Vest Takeover

Goodbye North Face fuzzy fleece jackets, and hello North Face vests. Yes that’s right, I said vests. I can’t even begin to count how many people I have seen wearing these vests at school in just the past week. I’ve seen vests from basic black, to purple, and even aqua blue. These vests’ have rapidly rose in popularity following the holidays and continue to take over the classic winter coat.
                Even though I don’t own a North Face vest, I am absolutely in love with them. They can be worn in casual or even semi-dressy situations. A lot of my friends like to pair them with a thin sweatshirt or a long sleeve t-shirt. They are also nice to wear due to the weather we have been having here where I live. We’ve been staying in the upper 30s lower 40s for the past few weeks, and these vests seem to keep people perfectly warm. Another thing I like about them is that they aren’t just worn as a coat to keep you warm, but they can be worn as everyday clothing to school or work.
                 I am looking into buying my own vest and there are so many options available. The original North Face vest retails between $100-$150. As I have said in my earlier post, Staying Warm this Winter Season, where I talked about the different types of North Face jackets, the prices can be seen as high compared to other brands like Columbia Sportswear, but they are definitely worth it is a quality brand. Also these North Face vests come in many different patterns and colors to fit exactly what you are looking for.

               If you want keep up with the latest trends in fashion, I would definitely recommend at looking in getting yourself a vest. It doesn’t necessarily have to be North Face, that is the brand I just decided to do my feature on, but there are other brands like Columbia Sportswear and Spyder that offer great deals on vests just like the North Face ones. These vests are comfy, have good insulation, and you can wear them with almost anything; they are the perfect addition to any outfit.

 

Images Courtesy of www.lyst.com

 

What is Lululemon Athletica?

          Everybody knows that following the holidays, you always have to wear the new clothes you received, it’s like an unwritten rule. You want to show your new wardrobe off to all your friends, I mean who wouldn’t want to make others jealous. So, with everybody heading back to school this past week, the normal array of new clothes made its way through the hallways from new shoes to sweaters to beanies (this year’s new fashion statement). But, one new clothing brand that stood out to me was Lululemon Athletic or just Lululemon for short. I’ve heard that name tossed around in the past, but it wasn’t really a big thing at my school until now. So for today’s blog, I decided to interview a friend of mine about her experience with Lululemon.

 

1) When/Where did you first hear of Lululemon?

I first heard about Lululemon last year from my sister who goes to college down in Texas and is often in Oklahoma which in the big cities of those states stores are popular, its fairly new so the stores are usually in larger cities so that’s why I hadn’t really heard about it yet.

2) What has your buying experience at Lululemon been like?

I absolutely love everything Lululemon sells and everything is so easy to purchase whether it’s online or in the store and when you go into the store the people there have so much information to offer you about the clothing and items and also about yoga.

3) Do you do most of your shopping for Lululemon online, or at one of their stores?

I do most of my shopping online because the closest store to us is 2+ hours away, but every time I’m in a big city I always look to see if there are stores around and almost always stop and shop.

4) How would you describe the prices of the clothes at Lululemon?

Some may see the prices of Lululemon as expensive compared to those of other brands but in my opinion the quality and styles of the clothing is worth what you’re paying… you are for sure getting what you pay for.

5) What is your favorite item of clothing at Lululemon?

I have a lot of their styles, but my favorite are the Wunder Under pants whether they are long or cropped I just love them! I also am a huge fan of their headbands which are of top quality

6) What type of person shops at Lululemon?

Lululemon sells items for both men and women and also have an off branch of their brand for kids, in my opinion anyone can wear Lululemon.

7) Do you think Lululemon may become the next big sportswear brand, like Nike or Adidas?

I think once people start hearing about Lululemon more they’re going to see how great it is and will start purchasing more and more and will indeed become a big brand like Nike or Adidas.

8) Is there anything else you have to say about your experiences with Lululemon?

A lot of people have yet to really hear about Lululemon but I would suggest it to anyone, I wear it all the time and I absolutely love everything so it’s worth the shot of trying!

           Personally, I’ve been wanting to check out Lululemon and this interview I had with my friend, only makes me want to go even more. As seen from this interview Lululemon doesn’t just pertain to one group of people. When I first heard about it, I assumed it was a women’s clothing line, so I was surprised to learn that they had both a men’s and kids clothing line. Also I have heard that the prices can be more on the expensive side, but I like what my friend said about how the clothing is worth the price, because as compared to the prices of Nike, I feel like there isn’t too much of a difference, and I know that what I am getting is quality.

         I am excited to share this post because I want to get the word out about Lululemon. It is an up and coming brand that I can see becoming one of the frontrunners in the sports wear world. I know that I will definitely seek out a Lululemon store next time I’m in a big city.

The Power of Wristbands

             When one thinks of the fight with cancer, a little yellow, rubber bracelet, with the word LIVESTRONG etched on it comes to mind. It doesn’t fight the cancer for you, it’s not some type of cure or treatment, but it still has an important role during the battle with cancer. It’s a reminder every day to those with cancer that they are strong, when they feel weak; a reminder that they will live, even when death seems near. This wristband is powerful. Millions of people throughout the world wear it for their own battles or in support of their loved ones who are battling.

             The topic for this blog post came to mind the other day when I was at a local high school for my basketball game. Some students were selling wristbands for a classmate of theirs that had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was in the hospital. As I was walking past the table, I remember thinking, why in the world would they be selling wristbands for their classmate, why not just try and raise money through a raffle during the game, but then it hit me. I realized that they weren’t selling the wristbands just as a way to make money. They were selling them so that it would be a constant reminder to those who wear them what the cause they supported was fighting it for.
            That’s what these wristbands are for. They aren’t elaborate. They aren’t something outside of the box. They are simple, inexpensive, and most of all, they are effective in doing their jobs. I categorized these wristbands into sportswear because athletes all over the world wear them in support of whatever cause keeps them moving, whatever cause keeps them on the right. Even though these wristbands can seem insignificant and sometimes useless, you must remember they have power and meaning.

Image Courtesy of www.flicr.com

 

My Dilemma with NIke Soccer Cleats

            As a soccer player, I follow all different types of soccer accounts on social media, so I am always up to date with the latest happenings in the soccer world. Every time there is an upset, I know about it. Every time there is a great goal, I know about it. Every time new soccer apparel is released, I know about it. Nothing goes on in the world of soccer that I don’t eventually find out about.
            Recently, my Twitter newsfeed has been filled with a new pair of cleats that has been released by Nike. They are a part of Nike’s Black History Month Collection, which I did a blog post on last week.

 

 I am in love with these cleats. It was as if Nike had read my mind and knew exactly how I wanted my cleats to be designed. But, the only problem is, is that I CAN’T EVEN WEAR THEM.
             This has been an ongoing love/hate relationship between me and Nike. I can tell you with 100% confidence that Nike by far creates the better soccer cleats when compared to Adidas. But, the issue I have with Nike, is that my feet are too wide, so when I do wear Nike cleats I end up with really bad blisters and they are just painful to wear. Now, you’re probably thinking, “Oh, she just hasn’t worn them long enough to break them in so they are loose enough to comfortably fit her feet.” Yes, I thought the same thing, so I continued to wear the last pair of Nike cleats for longer than I usually would have, but they never seemed to get any better. Now this is not just a personal issue that only effects myself, I’ve heard from many other girls who play soccer, have had this same issue. The weird thing is, is that for everyday shoes and my basketball shoes, I only wear Nike and they fit perfectly fine, so it must just be something different with their soccer cleats.
               Don’t get me wrong, in thinking that I hate Adidas cleats, because believe me, I wouldn’t be buying them if I absolutely hated them. I just think that lately Nike has had the better designs. I like the color schemes they use and the fact that you can customize with the Nike ID option.  Hopefully soon, Nike will answer the cry of hundreds of soccer girls who have run into this issue, because I know that if Nike began to create wider cleats, I would definitely start buying some of their soccer products. So here it is Nike, “PLEASE, will you make your soccer cleats just a little bit bigger, because there are many soccer players out there who would love to buy your cleats, but they would rather not suffer from the pain and blisters that go along with them.”

Image Courtesy of www.soccercleats101.com