What Mama Wears: Fit Friday #1 - Active at any size

From now on - every Friday's blog post will be about something I'm doing active-wise to try and be fit, have fun and stay active! I'll try and showcase whatever I managed to wear while doing said activity - but this first "Fit Friday" is going to be ALL about the clothes!

I will admit -despite appearances to the contrary on the ol'blog here, I spend a LOT of my time in what can only be classified as "active wear".

Now - let's all be honest for a second here - who doesn't? When that video came out of all the women talking about what they do in their "active wear" I laughed my face off - because OH MY WORD - It's me! LOL

Seriously though. So. Funny.

But as a plus size Mama - finding activewear that doesn't pinch my thighs, rub in a weird/uncomfortable space, cover a laughably small amount of "the girls" or just look downright potato-sack-esque AND doesn't cost $102949238.00 (< not the actual amount, just rough estimate) can be tough! So I thought I'd share with you a few of my active wear outfits that cover 80% of my wardrobe without breaking 100% of the bank. And a few tips on where I shop and what I'm looking for.

My number one place to shop for plus-size active wear? Thrift Shops!

Whether it's Talize, Value Village, Varagesale or Kijiji I have found some of the BEST active wear purchases at a fraction of the price second hand.

The main thing here is that you want to look for the name brands you know and trust, and be certain of your sizing (or try it on). A lot of times plus size women buy their activewear online - and as we all know - sometimes buying online means you end up with the wrong size, a weird fit, or something that just plain looked WAY better in the picture than it did on you - and what do women do with these ill fitting and often practically brand new clothes? We get rid of them. The amount of times I've seen the words "bought online, just trying to get back some of what I paid" and I end up with a great deal on a good quality item.

IF you're thrifting - there are a few things you want to check for:

Flatlocked seams - these seams are good and strong and are sewn with a stitch that will move and expand as you move and work. They're usually quite strong, and the nice thing is that since they're flat, the seams won't rub and irritate your skin

Tagless items - there is nothing that is so irritating as getting 1/2 way through your workout and then practically wanting to rip your clothing off because of tag irritation. I always look for items with the tag information printed directly onto the fabric. Preferable screen printed over the rubberized printing or embroidery as both of those types of tags can still stick and irritate.

Double lined gusset - 3 words: camletoe & crotch sweat

Both of those things suck and sometimes feel like an inevitable part of wearing active wear - well - not if you're careful about what you put your money towards. High quality workout leggings/pants will have a double lined, gusseted crotch. The extra lining can help combat crotch sweat and the gusset helps avoid camletoe. Win-win.

Supportive elastic/no extra give in the waistband - sounds almost counter-intuitive, but when I put on a pair of workout leggings, I want it to be a kind of workout just to get them on. As I move and get sweaty/hot/etc - I don't want my leggings shifting/bunching/moving - especially if I'm running. I test every waistband by pulling as hard as I can in the opposite direction and seeing how quickly the waistband snaps back.

Wear spots/holes - no amount of savings is worth buying clothes that already have a wear spot or even the tiniest hole. Total deal breaker for me.

So aside from Thrifting - where else do I get some great active wear?

Old Navy - here's a couple of current faves. I LOVE that some of their leggings also come in a tall size!

Additionelle - they have a few great active wear pieces - but be careful you're getting something that's functional and not something that just looks like active wear.

Torrid - great leggings and workout tanks. Their sports bras leave a little to be desired and don't offer a tonne of coverage and support, but they have some seriously awesome tops!

And of course - the most important piece (for me anyway)

The sports bra

There are few places I'm even willing to LOOK at sports bras - but my fave 2 brands, by far are

Livi Active by Lane Bryant - You either have to order from the states and have it shipped here to Canada, or do a little cross border shopping - but my absolute favourite sports bra (especially for running) comes from LB

Wacoal - a GREAT company which has some awesome basics and sports bras and they carry a wide variety of sizes. You can find them in some Hudson's Bay stores here in Canada - and it's one of the few places that carries a 38G (my size) sports bra!