Wednesday, February 07, 2007

We are NOT all the same...

Last week, I decided that, with the excessive exercise I've been doing, I needed to invest in some new workout clothing. I purged my closet about a year ago of old ratty t-shirts and stuff that just wasn't holding up anymore, and now I decided it was time to re-up my collection.

So I go to Sports Authority.

I was seeking:

2 or 3 comfortable sports bras
2 or 3 lightweight but comfortable t-shirts
1 or 2 pairs of appropriate workout pants

Of course, being me, I beeline straight to the ADIDAS section to see what grabs my attention, stopping briefly at the UnderArmour display to see what's on sale.

But when I arrive at the ADIDAS section, I am really disappointed at what I discover.

There are plenty of shirts, indeed... but they are all the "tiny tee" style, fitted, slim, and tight.
Now, while I realize that many many many of you out there fit this profile, I for one, do not. I cannot put anything on that is "fitted," ESPECIALLY not for working out. I need my clothes to flow. I need them to fit comfortably and not splay large fat rolls everywhere. I am trying to work out to get RID of said fat rolls, not to show them off!!!

So, annoyed, I grab a pair of warmup pants (yes, some of their pants are still made like normal pants), and make my way over to the sale rounder. Here, I am delighted to find two sports bras, and two UnderArmour t-shirts that are on clearance, but are exactly what I was hoping for. Of course, I grab the Large and XL to try on, because, while I am normally a M-L, I take one look at the Medium and realize that my seven year old cousin Emily probably wouldn't fit in this properly. But I'm still not having much luck.

So I saunter back to the women's Nike section, where I am faced by the same damn predicament. Everything is tight. Tiny. Annoying. And the selection of t-shirts is all but non-existant; everything is a funky colored slinky little tank top.

Now, again, I certainly understand WHY they make these items, because like I said before, there are plenty of women who will fit in this clothing... my best friend being one of them. However, there is a large population of athletic women out there who are NOT tiny to begin with, and that is the ultimate goal.

Totally aggravated, I migrated to the men's side of the store. And here, of course, I find an abundance of "normal" t-shirts and workout clothing. Unfortunately, mens clothing is made differently to begin with, so I hold up a Medium t-shirt and it basically comes down to my knees. Not gonna cut it. I do not want to have to buy men's clothing anyway, I am a freaking woman!

Anyway, for those of you out there who proudly sport the tight, fitted, multi-textured, multi-colored gym attire, good for you. I can only hope that someday I'll have a body that will allow it. But for those of you who feel my pain, and don't want to have to pour an already overweight frame into undersized clothing... let's start a REVOLUTION!

Just kidding. But I would love it if these athletic clothing companies would remember that athletes tend to have bodies, to have muscle, and that we are NOT all the same, despite all of that female empowerment shit they feed us... we are all different, size, shape, color, blah blah blah. And my fat ass doesn't fit into your skinny little shorts. So there.

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