Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.

Fashion is in the sky, in the street,

fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.

-Coco Chanel

So, two things you should be aware of:

1) I am secretly (maybe not so secretly anymore) way into fashion and design. I love beautiful things, the play of color and the drape of fabric. Sadly, I lack the visual ability to create something from an idea, which I think is why I gravitate to photography— framing the beautiful where others might not see it.

2) I pretty much live in athletic wear, especially now that I’ve lost weight. It’s all I currently own that fits.

As a result, I’ve been trying to stretch my clothing budget by buying clothes that can pull double duty as gym/running wear and school meeting/grocery shopping/going out into public wear. Super bonus points if it looks good!

I do buy organic or recycled content when I can; barring that, I go for clothing that’s nice and sturdy and won’t lose its shape from many, many washings, a practice I think is just as eco-friendly (although I’d love to see a study that measures that).

My love at the moment is my Palm Beach Athletic Wear, which are my go-to pieces whenever they’re clean. This is fashion that fits my life.

Remember when workout clothes were old, faded t-shirts you wouldn’t wear anywhere else and baggy sweats?

This is my favorite running outfit right now.

 

 

No joke, I had to pick Jeff up from the car dealership last week and since I was going to run soon after, I changed into this first. He got into the car and was all, “What are you all dressed up for?” Yes, that’s how much of a bum I usually am.

I don’t ever buy anything white; I don’t think it’s flattering on me, and I don’t own anything short. But I tell you what, I feel pretty good in my white running skirt. I don’t care for those thin, loose running shorts, I prefer skintight for less chafiness; as short as this skirt is, it still feels way more modest than what I was wearing before.

The top has a fancy “tuxedo” back which wears well as a tank top (and yes, dressier than most of what I own). It’s on the thicker side and holds you in well.

 

These are grey capri pants from Palm Beach Athletic Wear (the top is from the Gap and decades old). Also great for the non-chafiness. Good, solid construction, comfy waistband and dang, they make me look skinny, huh?

NOTE: this run sucked. It was drizzling when I started and then the sun came out and it was just humid and disgusting. I was pretty miserable until I got home and chased the kids around to get them to feel how sweaty my stomach was; that always makes me feel better.

Please to ignore the blurriness of photo— Cassidy more attentive to The Electric Company than to my fashion blogging needs.

Can you love a sports bra? I freaking love this one. I wish it was socially acceptable to just walk around in so people could see how badass it is. I am not a fan of brightly colored sports bras, so I love that this one is BLACK but still different. Just because it serves a practical function doesn’t mean it has to be boring.

I super pink puffy heart this photo, taken hiking at Fort Delaware with the kids.
They were sold out of Union hats so I had to play Confederate. 

Another black tank top. I probably own 30 black tank tops in varying degrees of dressiness/fadedness (some are older than my oldest son, who will be 15 in November) so I’m pretty sensitive to the small variances in cut and fabric that make them different from each other (I’m sure I could ID each one in the dark by touch alone). I wouldn’t normally opt for the skinnier straps like this, but coupled with the length, rib size, fabric thickness, scoopneck and racerback it’s really flattering. It’s a perfect storm of tankitude.

I wear it a lot. I’m like a walking PB athletic wear billboard.

I will admit, when these clothes first arrived I was worried they were too small, too young, too close-fitting. It’s just because I’m so used to wearing boyish things, loosely fitting, and that’s a long-standing body-confidence issue. Wearing clothes that actually fit is sort of crazy liberating.

Which is to say: if you think these are too tight or too young for me… don’t tell me 🙂 Keep it under your hat!

To recap:

• comfortable athletic gear that’s awesome for sweating in.
• quality fabric for keeping its shape with repeated washings and making your shape look… shapelier. I have the figure of a 14yo boy but I think I look decently feminine in these clothes.
• flattering cut and fashion design mean you can get away with wearing these pieces in non-sweaty situations.

Bonus:

Kristen, the owner, handpicks every item they carry to ensure it meets these standards. She’s also super nice. Plus, FREE USPS SHIPPING with any size order is pretty sweet.

That’s pretty much the Holy Grail, right? If you like the way you look in your workout gear, you’re more likely to wear it. And once I have it on, there’s no excuse in my mind to no work out, even if it’s just for a little while.

Palm Beach Athletic Wear is holding a Flash Sale at the moment with some good deals that I’m planning to take advantage of.

And, tonight on the Twitters I’m co-hosting a chat for FitFluential about fitness fashion with Kristen of Palm Beach Athletic Wear. We’ll be discussing what we wear to workout in, what brands we like, what works and what doesn’t. A bonus discount code will be revealed during the hour, so come join us! 9pm EST, hashtag #PBAthleticwear, more info here.

 

In case you want specifics, here’s what I’ve got:

…and my wish list 🙂

Birthday in October!