Lululemon Dawsonville outlet review

I’ve wanted to go to a Lululemon outlet since I knew they existed. I love getting a good price on Lulu.

But until now the closest to my house were Myrtle Beach—6 hour drive and Orlando—11 hour drive.

In August, a Lululemon outlet opened in the North Georgia Premium outlets. It’s a 90 minute drive from my house. I learned about this 2-3 weeks ago. And when I was an hour horth of my house getting my car repaired, I tacked this on the end of my trip.

The store really was a mix between the warehouse sale and a showroom.

Scarf wall. 

• The interior was pretty spartan. It wasn’t warm like my local showroom (with candles and wood floors). But it was functional.
• There was a small men’s section and a TINY kids section. 75% of the store was women’s clothes.
• Clothes were arranged by type: a wall of bras, leggings together, capris together, tanks together, longsleeves together—and arranged by size. 6 together etc. There was a wall of bags and accessories.
• Most of the clothes had their final sale price marked on them. Some of the clothes were MORE on sale: $24 sports bras, $10 off long sleeves, $29 tanks. The educators said they change their sales daily, so I’d go back.

Selection
A vast majority of the stock was items currently on markdown: things that won’t move. (high neck sports bras that most people don’t like, a strappy tank that has poor reviews on the website.)

It was slim pickings for favorites and I spent more than an hour carefully looking through all the racks.
• I had wanted some more Cool Racerbacks. There were a few in 4 in neon orange, but nothing in my size.
• There were NO swiftly longsleeves. I found a short sleeve in 1 color. It might have been the only one in the store.
• As for crops, they were still expensive. I tried on a pair of run inspires from a few years ago. Still $69 so I passed. There were a lot of wunder unders from 2 years ago, some jet crop slims. If you wanted any crops in black, they were only in stock in 12.
• There just wasn’t a lot in my size (a 6). There was a ton of cute stuff in size 12.

I was a tad disappointed in the selection, but that’s probably better for my wallet. Here’s what I got.

• For Matt: tank top $29 and shorts $39 (price online)

• For me, I stocked up on $24 sports bras. I got an energy bra, a floral print invigorate bra, and two light support black bras that I figured I could wear to yoga. I’m always reaching for black yoga bras. (There really weren’t that many bras. Maybe a dozen in my size).
• I got a blue swiftly short sleeve.

• I found a yoga tank for $29 (I was hoping it was a run tank, but it’s not. It's the reveal racerback and it's cute but it rode up A TON during yoga.
• I got a black casual long sleeve, just because it was comfy.

• I eyed the scarves for $24, but didn’t know who I’d buy them for (as a gift)

I wanted some shorts, but there was nothing interesting in my size (again super small selection). Just lots of micro mini tennis skirts. I looked at the crops, but didn’t see anything I was interested in. Lots of previous season dud styles.

I had wanted a yoga mat, but they had one pink super thin mat and a bunch of thin yellow ones. They all looked thinner that I’d like.

I’d go back to the outlet, but I think the key is buying what’s on the sale of the day. Everything else isn’t that great of a value. Unless you’re just looking for an older style. But it was really nice to be able to try so many different styles on.

Lululemon Atlanta Warehouse Sale: Day 3

I headed back to the final day of the Lululemon warehouse sale. The prices had dropped and I wanted know what else I could score. I took my sister. There was a 5-minute line. Not too bad. The sale was loud. And really, really picked over. Maybe a 1/3 of what it had been on Friday. There were noticeably fewer racks and boxes.

Took my sis to the lulu sale. They changed the bags to red bags Saturday.
They weren't giving out the black bags they'd used Friday anymore. 

Bras were marked down to $9 and I really wanted some. I rifled through all the boxes and couldn't find ANY my size. So no sports bras for me.

Also noticeable for the sale.
• There were no bags left. None.
• The accessories section was really depleted. There were no scarves or yoga mats. They did mark the hats down to $4 so I grabbed four (three for gifts). There were hardly any headbands. Only black and tan ones. None of the fun colors from the other day.
• There were almost no shorts left.

Sunday price list

The prices were better for Sunday—but you had to really look for a deal. And I saw items I'd paid more for on Friday—and maybe I should have waited. But the selection was definitely better Friday.

I got some really cool stuff on Sunday, so glad I went (and glad I waited on some of it.)

Sunday buys

• 4 run hats (1 for me, 3 for gifts, $4 each) (Race to pace hat in flashback static)
• Purple towel ($9)
• 2 swim bottoms  ($9 each)
• Skirt, $9 (&go Cityfarer Skirt in dark fuel, currently in WMTM for $89)
• dress shirt, $24 (Day trip blouse) (This had pen marks on it that I didn't notice until after I got it home. They came out with a few minutes of stain remover)
• crops, $29 (Palm Stripe Roll Down Wunder Under Crops)
• Quick change vest, $29
• scuba, $39 (Scuba Hoodie III Flashback Static Tender Violet Black Purple)
• down jacket, $39 (for a $178 jacket!)

I think my favorite from this haul was the skirt (I want to wear it to work immediately) and the hats (so soft!).

Wore this hat to run trails Monday.

The final haul
• Two towels
• Two bikini tops, two bottoms ($9 and $19 each)
• 1 headband
• 1 bag
• 4 hats (3 are gifts)
• 2 shorts (one running, one casual)
• 2 dress pants
• 1 dress shirt
• 1 skirt
• 2 outdoor jackets: one down, one rain
• 4 long sleeve jackets or sweaters (define, scuba, tweed sweater, black half zip)
• 1 pair of crops
• 1 vest
• 1 bodysuit

So after both trips I'm all set for next winter. I got lots of jackets. I definitely got too many long sleeve tops—but I'll wear them. I LOVE the rain jacket.

I could have waited on the towel (-$10), the swim tops ($20 total), the polka dot pants ($20), the bodysuit ($40), which totals $90, which really sucks.  (The bodysuit was on $9 flash sale when I was there Sunday, and I was overcharged $20 on Friday anyway).

I'm super happy with my finds. I got some good pieces I'll be happy to wear.

(And my sister got some Ivivva for my nieces :) Never too early to start them on Lulu).

If I could do it again
• I'd still go first thing Friday. (Going with a friend would have been better, but I couldn't find anyone to come with.) I should have spent another hour looking probably.
• I'd take pictures of the tags
• If I lived closer I would have gone on Saturday, but don't live closer. So I tried to go toward the end of the sale. I think many more things were $9 by the end of the day (If I'd had the patience to hang around for hours.)
• I liked going end of the last day towards the end of the sale. Still some steals to be found.

Now, I'm waiting for the online warehouse sale (which was in August of last year). And wondering in what city the next warehouse sale will be. (I have an airline credit, so I might be crazy enough to fly out if it's someplace cool.)

Lululemon Atlanta Warehouse sale

This morning I got up at 4 a.m. to go to the Lululemon warehouse sale. I am officially crazy!

Line at 6:20 a.m.

Line at 7:40

I went early in part to avoid awful Atlanta traffic—it takes 75 minutes to 2 hours to get to Atlanta from my house so I left good and early. I got in line at the sale at 6:20 a.m. and sat down. There were over 100 people already in line. And it just kept getting worse. Probably 500 people in line by 8 a.m.

I went in with the first wave. And just started grabbing things I wanted to try.

What I wanted to get:
• Bag
• Swim
• Hat
• work clothes
• sweater or coats

I pulled a lot of sweaters and long sleeve shirts. I grabbed some swim. Virtually no yoga pants. I grabbed some trousers. And when my arms got too heavy I hit the dressing rooms.

I was not prepared for the communal fitting room. It was like a high school locker room all over again. People just changing, no stalls. Women were trying on shirts without bras. (Who doesn't wear a bra when going to try on clothes?!) I was surprised with some of the flabby bodies. There were girls hogging the mirrors. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. I did let a lot of pieces go when in the fitting room.

Pro tip: Bring a giant tote bag to put your finds in. Everything is on hangers, so find the hanger bins, ditch the hangers and put your clothes in the bag. You can't bring hangers in to the fitting room or to the cash wrap to check out.

What was in the sale?
A LOT of stuff I recognized from last year's online wearhouse sale. A lot of items from WMTM over the last year. A few foreign pieces, but not much. I'd seen 90% or more of the pieces before.

I spent more than an hour looking around and double checking. I'd say it took me 90 minutes to shop. And most of that was deciding what to keep. (Go to the walls and corners and dump your stuff in a pile and decide what to keep or not.) I did this several times.

In the end, I spent way too much money. Don't tell my husband. I spent $100 more than I thought.

 Mantra tote bag. (Total steal. Lucked out on this one.)

 Tracker shorts in clear mint. (got these on second pass)

Black casual shorts.

Hot pink zip up. Maybe a raspberry define.

Black rain jacket. I love the striped details on the cuffs. This says size 5.
Wonder what country it's from. I've already worn. Love it! 

Black half zip. From earlier this year. Forgot it's name. 

 2 swim tops: hot pink and a black and white reversible top that matches bottoms
 I got last year. Shown with purple towel and bag from the sale. 

Tweed sweater. No one else will have this!

Body suit. I was hoping it was for paddle boarding but I think it's casual wear.
Also they over charged me $20 on this one :( 

Polka dot trousers

black trousers.

My favorites. Tote bag, shorts, rain jacket. 

What I didn't get
• No dresses or skirts for me. They only had that ill fitting dress from last year's warehouse sale and one skirt from current WMTM
• Socks and accessories. I was underwhelmed with the sock, hat and scarf selection.
• Crops and leggings. I just wasn't feeling it.
• I also didn't want to spend $29 on tanks. Get to $19 and we'll talk.
• I tried on two dressy shirts for work, but they didn't fit right and really were too expensive for what they were.
• I was disappointed by the men's stuff. There were two short sleeve shirts in large. Lots of swim and sweaters, but no boxers so my husband didn't get anything :( And I didn't stock up on Christmas gifts either. I wasn't excited about the accessories.

What I didn't get that I'm still thinking about
• Quick change vest
• Scuba in purple
• Scuba in grey
• Run Times legging in stardust

I was out of the sale by 10 a.m. I went home.

I'm kind of hoping for price drops Sunday, because there were things I'd like for cheaper prices. I'd say the prices weren't THAT great. It was nice to have THAT much Lululemon to choose from and to be able to try it on.

Should you go? If you're in Atlanta yes. And I went by myself and was 100% fine. The line was long but bearable. The sale was A LOT but no one was cut throat. No one was even rude. I was never overwhelmed. It was loud, but totally fine.

Travel Worthy Activewear

I have never been a light packer. I was the girl that brought everything from formal wear to Pringles to summer camp. But with airlines get stricter and stricter with carry-ons I've had to pare down.

I wanted to pack especially light for a recent trip to D.C. because if I had to check a bag, I'd miss my shuttle home. So I packed the bare minimum. And activewear is so versatile, it's most of what I packed.

Here are the activewear pieces that I got the most mileage out of on my recent travels (Lululemon unless otherwise noted)

Hi elephants!

1) Vinyasa Scarf
I wore a grey herringbone vinyasa scarf—and it is just perfect for travel. It wore it looped around twice in the airport. I got hot and put it on my suitcase handle while I waited. On the plane, I got cold, so it worked as a wrap/blanket. And it was great to have in D.C's chilly weather. It's soft, stylish and super functional. Will definitely bring this scarf next time I travel. I might even need a second scarf.

Vest and 5 mile long sleeve. 

2. Down for a Run Vest
I tried this on in the store for giggles. I had no intention of buying a $139 vest. And then I looked in the mirror. It is cute, so flattering. And it has a million pockets. I waited a week and broke down and bought it and then wore it every weekend.

This is what I wore in the airport—so I didn't have to carry a purse. It has two pockets that are big enough for a wristlet mini wallet. It also has two pockets on the side that can fit a can of Coke. It's stylish and more hands-free than a purse. I stocked my mini wallet, inhaler, winter hat, and anything I'd usually carry in my purse when I went out.

I sent a pic to my sister—she thought it was perfect for moms, but needed a spot for a pacifier.
This vest is a winter staple. I wear it all the time.

Upgraded to exit row on my rerouted flight through Charlotte.
Lots of leg room. Love my jet crops.

3. Jet Crop Slims
I wore these pants in the airport because they're comfy and don't have metal. And I could dress them up or down if need be. They're something I can wear ALL day. (They feel kinda like pajamas). I ended up wearing them the next day to walk around the zoo, and pulling them on over my leggings when I was in a hurry to get from a last minute trampoline class to rush to the airport.

4. Athleta ponte pants
These are my dress yoga pants. They packed well and didn't wrinkle. They work well for a dressy business conference.

5. Align leggings
I packed these because they can work as leggings under a dress or workout leggings. It was freezing in DC so I wore them under a dress when I went out for lunch, and wore them to an exercise class that night.

6. &Go Where-To Dress in grey (grey is sold out)
I got this on mark down and where it every week. It packs well and doesn't wrinkle. It's comfy and has a pocket that's perfect for a hotel room card. I like that it dresses up well for a T-shirt dress. I got the short sleeve, so I can slip a sweater on if I'm cold/want to dress it up.

I brought some other activewear: I wore a 5 mile long sleeve on the plane, and got too hot, and got too hot again at the zoo. I brought some purple leggings for trapeze.

 I ended up buying a black Cool Racer Back from Lululemon near the Whitehouse and wore it that night for trampoline class and I think twice since. I'm always looking for a clean black tank.

And I wore everything I packed in my tiny carryon suitcase and laptop bag—except a pair of shorts I brought in case I wanted to run on the treadmill. But I walked so much around D.C. that I decided I didn't need to run. (And I did two more trampoline classes than I'd planned and still had clothes for this :)

Oh, and I missed my shuttle home anyway. There was light snow in the forecast so it took 40 minutes to de-ice my plane going home, so it was really late coming in. #Fail.

Valentine's Activewear Wish List

Dear husband,

If you want to get me something for Valentines Day, here are a few ideas:

Werkshop leggings in heart prints

If I taught fitness, this is what I'd wear Feb. 14.


S'well water bottle in hearts

They have a whole Valentine's collection. I also like the pink bikini bottle.

I do need a new water bottle. I lost two in the last four months.

Carbon 38 also has a Valentine's Day edit full of hearts, red and SEXY activewear pieces.

Splits 59 also has some cute heart leggings.

And I could use a new purse (the handle broke), this pink Vera Bradley bag is lovely.

And I'm sure I'll see a few more Valentine's Day promos in my emails in the coming days.

Is there any activewear you want for Valentine's Day? Or just chocolate?

Nerdy Girl's Guide to VPL: Visible Panty Lines

So many women make such a big deal about Visible Panty Lines.

I have better things to worry about. My next fitness class. If I have clean socks. If the dog is up to date on his vaccines. If I paid the water bill.

Sure, I don't want to see the entire outline of your panties, down to where the cotton gusset starts when I'm behind you at barre*. If I can see a shadow of an outline—I don't care.

Good for you for wearing underwear! (*this has happened. The see-through lavender leggings weren't helping this new mom. Dark leggings are always my recommendation.)

I'd rather see that than your hot pink thong. (And I see way too many of those at barre.)

Thongs are the devil. They were really popular when I was in high school. In college, I tried to be sexy and tried thongs. I thought they were the worst thing ever. They are uncomfortable and don't support you. They increase your risk of urinary tract infections and yeast infections. 

Even doctors think thongs are a bad idea.

Ladies, most of you don't need to wear pants so tight that you can see your underwear. Some fabric does show panty lines. Wear a long tank if it bothers you. Try out seamless underwear if you want.

And yes, wear the right underwear.

“Cotton undergarments are the best due to their breathability,” explains Melissa Goist, MD, an ob/gyn at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. “Synthetic fabrics tend to hold onto moisture, possibly causing skin irritation.”

Though cotton is likely your gyno’s first choice in fabric, it sometimes lays lumpy and bumpy under your clothes. But fear not, there are close runner-ups. “Panties made of things like polyester, nylon, Lycra or Spandex sometimes have more stretch and lay nicer under clothing and still come with that cotton crotch,” adds Melissa Piliang, MD, a dermatologist at the Cleveland Clinic.

—From Health.com

But basically, no one cares about your panty lines other than you. Spend your time and money on something else. Maybe pants that aren't see through, or are quality enough that this won't be an issue.

You still shouldn't wear red panties under a white skirt, but if you're wearing reasonable underwear under reasonable clothes I just don't see what the problem is.

If you're that incensed that someone is wearing cotton Victoria Secret hipsters under her lulu, then look away.

WOMEN SHOULDN'T BE JUDGING OTHER WOMEN on whether or not they can see panty lines.

Review: Ivivva, Lululemon's girls line

Lululemon's girls line of clothing is Ivivva. It's not priced as high as women's Lulu—and I've read all over that a Lulu 6 is the same as and Ivivva 14. And even their sizing chart backs that up. I've had my eye on the site—hoping it could be a way to save some money on clothes. For example, their Vinyasa scarves are cheaper.

I made a wishlist. (Their wish list function actually works.) And several of the pieces I was eying sold out.

On Boxing Day, two pieces I wanted went on mark down. I decided to go ahead and try before the pieces were sold out.

I knew as soon as I clicked confirm on buying two final sale pieces—that it was a mistake.

My rationale was that it was on sale and there was no way I couldn't not like these pieces. I love all things Lululemon (and return very rarely. Even WMTM items that are final sale, other than a mistaken order I can't t think of anything I've been disappointed with).  And there's no Ivivva store anywhere near me.

Both pieces dropped an additional $5 that evening, so I definitely wasted $10.

My order came—a few days late because of flooding. And it came with a hideous tote. Maybe children will like it.

The vest
I love, love, love vests. I figured there was no way in the world I wouldn't like this vest....Haha.

Unflattering.

Unflattering. 

Too small. 

Who thought this was a good idea?

1. The vest is too small. A 14 doesn't equal a 6. It's too small in the boobs. I have a small chest and I meet their measurements. I could wear it open—except it makes me look really wide when I try that.
2. It has no pockets. Which is really the deal breaker. I love vests because they have pockets to put your keys or anything else. What sportswear vest doesn't have a pocket?
3. On the plus side, it is lined with sherpa, which is warm and soft. But I'd honestly never wear this vest.

It's really unflattering and I don't know what I'm going to do with it because it's final sale. Total waste of money. (And really poorly designed.)

The shirt.
I was less sure of the shirt. It looked cute in the online photos. I like black and white.

1. The shirt actually fits. It is a tad tight in the arms—and I have skinny arms like a kid.
2. The shirt lacks any type of fastener to keep it closed. It needs a snap or tie (like they have in wrap dresses) to keep in closed. I could potentially get it altered. That's the only way I'll wear it.

All in all, I'm terribly disappointed in Ivivva. Their clothing lacks the details that Lulu pieces have. Add some pockets to the vest, add a fastener to the shirt and they'd be doing a lot better.
I can't speak to the quality of the clothing—does it hold up, for example. Because I don't even want to wear the vest. I tried it on several times and wanted to make it work. It just didn't.

This was a every expensive lesson for me to learn. I probably won't ever buy something from their final sale again. And I'm trying to figure out what to do with these pieces.
• Try Ivivva customer service? I don't really want a gift card. I don't see myself ordering from them again.
• I've tried my credit card before. I have one credit card that's awesome about credits. And one that I've had for longer—that isn't. I bought it on the less forgiving card. So there's no point in trying that.
• Resell it for cheap?
• Just give it away?

I might try and have the shirt altered. I gave the vest to a coworker's 8 year-old daughter.

Also, I saw Ivivva on zulily in January. The pieces were selling rapidly and the prices were lower than Ivivva's final sale.

Top 10 active wear purchases this year

I bought way too much active wear this year. I did focus more on good pieces that I would actually wear—and tried to buy less that I'd never wear. Here are some of my favorite purchases of 2015—based on how much I like them and how much I wear them.

1. Lululemon Run Stuff Your Bra.
This sports bra is cute, comfy and it has pockets for your phone and keys. I like to keep my iPhone with me when I run so this is perfect. I'd get three more if I could—but Lulu isn't selling them in the U.S. Every other country, but not the U.S.

Think I'm wearing Stash It crop, the Run
Stuff Your Bra and the UA tank in this photo.

2. Lululemon Stash It Crop.
I bought these in Lululemon's online warehouse sale this summer. I wear them once or twice a week because—THEY HAVE POCKETS high on the hips. I've gotten others with lower pockets and then your phone just knocks against your leg.  And when I run trails I need to keep my phone and keys on me.
I need 2 more pairs of these.

3. Werkshop dragon crops
These are my badass crops. I usually wear them to flying trapeze. They're just awesome.
(I need more Werkshop in my life in 2016. They have the best designs.) Still available. Werkshop panther is next on my list.

4. Lululemon Wunder Unders
I got a pair of plain black Wunder Unders for my birthday and I just love wearing them. They're so soft and I look forward to wearing them and always feel like a million bucks when I wear them. I have a black and regal plum print that I love and a grey jacquard pair that I wear weekly. I love these. Especially the ones that feel like cotton.

5. Lululemon neck warmers
I'm asthmatic and keeping my airways warm and happy is a big part of my life. Cold constricts my airways so I need to keep my throat warm—and my nose and mouth covered when it's especially cold. These neck warmers are amazing. They're soft and lightweight and exactly what this cold sensitive girl needs. They're like a fashionable version of a neck gaiter. They have a drawstring where you could keep it above your nose if you wanted.

Think I'm wearing it this photo. 

6. Victoria's Secret Seamless Long Sleeve Tee in green space dye.
I have a soft spot for green and I love this long sleeve T. I bought it New Year's 2015 so it barely makes the cut. I wear it all the time and would get more but I bought it on clearance and they don't make it anymore.

7. Lululemon tracker shorts
I don't like shorts. I didn't wear shorts for years because I'm WEIRD about my thighs. I have huge quads (running, barre, trampolining you name it) and most shorts make my thighs look like tree trunks. These are the shortest shorts I've found that work. And they're super soft and comfy. Even better than the Nike tempo short.

8. Lululemon Jet Crop Slim
I saw these pants in the Lululemon show room and thought I could dress these up for work. They're super soft and passable for work with heels and a flowy top. Love. I wear them on the weekend after working out. They're a dressier version of a sweatpant.
I'm not crazy about the baggy crotch, but I still tend to wear these pants ALL THE TIME. Every weekend.

9. Lululemon Cool Racer Back in Raspberry Glo Light
I wasn't originally a fan of Lulu's CRB. They just made me look like I had a muffin top. I dropped three pounds from running and the size 6 looks much better on me. This neon tank is amazing. I want to wear it all of the time. I can't wash it often enough. I know I'm super late to the neon party—but this made me like neon—for runs when the sun is setting or to just feel like an athlete. I since went out and bought more neon.

10. Under Armour Fly-By Stretch Mesh
I have a few of these because they are so awesome. The back is mesh—they're light and perfect for sweaty workouts. I like that they're long too. I wear my purple and black ones the most, but also have hot pink and probably a few more colors.

Yes, there's a lot of lululemon on here. I promised I tried other brands. These are just what I LOVE most.

Honorable mentions from other brands
• Athleta Ponte pant. Dress pants made of yoga pants material. I bought these in December and think I'll wear them a lot in the coming year.
• Glyder Cardio Freek Crop. I LOVED these for about two months and now that they're broken in, I'm not crazy about them. They showed some crotch sweat at tumbling one night and I haven't like them the same since.
Brands I tried: Rese, Beyond Yoga, Alo Yoga, Splits 59, Onzie, Trina Turk
I continue to loathe Fabletics.

Lulu honorable mentions
1) My reversible black and white stripe bikini. Someone invite me to a pool party so I can wear it.
2) Runderful half zip. I need colder weather so I can wear this again ASAP. (Love my think fast pullovers from 2014.)
3) Running socks. I've been all about fancy running socks lately.
4) 105 singlet. This top is so soft. But they stopped making it :(
5) Align pant. Super soft. Love wearing these.