Well, damn. It’s August. Summer sales are cleaning out warehouses all over the place and I’m pretty sure we’re all ready for the super hot temps to fuck off. But first, there’s still a big part of summer (big to me, at least) to go… the CrossFit Games.
Yes, I am absolutely sitting here on the couch watching the marathon row. Most people probably think watching paint dry is more fun than this, but I was a collegiate rower and I am absolutely geeking out over the event. While I have never rowed 42,000m at a clip, I sure have spent my fair share of time in the seat wishing for an apocalyptic interruption.
Both Lululemon & Athleta have officially declared it ‘fall’ (the sweat dripping from my face during an 11-minute WOD says otherwise), so we’ll focus on their latest tonight. I’m kinda sorta in the mood to BUY SOMETHING(S).
5 Faves & a Dud: This Week’s Favorites
From top, L-R:
- Lululemon’s Flamenco Red: Swiftly Tech SS ($68) & Speed Up Short ($58) <3
- Lululemon Energy Bra ($52) in Wee Are From Space Nimbus Battleship/Citra Lime
- Athleta Run Free Bra ($49) in black
- Athleta Headlands Hybrid Cargo Tight ($108) in black
- Lululemon Align Pant Full Length ($98) in Sequoia Camo Print Deep Coal Black
Explain Yourself
At risk of sounding like Tiger Woods or the devil, I quite love a red & black combo, hence the Swiftly picks. Lululemon must have been reading my mind, because a few weeks ago I found myself staring into the abyss that is my closet thinking that if true red Swiftlies existed, I’d absolutely own them. These two red pieces are currently in my shopping cart.
Athleta dropped their fall line this week, and it’s not quite as seasonally inappropriate as lululemon dropping puffer vests in July. The Headlands Tight intrigues me for work purposes, I plan to hunt some down at the mall in the near future and see if I can make them, well… work.
As for that Run Free Bra? THAT ASYMMETRY THO. I dig it. It’s like an Energy Bra’s sassy younger sister. I can relate, being a sassy younger sister and all. 😀
Worth a Mention
Athleta’s including the Stripe Contender 7/8 Tight on their New Arrivals page, but I snapped some up this winter. I love them, happened to wear them for yesterday’s ROMWOD (my new attempted obsession). [Review] TLDR: Super flattering.
The Dud
Lululemon Knot Gonna Fly Tank ($54) in heathered figue
The name says it. Knot gonna fly in my wardrobe. I’m all for the knots in the back, but this color and extension of my fluffy midsection in front is not going to make its way home into my closet. EVER.
Audience Participation Time!
Now, I’ve also had the Spectrum Wunder Under Nulux White Black Wunder Under Hi-Rise Tight *Nulux brought to my attention, and I’m not sure if I love or hate them. On one hand, I’m like YEAH RAINBOW LASER SWIRL! On the other, I can’t help but wonder if someone put white pants on and ran through an icing fight in an instagram bakery’s kitchen.
Blogosphere, what say you? I can’t decide on these.
I’m feeling exactly the same way!!! I can’t decide if I love or hate them! It’s too bad, that rainbow laser swirl is AWESOME!!! If they would have put that on a solid color tight, I’d snap them up. I think paired with the print it’s too crazy. I don’t think I’d wear them.
Honestly, I think it’s the rainbow swirl that draws me in. Without that, the print is kind of meh.
Same same, I really like the lines & color on the sides, but the floral print kills the vibe for me!
I love the crazy WUs. I won’t buy them because they’re too pricey for me now, but I dig. And I dig flamenco red. Now they just need to either make a LS swifts or a pair of shorts that are actually flattering while wearing.
I should clarify, make a LS swifts or shorts in that gorgeous red!
No red LS this week. I’m holding out hope!
I have my fingers crossed for a red LS Swifty… they’ve been crossed for years. Now that a SS exists, I’m really hoping an LS version comes to us soon!
Oooh, I just bought the Athleta stripe contender tight. I never thought that so many crazy stripes could be flattering…. and then I saw the photos of you wearing them. I immediately ordered. BOOM! Regarding the LLL Spectrum tights: I do like them. If I was feeling fitter and did an activity like aerial silks or even barre I’d be in. But for my crossfit and Oly lifting life, I feel like I’d be self conscious. Agree with the commenter about if the rainbow swipe was on a solid they’d be an easy yes.
Also, thanks for this blog. Loving it!
I think you’ll really like the Stripe Contenders – not only are they flattering, but the fabric is more compressive than most pairs of crops I’ve picked up in recent years.
Agree with you on the CF/Oly vibe – I know that neon is welcome in the box, but… the flowers soften the whole aesthetic to a more yoga/barre look.
I absolutely love the rainbow and hate the crazy pink & teal explosion print. Why didn’t they put the rainbow on a solid color, why?!
Because that would make them popular and sell fast?
I kid, I kid. Sort of.
I agree about the fun rainbow stripe that goes up one leg, across the back, and down the other leg. It’s a cool design ruined by a buttload of awful flowers. Lululemon has had some downright ugly prints lately. If they put that rainbow stripe on a pair of dark solid leggings, they would have a winner.
If not dark solids + swirl, I’d love to see some sort of lasers instead. Just seems like an aesthetic clash to me!
I got the camo Run Free Bra and it’s 10x nicer than I imagined. It’s very supportive (moreso than the rest of Athleta’s medium support lineup) and while I initially found the asymmetry strange, I absolutely loved it after trying it on. I’m impatiently waiting for the matching Run Free Tights!!! I’ve heard my store will get them all the 8th.
Personally I think the swirl is cute but I’m not sold on the base floral the swirl sits on.
Also I tried on the headlands hybrid and while it’s the first tight of this style I’ve ever truly loved, I thought it was strange that I comfortably took the size 0 (I’m a lulu 4/athleta XS in bottoms). A manager told me to grab a 0 and I kind of laughed at her, but she was right and the 2 was too big!
I found it interesting that the regular and cargo tights are different designs this year. The regular is the ripstop fabric all the way around with very small yoga material strips along the sides, while the cargo is yoga material all along the back half.
I haven’t tried the cargo on to compare, as I think the back half being yoga material will result in me destroying my pants by sitting on a sharp rock.
I noticed that too! Good point about the rocks, but I was also cautious about the ripstop all over when considering breathability.
Ultimately I only allowed myself one pair, and I was looking for them to wear in a more casual setting.
The regular had deeper pockets on the side, but the cargo had MORE, so I opted for cargo because of the back pockets.
I tried the Run Free on this weekend and liked it! On par with an Energy Bra, I’d say 🙂