What to Wear for Yoga Sunday

I’m pretty excited about this month because I’ve found my exercise routine and I’m actually keeping up with it!

I’ve been going to the gym regularly and I’ve got my standard classes:

Sunday 10am – 11:30am is Yoga for Life. It seems like a pretty straightforward yoga class full of beginning, older folks, younger ones, super limber people, and then those right in the middle like me. It’s a long class and we spend most of the time getting our bodies ready for the most challenging move at the end of the class.

I always have to laugh at people who say that yoga isn’t enough of a challenge for them because they like to work up a really good sweat. I can attest that yoga not only gets your heart rate up and can make you sweat profusely, but it is hands down the exercise that makes me the sorest. I credit yoga for any shape I’m now achieving in my arms and shoulders.

Tuesday 6:30pm – 7:30pm is Body Flow. This class is part of the Les Mills franchise of classes. It means it’s a class with certified instructors and standardized routine that changes about every three months. BodyFlow, in particular, is a class that combines Tai Chi, yoga, and Pilates set to coordinating music. Again, it’s challenging but the hour flies by and I actually enjoy the class. (Yes, ME, enjoying exercise!)

I used to do Pilates on Thursday evenings but the class isn’t offered this summer so I’m trying to find something to motivate me to get to the gym at least once more per week.

But since today is Yoga Sunday, I thought it might be perfect to talk a little bit more about what I wear to the gym. Because it matters.

When I started exercising seriously about a year and a half ago (and then stopped and then started ago), one of the greatest joys and motivators for me was finally feeling justified in buying cute workout wear. Like, I wasn’t just buying yoga pants to be comfortable. I was buying yoga pants because I was doing yoga.

And truth be told, I like to like good when I’m working out.

Call me vain. Call me a girl. Doesn’t matter. It’s one of those when-I-look-good-I-feel-good things. So I usually will at least brush my hair (unlike other times I’ve posted pictures of myself looking rather unkempt), wear matching workout wear, put in some small earrings, and wear lip gloss at a minimum.

Yes, I wear lip gloss to class. What of it?

So when I got a chance to review Ellie sportswear, I was all over it. I started by filling out a style profile that included the colors I like and the types of activities I like to do, as well as my measurements. The result? A lovely yoga outfit in black. Perfect.

Don’t ask me why I wasn’t smiling. I probably didn’t realize my husband was snapping the picture.

I absolutely loved the back of the top.

The outfit was definitely formfitting, which is normally okay for yoga. But it was a little clingy for me. It didn’t stop me from wearing it but I was a little more self-conscious than I normally am.

It wasn’t until about the third time that I wore this that I realized there were areas of transparency  on the top. Normally this would freak me out but it wasn’t anything too revealing.

I’m more of a fan of the pants. They are capri style and fit snugly but not so snug that they create a muffin top (please disregard cat hair in this picture).

But let’s be honest. What you really want to know is how the outfit worked for me for yoga. Here’s my best tree pose so you be the judge.

Now here’s the confusing part. Since I was asked to do this review (back in March), I’ve had three different contacts with the company and the company has changed more times than I can count. I signed up to review some workout wear. Instead, it turns out that Ellie is promoting their Fit Fashionista Club. It’s a $49.95 monthly membership that provides you two pieces of workout wear every month.

I think they wanted me to sign up and become an affiliate and make money if you buy in. I almost considered it because I could provide you a discount if I did that. But ultimately, I don’t want to get into affiliate sales no matter how lucrative it is.

Instead, I decided to simply provide you some pros and cons to ordering from Ellie and/or joining their Fit Fashionista Club.

Pros

• The clothes are definitely high quality. I made sure I wore them several times, used them for workouts, and washed and dried them. The color didn’t fade and the material is pretty solid.
• About $50 a month is a great price for high end workout wear, especially if you’re the type that is addicted to companies like Lululemon and Athleta.
• Nice clothes make you feel better and when you feel better, you’re probably more inclined to want to work out.

Cons

• If you don’t join the club, the individual pieces are fairly expensive (~$60 per piece).
• I don’t personally need two new pieces of workout wear per month (the gym is already a monthly splurge for me).
• I’m a bargain shopper and can usually get some pretty nice workout clothes at TJ Maxx or clothing outlets.

Let me know what you think about Ellie, the workout wear, and my yoga pose. How do you feel about what you wear to workout?

Disclosure: As mentioned, Ellie provided me with two pieces (top and bottom) for review. All opinions are my own.

UPDATE: Ellie appears to no longer be in business but consider the overall business model as there are now many subscription services like this for activewear!