Gear Up

French writer Stendhal said in his famous book "The Red and the Black“ ( "Le Rouge et le Noir" in french) "A good look is an event in my lift". So it is in mine!

Some people might think I am putting too much effort into my looks. I don't deny that and don't see what's wrong with that either. It's not shallow or vain; looking good can help me cheer up and become more efficient in what I am doing, including sports and exercise. :)

Viktoria Telek. Her youtube videos got me started with all this exercise madness. :)



I don't pretent I know who makes the best sport gears but rather write about how I feel about the brands I have experience with (Please note: I am NOT sponsored by any of these brands but all from my personal shopping experience). In my closet, there are 3 lines of sport gears, ATM, Gold, and Platinum, meaning cheap, acceptable, and expensive. LOL

ATM

Old Navy

I own a few pieces from this popular inexpensive mall brand: a yoga top, and a cropped running legging. You might want to size up on the bottom if you are bottom heavy like me. They hold up pretty well and don't fade much (depending on the material as well)

Gold

C9 Premium Collection by Champion

This target exclusive sport line has surprised me big time, especially their premium collection. There are 2 lines at target: women's and premium. Premium is slightly on the higher price range. A base top layer could cost around 40 dollars. Women line has a decent selection in women's yoga pants. I personally don't care for yoga pants as much as running tights but for around 20 dollars, you can't beat that. Their sport bra tanks are running a tad small while I have go a size down on women's jackets and tops.



Premium

LuluLemon

Need I say more? :) I am hooked! If you don't want to spend all that money, check out their Wunder Under running pants, and Skinny Will pants. One of the Barre instructors was wearing this the other day, and I was like...oh my goodness, those mile long legs!



Some other options are Kirkland signature by Costco. People are raving their stretchy walking pants, almost comparible with LuluLemon's groove pants and astro pants. They also have matching slim jackets and loose tops. They are all under 30 bucks.



Nordstrom Rack and TJMaxx normally carry big racks of discounted Nike, Puma, and Reebox sport clothings, but style wise it's hard to predict.

Shoes

All shoes are good as long as they fit your feet and give you enough room in toe box. Brooks has been receiving extremely high rating when it comes to running shoes. But trust me, all these shoes wear out in the same speed. You need to toss them after around 75 hours of running/walking. The key to making your shoes work at their prime is to get a good pair of orthopedic inserts. My husband swears by Sof Sole Airr orthotic inserts, while I have been in love with my Spenco.

Brooks Dyad 6