Feel Cool in Chikum Athletic Wear

Yoga class today, was hot. Uber hot. I don't know if it was because it was a little cooler outside today (the weather actually resembled something other than summer), but my yoga instructor cranked the heat in class. I felt a little nauseous. My mascara was burning my eyes because I was sweating a constant deluge down my face... it was a difficult practice. Thanks for listening. Maybe I will be more diligent about washing my make-up off before class. Eh, probably not.

So anyway, right now these itty bitty yoga clothes from Chikum look really appealing. Their shorts remind me of Wonder Woman's shorts.

I think I could pretend I was Wonder Woman in my next hot yoga class with these shorts. Not only would I feel cooler temperature wise, I would feel cooler in my imagination. The  Zed Shorts are even named after a quote from Pulp Fiction. Looking like Wonder Woman and named after a Quentin Tarantino movie? That's about as cool as a pair of shorts can be, really.

Zaardula Shorts

Zed Shorts

Cloudy day, sunny painting, stretchy clothes

[Top: Athleta | Bottoms: SOLOW]

These pants are by SOLOW, and I only have good things to say about them. SOLOW is manufactured here in the US. These pants are made out of their signature fabric, Eclon. Their Eclon performance fabric is wicking and Blue-Sign certified sustainable (although, I haven't researched what Blue-Sign sustainable means). I do know that these pants are really soft, feel cool in a hot class, and are not see-thru. The fabric is really stretchy and comfy and appears to be made extremely well. I expect that these pants will last me a long time, and I like that I am supporting jobs here in the US by purchasing them. These pants are actually navy, with orange contrast stitching.

The top is by Athleta, also soft, stretchy, and cool. With a sports bra underneath, you are good to go. I think it is a little too long in length though, so it starts to roll up at the bottom. With a little adjusting, it's a fun top. I like the detail embroidery on the back of the shirt.

Recycled plastic bottles into yoga pants! Yes!

Hold the phone.

You can create yoga pants from recycled plastic bottles.

You can buy these pants and they are cute.

AND they are all USA made, something else to feel good about.

I want to order ten pairs!

My favorites are the sun short denim.. they look like cute denim cut-offs.


And these Hot Desert Pants:

The company is called Teeki, and you can find them here. They also have swim wear and active wear tops made from the recycled plastic. You can read about their eco process and the story of their company on their website. Reduce waste and support jobs in the USA. These yoga clothes are winners in my book. They are even less expensive then other yoga brands!

Yoga Bandeau

The Yoga Bandeau Top (images courtesy of Heidi Hat)

I've seen some bandeaus appearing in new yoga wear. There are several cute options for these strapless tops here from heidi hat. Also, Tonic has a red bandeau in their fall 2012 collection.  I wonder how they hold up through a class. Do they stay in place or slowly slide down like headbands always slide off my head?  Has anyone tried them in class yet?

ALO- leggings that have seen better days.

{Cami: Similar|Leggings: here}

Do you ever have that one piece of clothing you like SO much that you hardly wear it? Fearing the detriment of the washing machine, or unforeseen accidents with red wine at happy hour? This is what these leggings have been to me. I got enough compliments on these pants every time I wore them, I began to wear them less and less as I wanted them to last as long as possible.

This top and bottom are from ALO.  These are the Energy Capri Leggings, and are flattering in cut and wick away sweat well. Also, as I mentioned... people notice them. I was ready to sing ALO's praises in this blog review, especially since their leggings are much less expensive then comparable brands. These capri bottoms are only $52.00, compared to $75.00-$98.00 and upwards for crop pants from other yoga brands. However, (insert sad face here), after some washings, these pants have developed a hole... It's like all my fears have been realized.  

I've had the pants less then a year and I was conservative with how I cared for them--  these pants have never seen the inside of a dryer.  The hole is along the seem that runs along middle of my butt. I think the material has become thinner over time. So lesson learned, you can pay less for some pants, but they may not last as long. For what a good pair of yoga pants will run you, you should expect them to last you for years. See this article by FitSugar, on why you may want to invest in a good pair of yoga pants.

The white cami has held up really well after almost a year. It practically still looks new. It's too bad yoga tops are usually more time-sensitive to trends then bottoms, as it seems ALO's cami's will out last their pants. .

Beyond Yoga

 {Top: here|Bottom: here}

Beyond Yoga apparel holds a special place in my heart. The signature fabric of Beyond Yoga is soft. Crazy, ridiculous, soft, and breathable. When I'm thinking about what to wear to a heated yoga class, I peruse the clean clothing I have left and evaluate based on how cool and comfortable it will be in 105 degree heat.  Most often I end up grabbing my Beyond Yoga tops and bottoms.

(photos by Lauren Alisse Photography)

These pieces are some of Beyond's staples. The bottoms are gathered crop leggings that I have in four different colors. Both the top and bottoms have held up well thru numerous washings, as I have yet to notice any fading or fraying. And as typical for Beyond wear, they are remarkably cool and soft. Things to look out for with these leggings : In certain colors (especially the lighter ones) they are noticably shear and you have to wear some decent coverage underneath them. This can be a problem, because instead of your nice bottom, all anyone will notice are your panty lines in these things. Also, they tend to run a little large-- I wear a size smaller then I would normally wear with other brands.

The top is their original, no-nonsense cami. It's your go-to for when you want to show off your perfect natarajasana more then your shirt.