super uncomfortable on a spin bike!

    I have tons of workout clothes and if I dont carefully plan (aka pay attention to which sports bra/shirt/pants I am picking up) I end up usually flashing the guy behind me in spin class. Its inevitable. And I think he is a bit used to it.

    Honestly the only sports bras/pants/shirts that always work perfectly for me is the Old Navy Brand and I have workout clothes from all ends of the spectrum.

  16. This article was hilarious, though I have to admit that other than the see through capri’s I’ve never experienced any of that business. Of coures I only run, that only sends my limbs in one direction (except for a few rare incidents) so I guess it helps keep awkwardness down to a minimum. Well, awkwardness in clothing, doesn’t take care of my general awkwardness. Also, I’ve found better luck getting running clothing via a running speciality line rather than a general fitness company.

  17. I loved this – so true that lots of the “fitness clothes” aren’t designed for those of us who are “fit” with bigger butts and thighs!!!
    Lots of great tips for the companies designing stuff!

  18. Love your posts Charlotte! You add such an element of fun and laughter to my fitness experience. Thanks a bunch : ) Yeah, hello…I often wonder what designers are thinking when I look at regular clothing as well as fitness clothing! Yipes! ; ) Denese B.

  19. This is a couple of years old, but you might find this discussion really interesting: http://www.lululemon.com/community/blog/love-your-body-2/

    The yoga wear company blogged about loving your body, although the images they used were so homogenous and their sizes are so limited, the public called them out in a flurry of comments and cool discussion.

    • Thanks for posting! It is ironic that they talk about loving one’s body but produce only a limited range of clothing, size-wise.

  20. LOVE this post!!! I still struggle – and being on a budget doesn’t help. So many swear by lulu in my gym but I just can’t bring myself to fork out that much money (especially since I am right on the edge of lulu’s biggest size). My big thing is what happened to drawstrings?!?! I finally found a pair of C9 (champion) capri’s at target that have a drawstring. This is a huge help for those of us with monster hips and quads. Whenever I know there is going to be a lot of running or jump rope I automatically grab that pair. I completely tailor my workout apparel to what I am doing. My sports bras are divided into two types – older sports bras that work best for stationary lifting/rowing/biking – and then top sports bras that I will wear if I am running or WODing. 🙂

  21. Sport bras and athletic tops are my workout nightmare. I’m petite with Dbl D cups. Shelf bras create instant uniboob on me. And, if I buy a size large of anything (to accommodate my boobage) It doesn’t fit anywhere else. If I buy small sizes to fit my body then my breasts are left with no where left to go but out!

    • I have the same problem! The built-in bra tops offer no bounce control and give me one massive boob that usually falls out a little if I do any jumping/running/bending. I also hate it that when I do find a good supportive bra in my size (DDD/E) it only comes in white, black or beige and is usually sold out in black and white leaving old lady beige (no offense to anyone that prefers the less flashy colors, but I like neons)!

    • Shock Absorber is amazing! Just don’t try to order from Athleta and the other mainstream stores as they don’t stock all the sizes. The go from a 28 -44, from around D to HH cups. They do make seasonal colors, but most importantly, the high impact ones work great. Other than that, try Freya and Panache. I believe these are from around 28-38, D-K or J.

      Available at Figleaves.com or Bravissimo or Herroom.com

  22. I’ve found that Lucy’s Perfect Core pant works really well for me. I have a belly, and the pants come up OVER the navel! But (heh-heh, I just said “butt!”), like many clothing manufacturers, they only make clothes up to a certain size. I’m lucky, I can fit them, even without being thin, but ladies who are even a little larger than I am might have trouble.
    Having said that, after wearing my PC pants A LOT, over a number of years, I was notified, after teaching my last regular Pilates class ever, that there was a hole. In the seat. Of the pants I wore while teaching said class.
    Dignity, always dignity.

  23. AMEN SISTER!!!

    I never understood who started the low rise trend but they are EVIL because almost everyone looks horrible in them. Also, just say no to camel toe? *snicker*

    Great post!

  24. Wowzers. Those white and red pants are seriously awful. You mentioned the camel toe issue. What company makes a style that doesn’t have a center seam? I think everything I own does, (unfortunately.) Who makes your favorite workout pants?
    Thanks.
    Gaye
    -Oh, and my worst exercise clothes experience was when my only option was a red unitard. (If you’re interested I wrote about it in my post, “Anybody Want Some Kool-Aid?” Yep. I looked like the Kool-Aid man. 🙂

  25. Amen…to this entire post!!!!

    PS Thanks for the giggles 🙂

  26. I am what many would call “fashion blind.” I have no skill when it comes to dressing myself even for daily tasks. I still rely on my gal-pals to select my cloths at the shops.

    I wore a black and white checkered hat at the gym the other day. My friend said I looked like a weirdo. But there was another guy there wearing a similar hat. We exchanged nods from across the room.

    Weirdo’s unite!

  27. Hilarious! And so true. I’m very small up top and having breastfed 4 babies, it’s safe to say I’m a 36 Long. Sports bras provide me with a special kind of misery and I have only found a sacred few that work. It would be fun to work out in some sports fabric chaps! Just to see the reactions. Fitness clothing companies- “Get rid of the removable pads. Make the pads stay in place permanently, make the fabric thicker or at least flattering to nipples!”

  28. You can’t make this stuff up! The photographic evidence of “designer” stupidity was awesome. You offered great suggestions. Let’s just hope “they” see it!
    P.S. I admit to reading a few memorable lines from this post to my husband. Got a great laugh!

  29. You nailed it on the head! I was a personal trainer for 11 years and have seen my fair share of see through pants while spotting my clients doing stiff legged deadlifts or was I just blocking them from others so they couldn’t see? I’ve seen camel toes, moose knuckes, you name it! I’ve seen the girls make guest appearances and personally have had my shirt roll up during sprints and handstand pushups. Don’t even get me started on men’s wardrobe malfunctions.

  30. I got more than my fair share of boobage and could write a decent rant about bra options (sports and regular), but my biggest fitness wear pet peeve is the lack of pockets in women’s apparel. You want me to wear these pants on a run? Am I just supposed to leave the house unlocked? Where would you like me to put the key? And what about my iPod? Heaven forbid I should want to bring anything else along! It makes me particularly crazy when I’ll look at the men’s and women’s version of something from the same company – almost without fail, the men’s will have pockets and the women’s will not.

  31. I honestly don’t think I’ve seen anything by Stella Mccartney that is worth wearing, sporty or otherwise. I have a theory that she’s really an alien pretending to be a woman designer and royally mucking it up and that everyone goes all Emperor’s New Clothes because her last name is Mccartney. I have other thoughts but I will digress! Great post as usual, Chalotte!

  32. Oh goodness Charlotte! This post might be your best ever – I nearly choked laughing!
    I’ve been reading your Blog for a while, but not commented till now – thank you for all the fit girl inspiration!

  33. Love this post! Omg the worst gym outfit was these gorgeous neon pink shorts that had built in undie things. Super uncomfortable and they did not allow for any movement whatsoever. Doing a body balance class in them was horrible. I haven’t worn them since and it saddens me because they’re so cute.

  34. LOVE all the points you make under #5. 🙂

  35. Those pants. Pahahahaha.

    I also am annoyed by shelf bras–do people actually wear these WITHOUT a sports bra underneath? I’m a fan of the wearing a super colorful sports bra (wide straps!) underneath a tank with shelf bra. I think the combo makes the bra a tiny bit more supportive, though people are probably judging me because you can totally see my sports bra. Whatever, some people ONLY wear the bra I guess.

    Anyways, I looove athletic wear (partially inspired by your super colorful outfits! I’ve been buying more colorful things cuz I like the happiness and vibe of your workout pics!) but my personal peeve is how workout tops will accentuate your nipples. I don’t even have ones that stick out very much, but between a sports bra AND a top, I still can sometimes see them. It makes me feel awkward, even though I know no one cares!

    • Ah, sorry for double reply! I think I missed something, btw. The mesh-butt-crack-pants were a promo item from a company, I’m assuming? I kind of want to see the top they sent it with!

  36. I hate to admit it but I’m a walmart junkie for workout gear. I’m sorry, but I just CAN’T pay $50+ for a pair of workout shorts that I will probably hate after 3 times. And why are the inseams either capri length (which make me look like Lou Ferigno as the Hulk after he busts out of his jeans) or 1″ so everyone sees everything my husband sees if , God Forbid, I must move my legs at all to like, you know, EXERCISE? Recently I found the Holy Grail at Walmart – a mid thigh length black short WITH POCKETS, DRAWSTRING and HIGH WAIST for SEVEN FREAKING DOLLARS. I am sure Walmarts everywhere will be thronged with all of you now. They were danskin brand – but beware, their sizes run pretty small. And I have given up on the under $100 sports bra search. I just buy cheap ones, shrink them so they are tighter and double them up. Sigh…

  37. Follow up comment to the above post. Do NOT make the drawstrings with white string! It makes people overly concerned you’ve had a tampon issue if they come untied and hang down low.

  38. Pingback:Proprioceptive Exercises: It’s 10 p.m., do you know where your legs are? [My new favorite workout! January's Great Fitness Experiment]

  39. Pingback:Proprioceptive Exercises: It’s 10 p.m., do you know where your legs are? [My new favorite workout!] | Elite Daily Diet and Fitness

  40. Pingback:Around the Web-o-Sphere | Things My Belly Likes

  41. Very helpful. I have a bunch of fitness clothes I rarely wear because they’re too tight, don’t stay where they started or just plain show too much of what I have and wish I didn’t 🙂

  42. I am recovering from surgery and this made me laugh so hard it hurt! You have such a way with words. (Unfortunately the only exercising I am allowed to do for three months is walk so I will have to read your posts and get a vicarious workout!)

  43. Pingback:Dress to Impress at ISFLC13 – Students For Liberty | Sports Clothes

  44. Pingback:Six:02, a new fitness apparel store for women | Diary of an Ex … | Womens Apparel

  45. Pingback:Moving Comfort 2013 Spring Fitness Apparel and Giveaway | Sports Clothes

  46. Pingback:Amazing Recipes, Hilarious Cooking Horror Stories and So Many Many Wedgies [The Best of YOU this week]

  47. Pingback:Women's Fila Workout Pants for $14.99. | Sports Clothes

  48. Pingback:Six:02, a new fitness apparel store for women | Diary of an Ex … | Athletic Apparel

  49. Pingback:Womens Puma | Mens Athletic Clothing | Athletic

  50. Pingback:Athletic Wear Women – AP6477 Men's and Women's Solid Color 7 … | Athletic Wear

  51. Pingback:Dear Athletic Clothing Companies – The Great Fitness Experiment | Athletic Wear

  52. The best pair of workout shorts (I like the compression shorts) are from Land’s End. I bought about 3 pairs and wanted to get more but they no longer make them! Nice, thick material and no centre crotch seam! (there is a diamond-shaped piece of fabric in the crotch area) I haven’t been able to find anything else of that quality since.

  53. Pingback:Cute Workout Clothes Are The Key To Getting You Off The Couch … | Athletic Wear

  54. Pingback:Sunday Favorites #10 - Brooklyn Active Mama

  55. The “assless chaps of fitness pants” made me laugh so hard I woke up the dog. I can’t believe the are real! I would have thought you were exaggerating if I hadn’t seen the picture myself. Lawd!!
    Love, love, love this. So funny, and so true.
    and also…AMEN!!

  56. Pingback:Shannen Doherty Attends Ribbon Cutting Ceremony For Bravada … | Athletic

  57. Pingback:Dear Athletic Clothing Companies – The Great Fitness Experiment | Athletic Wear

  58. Pingback:Workout Wear / Prints | Style Activist | Sports Clothes

  59. For pants and tops, LULULEMON! I can’t speak for their more supportive tops (they have ones for the itty bitty titty committee, and also ones for, well, girls who actually have girls), but the less supportive ones are amazing (I wear a size 2 at Lululemon, and have a 30A or AA bust). The tops don’t go anywhere, they’re tight enough that you don’t see down them when you lean over, and if you have small boobs, the pads/elastic is more than enough of a bra.
    The pants are also very comfortable, also don’t go anywhere, accommodate serious quads, and make your ass look FANTASTIC.

    I’m also in love with Nike Pro shorts. I like the 2.5″ inseam ones (they also make your booty look fantastic), and my mom (who is in her 50s) likes the 5″ ones.

    And, okay, guilty confession here, I purposefully buy really, really ridiculous looking workout gear sometimes… because what’s more awesome than a 120 pound girl leg pressing 600 pounds? A 120 pound girl leg pressing 600 pounds wearing bright pink bootie shorts and a Nike sweatshirt that sort of looks like a rainbow exploded on it. Obviously.

  60. YES! The two biggest issues I’ve had with workout clothes are sports bras (I’m chesty and there’s nothing spiffier than the giant uni-boob look) and waistbands that require tugging to stay in place. I’ve seen (but not bought) mesh jogging shorts and wondered if anyone actually buys them. They’re marketed as cool and comfortable, which I don’t doubt, but unless said jogger has flasher tendencies, they’d need to wear the cool, comfortable mesh deals over a pair of butt-hugging spandex shorts, greatly diminishing the cool factor, at least.

  61. So funny and so true!!

  62. few things to add…
    1) I want compression-style bike shorts that are normal length… not capris, not brazilian bikini shorts… only the stick-thin look good in them, anyone with some muscles looks crazy and if there’s any fat, you’re done!
    2) what most companies call “sports bras” are a joke. I’ve found one Champion one that’s great for about $45 but it only comes in black or white, would love some more fun colors
    3) not all of us are “average height” I’m 6′ with a 35″ inseam and anything that’s supposed to be long, like yoga pants, make me look like the hillbilly waiting on the flood to come! even “talls” aren’t really….
    🙁

  63. Are these lulu? They are being recalled! Get some new pants!!

  64. Pingback:It’s 9 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Treadmill Is? Under the Pile of Laundry, Duh [The Sunk Cost Fallacy and Fitness, or, The Reason I Drank Butt Tonight]*

  65. Pingback:It’s 9 p.m. Do You Know Where Your Treadmill Is? Under the Pile of Laundry, Duh [The Sunk Cost Fallacy and Fitness, or, The Reason I Drank Butt Tonight]* | Elite Daily Diet and Fitness

  66. This is great. I’ve been doing a lot of working out lately, only, at size 22 sometimes 24, it’s hard to find things, and it doesn’t help I carry extra weight in my upper arms so lots of times anything that looks good other places is too tight in the arms for actually moving. I’ve given up on sports bras because it’s kind of difficult to find a bra with my band size that isn’t for a much bigger busted person so I tend to wear my older cotton underwire ones.

    I too have found some nice pants at walmart though, Danskin ones. They even have pockets, which I’ve decided is pretty much a requirement …unless I’m attempting yoga my music needs some place to live.

    I found some nice tshirt sets one time at Lane Bryant that were by Reebok. They are coolmax type sleeveless shirts with a very light vneck tshirt to go over them. The result is comfortable and flattering and fits me. The only design flaw in these is that the sleeves have ruching..and the the ruching is done with a drawstring of sorts, so I’ve got these little cords flopping against my arms. But that doesn’t bother me much.

    Those pink pants are scarey.

  67. Great article! I couldn’t agree with you more!! 🙂

  68. Thanks for all the info, it was super helpful. I will actually use ALL your tips in my current fitness apparel clothing line. Companies are forgetting that we need to respect woman for who they are, and not what they should be. I appreciate all your valuable info, I really wish I could hire you as our female fashion advisor. Thanks again!