Cool runnings
There’s no need for hibernation with stylish active wear
When CC Cunningham started running cross country in high school, “the only running tights I could find were men’s,” recalled the 34-year-old Evanston-based personal trainer and mountain biker. “Now women’s tights are easy to buy and they work as well as men’s.”
Ten years ago, she couldn’t find women’s cycling shoes. Today Cunningham has many options.
When it comes to women’s athletic and workout gear, the days of wearing sweatpants and old T-shirts–or buying the smallest men’s clothes you could find–are gone. Today the colors are bright, the materials are high performance and the clothes are tailored to a woman’s build. In fact, the women’s athletic apparel market is a growing, $25 billion industry that’s expected to top $38 billion by 2005, according to Packaged Facts 2001.
Browse through two of the most popular women’s athletic gear catalogs/Web sites–Title Nine Sports and Athleta–and you’ll see gloves, headbands and pants made to wick sweat during winter activities. Wind-stopping jackets, polypropylene tops and breathable, quick-drying fabrics–in a variety of sizes and colors–allow women to be stylish and comfortable while working up a sweat.
Berkeley, Calif.-based Title Nine, named in honor of Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits sex discrimination at public schools and universities, and Athleta, of Petaluma, Calif., are known for using everyday women athletes as models in their catalogs.
The two women-only catalogs specialize in high-quality indoor and outdoor gear for women who want to do everything from walking to rock climbing. They offer top brand names, including Nike, Adidas, Hind, Asics and Tyr as well as lesser-known brands. And their Web sites and catalogs carefully explain how each item fits, advising buyers to order up or down a size, for example.
Sports bras are a big seller; Title Nine has eight pages of sports bras in their catalog, while Athleta’s Web site provides a detailed chart on how every bra they sell fits each bust and cup size. But while buying workout clothes for average-size women can be tricky, it can be even more difficult for “plus-size” women.
That’s why Anne Kelly founded Eagan, Minn.-based Junonia in 1994, which is “dedicated to the active lives of women size 14 and up.”
“Everybody has a right to get out there and participate,” said Kelly. “It’s easier when you can wear a cute T-shirt or a pair of pants that fit.”
Most of Junonia’s clothing is custom-designed to avoid problems such as riding or chafing. Swimsuits are designed so a larger woman can do laps and not worry about water scooping down the front, Kelly said.
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For more information, contact:
Athleta: 888-322-5515 or www.athleta.com
Junonia: 800-586-6642 or www.junonia.com
Title Nine Sports: 800-609-0092 or www.title9sports.com
