Welcome to a new type of irrelevant post, that I’m dubbing “Oh Hey”. I won’t sit here and promise weekly (or even monthly) installments, but whenever I randomly feel like it, I’m going to post about things that have captured my attention in the world that sometimes won’t have a direct correlation to lululemon or CrossFit. Why? Because it gives me an excuse to play ‘fashion show’, and/or share things that I think you may find as cool/useful/interesting as I do.

So this week, it actually kind of sort of has to do with lulu – I recently found out that Under Armour is making a move to establish themselves into the athleisure space with Under Armour Sportswear, a design concept similar to lululemon lab. With a job that requires me to be in a cubicle one week, and outdoors in the elements the next, I’ve got a broader work wardrobe than most.

While I don’t own any lab pieces, lululemon’s &Go capsules have always been good to me, from sweaty speedways to rainy stadiums, and office weeks in between. If UA had made this type of clothing circa 2012, I’d have been all over it like white on rice.

Below are some highlights of the new UAS Women’s collection. My first attempt at describing the overall vibe of the lot is… some hip, some hop, some solid, some rogue Ralph Lauren.

Oh Hey: Under Armour Sportswear

THE BASICS (For Women)

DOWNTOWN: Women’s Flowy Short Sleeve Crew

WEEKENDER: Women’s Tailored Jersey Track Pants

PRIME: Women’s Short Sleeve V-Neck

EXCURSION: Overnight Duffel

DOWNTOWN: Women’s Modal Crew

UNIQUELY UA

ELEMENTAL: Women’s Port Windbreaker

DOWNTOWN: Grid Graphic Modal Crew

RUGBY: Women’s Pleated Dress

This dress is funky. Just a tad too short and a tad too schoolgirl for me to wear to the office, but I still appreciate the preppy/edgy style. (lulu lookalike: there is none.)

WEEKENDER: Women’s Academy Blazer

My top gripes about blazers in general are the thicker fabric and complete lack of shoulder stretch. While the price point on this is too steep for me ($299!), I’d love if some brand out there would take a stab at a breathable, stretchy blazer that still maintains its structured look throughout the day. A girl can dream.

ELEMENTAL: Women’s Camo Cropped Trench

Pieces like this are a bit confusing to me. Some pieces (and the prices) lead me to believe that UAS is looking at active young professionals as their target demographic, this is not one one of them.

FIELDHOUSE: Women’s V-Neck Sweater

ENDURANCE: Women’s Jersey-Lined Pants

Again, the items shown above are only a sampling of the styles available across the entire Under Armour Sportswear line. Having a footwear segment of their business, there are also boots & shoes available as part of this new line, along with gloves, hats and scarves.

Further Reading re: Under Armour Sportswear

• Under Armour Bets on High-End Clothing Line [Wall Street Journal]
• Why Under Armour Debuted a Collection at Fashion Week [Fortune]

• Under Armour Hits the Runway With a Wild Attempt at High Fashion [Bloomberg]

Given that UA has already been making hunting and golf gear for years, they were already halfway there on the route to creating these more structured pieces. Therefore, this doesn’t come as a complete surprise. Athleisure isn’t going anywhere, and I’m happy to see that brands known for function and durability are finally getting involved in everyday clothing. Not everyone works inside in a controlled climate, and many offices have scrapped the traditional suit & tie for more relaxed, casual dress codes.

Comfortable people = happy people = productive people. Welcome to the table, Under Armour. I’m happy to see you here.