We have Apple’s inability to provide functional iPhone batteries to thank for my Saturday morning store trip, which was my first in over 2 months! Apple is located directly across from lululemon, and I’ve been toting around one of the offending iPhone 6S’s with the spontaneously terrible battery inside since September 2015.

My patience finally ran out as I realized that there’s no way on earth my current battery could successfully get me through Seawheeze training, not to mention the race itself. The snow is finally melting, meaning I’m going to have to start hustling pretty soon. Long story short, drop phone with Apple, go to lululemon, try a ton of stuff on, walk out with some of said stuff, pick up phone and come home to share my findings.

Side Notes: Before you go “how the hell is she taking cell phone photos if her phone is across the way at the Apple store?” I carry two phones. 🙂

For any new readers out there, I am 5’9″, wear a 10 on the bottom and go between an 8 and 10 in tops, depending on the fit.

Swiftly Tech Long Sleeve (Breeze) *Relaxed Fit ($78) in slate/white

Pardon the double photos, apparently I forgot to save the back view. Oops.

The shirt though, you want to know about the shirt! It took me a little while to hop onto the original Swiftly Tech LS train, and now I’m a big fan of those. I was curious when the Swiftly Tech LS Breeze came out recently, because sometimes the usual fit doesn’t do much for your self esteem on a day you’re feeling fluffy. Shown here is my usual Swiftly size, a 10.

My immediate thoughts?

• The fabric is heavier than usual, felt less airy/gauzy
• What the hell, where are my thumb holes
• The bottom hem is twice as thick as the hem on a normal Swiftly, probably to give it some weight and make the shirt fall nicely, instead of flapping in the breeze
• The torso length seemed slightly shorter
• The neck opening is a bit wider than the non-breeze version

THE VERDICT: Pass, especially with the $78 price tag. However, in black this may be a great covert addition to a daily casual wardrobe. While I didn’t end up buying one today, I still recommend giving it at least a fitting room chance.

Sole Training LS ($88) in black

Next up, the Sole Training LS. I’m a fan of lulu’s UV protection material, which feels like very light luxtreme/a swimsuit. Shown here is an 8, and I’ve still got room for days in the midsection. It also falls interestingly around the hip.

I should have tried on a lighter color to showcase the layered mesh situation on the bottom 3-4in of this shirt. Here’s the stock photo of the poseidon version:

There are 3 layers, 2 of them mesh. It adds a bit of bulk and has a split hem on the sides. I wanted to like this one, but it just didn’t do much as far as where the bottom hem fell for me.

THE VERDICT: Also a pass. I like a little room in my tops, but if I err too far on the looser side… I lose all shape and end up looking even bigger than my already quasi-amazonian stature. I ended up liking the Gear Up LS ($88 online, marked down to $59 in my local store) much more, so this top was left behind. UV protection aside, the asking price seems a bit steep for what you get, even by lululemon standards.

While I walked out of the store with 4 new items, neither of these were it.

Somewhat shown in all the try-on photos above, I owe it to you all to take some better photos before posting full thoughts on the Out to Lunge Untight Tight. Let’s just say I’m a fan.

Lastly, in case you’re distracted by the extremely neon shoes, say hi to the Brooks Mazama. Easily one of my favorite pairs of kicks in the arsenal right now. Plus, they’re waterproof. Who doesn’t love that? Stuff it, puddles. Mine came from REI, but you can also scope them on Amazon or Shoebuy.