Product Review: Wantable Fitness Edit #2

February 17, 2016 - Mel

This post contains referral links.

30-something Therapy_Fitness Edit 2

This is my second Wantable Fitness Edit [referral link]. I received a couple new brands in this box, along with some repeats from my first box; however, this one was a bust compared to last month.

30something Shape Activewear Wantable

1. Shape Active Long Sleeve Drop Tail Tee in Heather Gray XS ($44.00) — A repeat brand from last month, I feel like Shape activewear is all over the place in terms of quality. I do like this top — the Tencel fabric is really soft — and the fit is a true XS. Though, it’s not really all that long in the back, which is what “drop tail” in the description would make you think. Plus, when using the thumbholes, the arm seams feel twisted and tighten up the sleeves in a weird way. I have enough long-sleeved layering shirts, however, so I’m sending this one back. I would honestly be really concerned about wearing and washing this one, too, since it feels really thin.

30something therapy Wantable Prismsport activewear

2. Prismsport Lifestyle Peplum Jacket Saddle in mustard snake print (?) S (original $158.00 LOL; on sale for $94.80) — Another repeat brand from last month. Um… yeah. This jacket is ugly AF and not at all my style. #sorrynotsorry

I’m already not a fan of overly-feminine details on athletic wear – a ruching here or a feminine print there is OK, but I will NEVER wear something like this to work out in. Despite that, and even considering maybe wearing it casually, it feels reminiscent of a neoprene jacket that I had to wear when I worked at a zoo. Just, all over NO on this piece. I mean, it’s not even lined. Where the hell am I going to wear this? I’d be offended and angry if it didn’t make me laugh so hard.

I normally don’t take such extreme close-ups of my chest, but this front fastener needed that treatment.

3. Just Live Power Through Legging in Rustic Watercolor XS ($86.00) — I felt “meh” about these pants the second that I pulled them out of the box. The print is nice, but there’s something about the thickness and slickness of the fabric that I did not like. The product details state that they’re made from a signature YOLON blend (whatever that is) and are “fade proof, odor resistant, and designed to provide superior workout-enhancing compression.” The fit was great, though because of the compression, I struggled with some bunching above and below my calves. They weren’t impossible to put on when compared to other compression pants that I own. Still, I didn’t feel enough love to want to keep them.

4. Just Live Girls Best Friend Sports Bra in Rustic Watercolor S ($52.00) — This is the same watercolor print as the Just Live leggings. With all the terribleness of a front-zip sports bra thrown in. Interestingly, it did fit really well for being a small (I’m a genuine 34A cup), but there’s a tiny catch hook inside the zipper that kept unlatching and I was only taking pictures, so… this piece was also a NOPE.

30-something Soybu Wantable Fitness Edit

5. Soybu Camii Legging in Gemstone Space Dye XS ($64.00) — I think the prices of the two leggings in this box should be swapped! Is this something with space dye fabric, by the way? I noticed that space dye is always cheaper on Fabletics apparel too. The quality of these leggings per the price are fantastic — these are super soft and have really nice seams. I don’t own a pair of stirrups either (the stirrups can be “hidden” when bunched up at the ankle). I believe that I’ll find myself wearing these often for yoga and lounging around the house. The colors in this print are so pretty too!

The merchandise total is $340.80; if I were to keep everything in the box, I would get a 20% discount (and deduct the styling fee of $20) and the total would be $252.64. Since I really love the Soybu leggings, they’re totally worth paying an additional $44.00 to keep. Everything else was returned in the pre-labeled USPS bag that Wantable provides with every shipment.

Since we anticipate moving next month, I’ve skipped my shipment for March. But I’m excited to see what early-spring pieces I’ll receive in my April Edit!

Sunday Lately for this 30-Something: Week 59

February 14, 2016 - Mel

Blogger Tribe_Sunday Lately Sunday Lately is a weekly linkup hosted by the Blogger Tribe (lead by Angelica, Meghan, Nicole, and Katy). Every Sunday morning, the Tribe shares a small glimpse into the last week — and I’m sharing along, too, as part of my “group therapy.” All are welcome, so if you’re a blogger looking for his or her Tribe, click through and join us in the Blogger Tribe Facebook group, and every week we share our thoughts on a rotating theme of prompts. I hope everyone is savoring the feeling of love this weekend with your besties or that someone special in your life (and especially those four-legged furry friends keeping us warm on this chilly weekend).

Blogger Tribe, SUNDAY LATELY Week 59, 30-something therapy

This week’s theme, on this Valentine’s Day, is: Updating, Remembering, Needing, Wearing, Being.

Updating: A couple months ago, I worked with a resume writer to tweak my professional documents to turn myriad roles into a comprehensive skill set (and help me get my resume down to a single page, which… she was a miracle worker!). Well, I’ve officially put in my notice at work, so I’ll be updating all my statuses to reflect my job-searching status.

Remembering: that my race is this weekend and trying not to freak out. Granted, I’m doing this solely for fun — but it’s a LOT of miles to run just for shits and giggles. I need to remember to be smart (and not preemptively freak out), and figure out mentally how I will sustain my energy levels for hours of running and socializing). #introvertproblems

Needing: I need a plan of action for my race this weekend, so I’ll be working that into my weekly planner. And I’ll share it in a separate post this week! Thankfully, we have this long weekend to help fine-tune my to-do list and race day(s) schedule.

Wearing: I thought that this heart-inspired Aphrodite set from Fabletics [referral link] would be super-cute to lounge around in on Valentine’s Day — and I ended up getting it as a $19.95 deal.

But I didn’t anticipate that I would rather want to be wrapped in sweats and wearing a Snuggie all day.

Being: in LOVE. Woke up to coffee and Eggs Benedict, and a gifted bottle of Rose champagne and chocolate… and a cat card, natch. It’s sounds so simple, but it’s perfect.

Product Review: Wantable Fitness Edit

January 28, 2016 - Mel

This post contains referral links.

Since I work out a lot and generally wear casual clothing, I like the idea of a Stitch Fix-esque subscription service for athletic apparel. I recently signed up for my first Wantable Fitness Edit [referral link] because I’ve been bored (and somewhat) disappointed with Fabletics lately, which I’ve subscribed to for a couple years (certainly not purchasing every month, but have had a good run). Fabletics bottoms have been awesome, but their tops are just plain awful in regards to quality, material and sizing (I even tried a dress once, which had ZERO STRETCH, and just no).

I received five items from Wantable to try on at home, with a good variety in items and brands. Wantable offers a similar discount to Stitch Fix when you purchase everything from your box. Imagine my immediate disappointment, then, when I received an incorrect item in my Edit. Wantable customer service took care of the problem via email AND offered a discount (in form of a return) when I returned the incorrect item and if I purchased the other four things (which, I did). There was no charge for returning items.

For athletic brands, I am all over the place in terms of sizing – and somewhere between an XS and S (even though I’m generally a size 2 in street clothing). Even at lulu, while I am regularly a 4, some of the same-numbered-sizes tops can be too tight in the band or upper arms. Often in other brands, I cannot fit bottoms over my calves (sometimes, more incredulously, over my thighs); I guess my shoulders are kind of broad for a broad my size too. SHRUG.

Wantable Fitness Edit, apparel, exercise, 30-something

Here’s what I got in my first Fitness Edit (prices indicated are full-price before discount):

1. Glyder Elongate Legging Spanish Tile Jacquard XS ($70.00): I love the pattern on these, and think that I would wear them for both exercise and casual. Although, I was a little disappointed at their performance in hot yoga (falling down in the back/band stretching out). These are pretty tight-fitting in the legs, otherwise, so I can’t imagine wearing something SMALLER than an XS – these already were difficult changing into after sweating/freezing outside from my run (note: I haven’t run in them yet; don’t think I would either) and OMG they are a little tight on my large-for-my-body calves. Fabric quality and stretch is definitely in line with the price though. Even better with the “buy all the items” discount.

2. Shape Active 2-in-1 Twist Back Athletic Tank Heather Crystalline XS ($58.00): I LOVED this top, so much so that I was willing to overlook the fact that I could barely pull the bra on. There was ZERO stretch, and I ended up ripping the seams open on the band (Seriously, WTF?!). I thought the top itself was still worth the price though, despite the awful bra (thankfully, they are separate pieces). The fit is perfect and the thin mesh layer in the open back was completely breathable – and it worked really well in hot yoga for me.

Wantable Fitness Edit, athletic apparel, 30something, shape sports bra

3. Pink Lotus Shirred Bust Racerback Bra XS (clearance item: $39.00): super cheap deal for adding another sports bra to my arsenal, so kind of hard to pass up. I loved the print, and the fit was pretty good, albeit a little bit snug on the bottom band (at least it stretches!); although, there was no separation for the bra pads (and it was impossible to get them to sit in the cups properly, so I removed them both because I would seriously rather have some pointy nip action than a uni-boob.

4. Prismsport Loose Tank XS ($48.00): I legit needed a top like this! Simple, racer-back style that fits really well. I like the semi-sheerness to show off a cute printed bra underneath. This will be a very versatile top for my varied workouts (though probably not in the dirty-ness of the CrossFit gym).

5. Trina Turk tank ($76.00) in a beautiful teal green (but a size Large, whomp). I LOVE the Trina Tank brand and have never tried their workout clothing. It looks to be of the same quality and design standards that you would expect from Trina Turk, however. Disappointed that this wasn’t meant for me. Though for a tank, I had a bit of sticker shock!

30-something Wantable Fitness Edit Trina Turk tank

My box was supposed to include another pair of pants – Moto Leggings from Pink Lotus (XS) that seemed to match the sports bra in the box (I couldn’t find my packing slip, and when you don’t purchase an item, the price doesn’t show online in my account, but I think they were priced around $78.00).

Overall, I like the subscription, and their customer service did good by me. I’ll certainly order another Fitness Edit in February – and I hope that I have more success with sizing and accuracy. If you’re interested in signing up for your own Fitness Edit, feel free to use my Wantable affiliate link! I promise that I’ll work on getting better pictures of this gear as I wear it, too!

Weekly Therapy: Black and Yellow, Black and Yellow

January 15, 2016 - Mel

the week:
Well, the BIG news of the week is that I MADE TRAVEL TEAM! I’ll be playing for our A/varsity team, The Steel Hurtin’. So excited, you guys!

weekend:
If you’re in Pittsburgh, this weekend the orchid and tropical bonsai show opens at Phipps’ Conservatory. Visitors can experience this tropical escape starting Saturday through February 28. (Hours 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. daily and until 10 p.m. on Fridays.) More details can be found at phipps.conservatory.org.

Also, you can cheer for the Steelers again… if that’s your thing.

seven things, seven days:
1. Unfortunately dropped off the Dry January wagon, when we were invited to a neighbor’s Steelers party last weekend (back on as of Monday — dry weekdays instead for this month, maybe). Eh.
2. I’m (finally) through season 2 of The Leftovers, and all I can comment is WTF?!
3. Got my first Wantable Fitness Edit this week and I have… conflicted feelings about it. Is this something you guys would like to see reviewed?
4. Celebrated our department’s post-holiday holiday party this week, complete with a “regift” exchange. Good fun to break up the work week.
5. Therapy Wars: The revenge of Freud (long read, but really interesting look at CBT) {via The Guardian}
6. The top 5 fitness trends for 2016 looks a lot like last year (and the year before that). {via Runtastic}
7. You can’t trust what you read about nutrition. This is a fun one about correlations. {via FiveThirtyEight Science}

New Store Opening in Pittsburgh: Chelsea Collective

August 20, 2015 - Mel

This post is sponsored by Vocalpoint and Chelsea Collective. All opinions in this review are my own.

Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of being invited to a special event preview for the new fitness apparel store opening at Ross Park Mall: Chelsea Collective.

Chelsea Collective is the only fitness-focused specialty store that provides head-to-toe product diversity across footwear, apparel, accessories and beauty — with a variety of fitness interests from studio to running and more. Chelsea Collective selects every piece to be as high-performing as it is sophisticated.

I brought along my friend and fellow running blogger/enthusiast Chelsea (appropriate, right?!) of Pittsburgh City Girl to the preview, which included a store tour, passed appetizers and a yogurt parfait bar, specialty cocktails (champagne!), and some amazing surprises. This preview proved that this store was MUCH more than just about fitness apparel. Can we call it a lifestyle store? Because this store pretty much nailed my life AND style. Chelsea Collective is the brainchild of Dick’s Sporting Goods. The brand is said to cater to all types of women with varied athletic interests. I found that to be true and then some. There are plenty of options from the casual lifestyle to the fitness enthusiast and all body types in between.

This Chelsea Collective location carries a LOT of Nike-branded apparel — nearly half the store! Familiar brands like Adidas, Asics, and Calia (Carrie Underwood’s label) were set up in different sections throughout the floor plan too. There is even a bra bar with trained fit specialists to help make sure that you are shopping the correct size. I was particularly impressed by new-to-me labels Zobha and Lorna Jane and their respective merchandise. I really wanted this short-sleeved hoodie from Zobha which had already sold out in my size by the time I circled back around the store.

And OMG an entire section devoted to Splendid, which is one of my favorite brands! (I even saw Hunter boots, and their website teases me that Sorel boots will soon be carried in stores). We received a $25 gift card when we arrived for the event, which I used towards a pair of Sanuk sandals — you all tell me how awesome and comfortable they are, so it was a good “deal” to finally buy a pair.

I was absolutely SHOCKED by the additional generous gift that Chelsea Collective provided to all attendees to the party — a “build-a-bag” that included a workout bag worth over $250 (from Nike), which we were able to fill with four additional self-selected items from several shelves of goodies. I got a new yoga face towel, sport headbands from Nike, an infinity bracelet from Pure Vida (an organization close to my heart), and a Nike scarf (it’s SO soft). They also had yoga mats, straps and blocks (which I just purchased doubles of) and other fitness accessories. For signing up for their rewards card, I also received an extra gift at the register: a multi-strap leather bracelet with the brand’s logo.

The store is fairly large and there is a lot of merchandise to look at, with additional beauty products and fitness accessories surrounding the register area (many of my favorites here too!). The changing room area is basically a social lounge, which is important for me when shopping (because, exhaustion) — with chairs and tables to relax at (for you or any of your shopping buddies) and stations available for charging your phone while you shop. It’s beautifully accented by a live plant wall and gorgeous fixtures.

You have to experience it for yourself!

Chelsea Collective opens this weekend and will be celebrating its official Grand Opening on August 22 and 23. They’re located on the second level near the Nordstroms wing. They’ll be hosting in-store styling demonstrations, offering complimentary services and refreshments — and experts will be on-site to offer advice. The first 25 guests will receive a special gift. I already wish I could return this weekend.

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