Spending so much time at the Barre has really been
influencing my wardrobe lately, especially with Spring on the way! In fact,
last week I participated in some spontaneous online shopping, and I found
myself veering towards leggings, sports bras, and cute sweatshirts instead of Spring skirts, shorts, and dresses. This spontaneous browsing session led to some unplanned shopping which ultimately satisfied my utilitarian needs of some new spring clothing (my leggings had more than one hole in them) (Babin 225). I started shopping in my comfort zone by shopping online at Aerie - a brand I have been
purchasing from for several years. I dropped about two hundred dollars on an assortment of sportswear goodies. (Yes, I know that is quite a bit to
spend impulsively, but I haven’t been shopping for clothes in-store or online
in the past six months.) I'd also like to add that the best thing about online shopping, however, is that I can do a better job of judging the products without being influenced by the functional quality of a physical, in-store environment (Babin, 229).
After my clothing had arrived a few days later,
I realized that maybe the quality wasn’t as great as I had remembered. The athletic wear was great for the price, yes, but not compared to the Lululemon sports bra I
borrowed from a friend at The Barre Code one
day when I was running late for class. The styles and quality of the clothing
‘equipment’ my friends were wearing seemed to be more mature and the “sweat wicking capabilities” were enticing (Lululemon). For some reason, I wanted in on
these trendy, expensive, sweat-wicking, reversible, multi-colored, "Flow Y Bra IV * Fill-On Luxtreme" sports bras to see what the fuss was all about.
I have come a long way from being the girl wearing basketball shorts and cut-off T-shirts to the NCRB freshman year, but should I really buy into this high-end athletic clothing trend and be hip with my newfound Baryassa (The Barrre Code’s branded name for “vinyassa yoga”) crowd?
I have come a long way from being the girl wearing basketball shorts and cut-off T-shirts to the NCRB freshman year, but should I really buy into this high-end athletic clothing trend and be hip with my newfound Baryassa (The Barrre Code’s branded name for “vinyassa yoga”) crowd?
Well... my Lululemon order arrives next week. I’ll let you know then if I’m
converted =]
Anna, I can relate to you when it comes to shopping for exercise clothes. As I got older and became more into yoga, just like you I found myself impulsive shopping online for workout clothes rather than everyday wear (Babin/Harris 222). However, I am a huge advocate for spending that extra several dollars for Lululemon and other more expensive brands for several reasons. Firstly, their higher quality clothes last much longer than cheaper brands (Babin/Harris 250). I bought 5 pairs of workout pants from Old Navy for the price of one pair of Lululemon and found myself replacing all of them less than a year later. Secondly, when I wear a brand I truly love, it increases my self-esteem and actually improves my workout (Babin/Harris 117). Lastly, Lululemon clothes are all made with sweat-wicking fabric so they are much more comfortable to workout in.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy your new clothes! I bet you will definitely be converted.