Year: 2008

Is getting in shape on your list of resolutions for 2009 this year?  We see sales of yoga pants spike between now and the end of January at SearchByInseam.com, and often get asked what inseam is best for workout and yoga pants.  In general, it's best to buy yoga pants 1/2" to 1" shorter than your normal jean inseam (more if you buy your jeans extra long to wear with heels) because you're going to be practicing barefoot, and don't want too-long pants tripping you up while you work on mastering your poses.  If you're buying running pants, you also don't want those being long enough to reach the ground and get muddy every time you wear them.  Visit our helpful page on measuring your inseam, and then adjust accordingly for the type of workout you'll be doing.  If you already have a pair of workout pants that are perfect in length, just measure those and go to SearchByInseam.com to find your replacements in the exact inseam you need.  SearchByInseam.com carries yoga and workout pants in inseams up to 39 inches.   

I was so bummed to find holes in the upper inside legs of my Seven Dojos the other week.  I do wear them a lot.  But still, I was surprised to see my thighs showing through! 

I went to the fabric store and got some iron-on patches that worked great for a couple days, but then they started peeling off.  I ironed them on again, and they stuck for an even shorter amount of time.  So, I called my trusty tailor and asked if she could help.  She said she could.  Score!  I thought paying her to keep them around was a good investment (and much less expensive than buying a new pair).  Sorry I forgot to take a "before" picture.  Here are the "after" pictures (click to enlarge and show the detail).  She did a zig-zag stitch all over the patches and the holes are totally invisible now!  I love my tailor. 🙂

Here’s the inside detail – the patch, covered by zig-zag stitching:

Here’s what the outside looks like:

And here’s a shot of the backside zoomed out.  You can hardly tell there’s a patch there, and when I have them on, it’s totally hidden.

I was reading an old issue of Allure magazine the other day and came across a good interview with Scott Morrison, designer and co-founder of Earnest Sewn.  Here are his tips (March 2008, p. 140):

• Get a little dirty.  If you have stiff, dark raw-denim jeans, wash them as infrequently as possible.  Walking, sitting, and just the shape of your body will be the things that break them in.  The longer you go without putting them through the wash, the more comfortable they will become.
• Keep them snug.  Stretch jeans should be washed more often.  Many women’s jeans have 2-4% of stretch material and will loosen up after a few hours of wear.  If you wear them a lot and like them snug, you’ll want to wash them about once a week to keep them as close to the original tight fit as you can.
• Be protective.  Turn your jeans inside out in the washing machine.  This protects the color.  Use regular detergent and either cold or warm water.  Raw denim or loose-fitting jeans should be air dried, but stretch denim should be tumbled for about 40 minutes on high heat.  This will eventually reduce the elasticity, so if you’ve had them awhile, air-dry them most of the way and then throw them in on high for 10-15 minutes.
• Hang out.  After they’re dry, hang your jeans in your closet instead of folding them, which causes creases.
• Patch things up.  Act fast when you spot a tiny hole in your favorite jeans!  Buy a heat-transfer patch from the fabric store and iron it onto the underside of the tear.  Morrison also recommends hand-washing from then on to prevent exacerbating the problem.    

I honestly think I’ve been checked out/hit on more times in the last 5 years (ages 24-29) than the rest of my life combined.  Why?  I was pondering this yesterday after I was stopped twice by two different men while walking home from the post office (in sweats, Gortex, and a hat, mind you – it was raining).  And I decided it’s because I finally learned to stand up straight (after a couple years of PT for back injuries) and embrace this long, lanky body.  Standing tall and walking tall somehow exude this high level of confidence that people are attracted to.  Why didn’t I figure this out in my single years? 🙂   

So anyway, I had this flash of insight yesterday and today I’m reading The Wall Street Journal and find Vanessa O’Connell’s article "How to Walk Like a Model," which basically tells me this is how I’ve been walking for the last 5 years.  And I have my PT to thank.  Thank you, Lisa.

For those of you who haven’t had a PT coaching you on how to sit, stand, and walk like there is a string pulling up through your body and out the top of your head, O’Connell offers some great advice from her interview with Jessica Stam, a hugely popular 21-year-old runway model.  Says Stam, "First impressions are a big deal, whether you’re walking up to the podium to give a presentation or into a restaurant for a blind date" (p. D8).  When she’s on the runway, she focuses on pulling her shoulders down and keeping her head straight and high.  Stam concentrates on a point in the distance to keep her balance while taking very large strides (to highlight the movement of the clothes she’s modeling), which she says give the impression of "a certain amount of confidence…When a woman walks more confidently, it can really affect the way other people see her – and the way she feels about herself" (p. D8).

Stam still gets nervous on the runway, and deals with it by imagining that people aren’t actually focused on her.  Rather, they’re looking at her clothes or they are thinking about themselves or something else.  So, whether you’re walking into a party or up to the podium for a big speech, take some advice from a top-notch model: believe that people aren’t focusing on you, pull your shoulders down, keep your head high and straight, and take large strides.  You will exude confidence, whether it’s really there or not!