Lululemon and a 6' Tall Lady

I work out at least three times each week, sometimes as many as six times a week.  I go through a lot of clothes and I am constantly doing laundry.  Being 6-feet tall makes finding the right workout clothes pretty difficult, especially in the winter when I need long items.  For me, the right fit means that they aren't too tight or too loose and actually cover the intended areas of my body.  I'm long and lean and not everyone designs clothes for my shape. A lot of brands will have long lengths, but then I swim in the clothes because they are so baggy.

Lululemon is my hero.

Let's outline some of the issues I have when shopping:

My Tall Girl Problem #1 - My legs are LONG
My inseam is 35" when I'm flat foot and if I'm wearing heels I need pants with at least a 36" inseam.  This is an issue when shopping for yoga pants or running pants.  Summer is great when I can just wear shorts.

My Tall Girl Problem #2 - My ribcage is small
Sports bras are also a challenge.  I need a small or extra small to fit my ribcage and bust, but a medium or large to fit correctly over my shoulders.  If I get a small the bra hits me mid-boob (I just typed that) and if I get a medium or large the bras are too loose to even work properly.

My Tall Girl Problem #3 - My torso is long
Similar to the sports bras, I can wear a small shirt, sometimes even an extra small.  Sounds nice, until I put the shirt on and it is a mid-drift when I lift my arms.

My Tall Girl Problem #4 - Long arms
Most long sleeve shirts aren't long enough for me.  Running outdoors in the winter requires long sleeves that stay put.

On a whim I ventured into a new Lululemon store just to check out what all the hype was about.  I'm much more of a TJ Maxx or Target shopper for exercise attire so there was some sticker shock when I checked out the Lulu prices.  But since I was there, why not try something on?  Of course, their clothes fit me perfectly.  The pants are long, the sleeves are long, their clothes have a slim fit and some items even come in a long size.  My poor bank account.

Solution to problem #1

The Speed Tight *full-on Luxtreme

The pants look short when you hold them up, but the store associate promised they run long so I gave them a shot.  The don't bunch at the ankle on me like they do in this picture, but they hit me in the same place - even with my crazy long legs.  And they're thick!  I've run a half marathon (at 25 degrees) in them and many training runs and can't get enough of them.  

Solution to problem #2 

Flow y bra iv

I own four Lulu sports bras, size 6, and they're perfect.  All four are different styles, one of them is the one pictured above.  It looks like they switch out their styles pretty often so I can't find my other styles online, but I haven't tried one on that hasn't felt good.  They are much more snug (on my A cups) than any other bra I've tried, and they are long enough to actually cover my chest properly.  I won't wear any other bra for a long run or a race.  

Solution to problem #3 & #4

Swiftly tech short sleeve

These shirts are so long!  And on top of that they have a slim fit, so they fit well in the arms, and all the way down the shirt.  Nothing is baggy or bunchy.  I wore this shirt with one of their skirts for my Disney Half Marathon and loved it.  You don't even feel it's there while you're running.  

I also have the shirt in long sleeve, and they are actually long enough.  I can use the thumb holes without the shirt becoming super uncomfortable.   Even without using the holes, the sleeves stay put.  They are snug the entire length of my arm so they don't bunch up and move around.  

Swiftly tech long sleeve *print

Now that the weather is heating up, I'm putting away my longer items and pulling back out my shorts.  I have an unreasonable amount of the Nike running shorts so I didn't think I needed any of the Lulu shorts until I tried on a pair a few weeks ago.  They fit completely different than the Nike shorts and I love the way they feel.  

Tracker short II 2-way stretch

They sit much lower than the Nikes and hold their form, but not in a stiff way.  I've only worn them once because of the temps, but I'll be wearing them this weekend in a 10k and I'm looking forward to it.  I'm not getting rid of any shorts that I own, but these are top of the pile in the shorts rotation.    

I can't say how happy I am that I found a store where I can buy clothes right off the rack.  I know the clothes are expensive and require some care when washing (delicate cycle, hang dry, no fabric softener) but they are quality pieces and they don't fall apart so once a quarter I can justify a new piece.  To all the tall ladies out there, check out Lululemon for your workout gear.  

*Lululemon did not sponsor this post.  The opinions above are mine alone and I was not compensated in any way for my endorsement.

My Favorite Gift Boutique in Atlanta: Just The Thing

Do you have one of those stores you always go back to over and over again because you know that every time you go in you'll find something perfect for the reason your shopping?  I have that place, Just The Thing located on Pharr Road in Buckhead.  It's been in the small house for as long as I've been in Atlanta and it was shown to me by one of my co-workers at my very first job here in town.  I've been shopping at Just The Thing for close to 9 years now.

The store is set up in an old home which has been converted into a shop.  There is a room full of jewelry, one dedicated to gifts, two rooms to the back of more casual jewelry and bags and then a new room for clothing.  The main room up front with the cash registers has the higher end jewelry and hand bags along with some earrings on the counter.  The stuff is gorgeous.  All of it is SUPER trendy and I've never come across an item that is out of style or of questionable taste.  I think it's pretty safe to say that I could go in there blindfolded and pick something and I'd love it.  That'd actually be a fun way to shop...

The gift room is always my first stop when I have a gift for a close, female friend.  I've never once been let down.  And if you don't find a cute little gift, how about a clutch or hand bag?  Again, if that's my goal for my shopping trip, I've never walked out empty handed.  As a matter of fact, I'm not sure, in 8 years that I've ever walked out with out one of the black and white bags.

The best thing about Just The Thing is that while all of their items are trendy and classy, nothing is overpriced.  For what you're buying, prices are absolutely reasonable.  For example, for Christmas I got my future-mother-in-law a new clutch, $35.  I've bought a few other clutches for other friends, never more than $35.  My green purse that I'm carrying now - $25.  I get compliments on it constantly.  You can find earrings under $10 or as much as $100 depending on what you want.  Off the sale rack I actually got THREE pairs of earrings for under $10 total last time in.  There is no way by just looking at them someone would know that I paid $2.50.  Necklaces are super reasonable too.  If I find something I love in Anthropologie, I'm pretty sure they have something similar at Just The Thing at a lower cost.

The ladies in the shop are always helpful and there to assist in any way.  I've been in so many times, they don't recognize me yet, but I'll assume that's because there are plenty of other ladies who shop there as much as I do.  I can go in with a Christmas list and walk out with all the ladies in my family checked off.

If you're looking for a gift or some fun, new jewelry, Just The Thing is absolutely the place for you.  I've even sent male co-workers to the store for gifts for their wives and they've continued to go back.  If you like them on Facebook you get to see new items as soon as they get to the store (some stuff goes fast!) and that's where they announce their sales.

I was not compensated for this blog post in any way.  Just The Thing is one of my favorite stores in Atlanta and I want to share it with other people like me.  Go and check it out!