Accio Zipper

A few weeks ago Under Armour debuted their MagZip Jacket, (the line isn't available until 2014 so calm yo' tits ya'll) with its "revolutionary" magnetic zipper feature. I'll be honest, it's pretty cool. Right now, in the performance activewear industry, the focus has been fabrics - moisture wicking, antimicrobial... but there hasn't been a lot of "practical" innovations. Although this isn't a reinvention of the wheel I think it's a preview of what's to come. Adding or integrating technology into performance garments has been an on-going trend. Perhaps the magnetic zipper is the first example of how we can enhance the more mundane, overlooked aspects of garments.

Essentially MagZip is a strong magnet + a re-engineered zipper clasp which automatically guides the two ends of the zippers together which then allows you to zip up the jacket one handed. *MAGIC* I encourage you to read more articles on this for the comments alone, they are pretty highlarious but they also bring up interesting points; is it safe for people with pacemakers and more importantly, is UA going to share the knowledge...
Although the zipper is patented and licensed by Under Armour the idea actually came from engineer Scott Peters. Peters originally designed the zipper to help those who suffer from a lack of fine motor control and coordination dress themselves with more ease and worked through about 25 prototypes before getting it right. I hope it still gets put to its original purpose. Yes it's neat, and yes when its available for purchase it's going to sell out but I hope Under Armour shares the wealth. I don't know, it would be too bad if UA having the patent meant exclusivity to the activewear world - this could do a huge amount of good for who Peters had in mind.

Do I think this is going to be an explosive trend? No. Am I going to try it on and zip that thing up repeatedly, with one hand, like a boss? Yes.

A Time to Reflekt

This is kinda old news so bear with me, (I'm still getting used to this blogging-thing). A few weeks back we were doing trend research for Fall 2014 and few things caught me eye but one in particular was reflective-wear / details. It's nothing new but there are some cool things happening. I think when people hear "reflective" they think work wear vests and other, more industrial clothing but there are a few brands that are working towards making some pretty cool pieces. 3M is the reflective manufacturer of choice and it's pretty exciting to see it seeping into the fashion world.

Ice Cold is one brand to check out.

Founder and designer Michael Cherman started the brand with socks. They're actually kinda cool for socks. You're supposed to stretch them out and crack the 3M reflective dots before you use them... "that's how you know they're fresh". I like that idea, it's like glow sticks - little mini raves on your feet.
Apparently Cherman suffered one-too-many accidents on the busy streets of NYC which inspired him the develop the socks. They're geared for cyclists and runners and offer function with style. Since then they have expanded their product line to t-shirts, hats and collaborated with other brands, such as Wish, (check out their anorak).
Check them out here: http://www.icecoldny.com/

ISAORA.


ISAORA #GetReflective from ISAORA on Vimeo.

The more I read about this brand the more I'm crushing on them. I'm really digging what they do, especially their philosophy. I like to hear that a brand practices what it preaches and the team at ISAORA seems to do just that. I'll have to do a separate brand-feature post about them because there is way too much to say.  The brand's focus is to bring aesthetics to high performance fabrics and make clothes for the urban consumer.  Back in December 2012, (throwback...aanndd not really available for purchase) they debuted their reflective jacket and vest. The cool thing though is that they garment dyed the reflective fabric - which I, frankly, didn't think was possible. It's described as 3M-like Italian fabric so it must have some natural-fibers in it to be able to take the over-dye, not to mention it looks pretty freakin' cool. True to their word it delivers on its functionality.
Check them out here: http://www.isaora.com/

The piece-de-resistance though is brought to you by Stone Island. One of my all-time favorite menswear brands. For an established brand they never get too comfortable and are always putting out the coolest and innovative stuff. Science Bitch! Stone Island delivers consistently. Please make womenswear, thank you sincerely, Lazy Cat.

Their take on the reflective trend puts them in a different league. Back in 2010-ish they introduced the idea of "liquid reflective technology" which is a reflective solution made of thousands of glass microspheres. Each garment is individually sprayed with the solution and then baked dry, (the baking process is similar that used for car bodywork) which also happens to make the garment water and wind resistant. Each garment was individually treated. Then they really capitalized on the idea and rolled with it. It seems like every season they release a new piece using "liquid reflective technology".
In 2012 they released more jackets in different silhouettes. Then, THEN for their 30th anniversary they released their fully reflective KNIT jacket. Ok, lets break this down for impact. Prior, they were spraying and coating their garments which gave them this sort of spotty, imperfect look. Pff next! Let's just make the 'effing YARN reflective. So they took the same microsphere idea but instead of spraying the surface they created microsphere micro-tape and melted it to polyester yarns and then knitted the damn thing together. The actual jacket is simple and clean as it should be, letting the technology be the focus. It looks so cool and the debut video just seals the deal, (check it out below). You keep doing you SI.
Check them out here: http://www.stoneisland.com/

I love the smell of neoprene in the morning

Here's a little taste of what this post is about:

Weeeelll after 10 mins. I got it off. Apparently one is not supposed to wear their wetsuit around their apartment and show it off to their brother via FaceTime. Thanks YouTube. And yes, I did have to look it up... I have no shame.

SO. As the water temp. continues to drop down into the comfortable 50s, my 3/2mm body glove wetsuit no longer cuts it. I spoke to a few local surfers about what to get and the general suggestion was a 5/4mm with an attached hood. Unfortunately at this moment budget is a little more important then quality, (which makes me cringe to say) however I am pretty happy with what I was able to find. I love the look of Hurley, Roxy has these great feminine touches and great seam lines but an Xcel suit is what I really want. I tend to love the tech-y, practical, no-nonsense stuff and Xcel kinda does it for me. But this is not about any of the afore mentioned. I found an awesomely priced Billabong "Synergy" 5/4 full hooded suit via evo.com; 5/4mm (check)... attached hood (check)... right price (check). Delivery!!!

First, I love that Evo included little goodies. That was a great first impression, plus I'm a sucker for free shiz and stickers. I recently received my booties form wetsuit warehouse and totally expected to be as spoiled and nada, (Evo didn't have my booties, in case you're wondering).

For the price, this suit is a great value and hits on all its key features and is pretty true to its reviews. The moisture-wicking jersey "furnace" lining at the front and back chest and at the top of the hood is no joke. It's designed to reduce wind shock and keep those organs warm and that it does. The suit is not truly seam-sealed but instead the it is bonded, blindstitched with stress-points reinforcements at the chest, elbows, and knees. This is one of the details that makes it cost-effective but it totally doesn't take away from the performance of the suit at all. I have a feeling that perhaps the longevity of the seams won't be as long as a truly seam sealed suit. The hood was super weird the first time but now it's comfortable and oh so effective. Regardless of how many times I wipe out my hair stays about 40% dry, which is still impressive. I haven't figured out how to fix my hair so it doesn't feel like I'm being strangled, but baby steps. The fit is pretty great too, I'm 5'6" and about 130 and the 8 fits great. It took two wears for it to adjust to my body and now it fits seamlessly. My biggest gripe would be the sleeves. That is the number one concern of fellow wearers as well. The bottom opening has a partial binding which keeps the opening tight and reduces the water from seeping in but at the sleeve opening there's no finish and water is constantly getting in, (without gloves). It's not problematic because it doesn't really get too far into the suit, it's just annoying. I don't understand why they couldn't add the same seam finish as with the hem. It's a tiny detail but it would make a huge difference. I can't imagine that it would make a huge difference in the price and I would definitely pay a little extra for that detail.

Yes I would recommend it, absolutely. I still have my eye on an Xcel suit but for the meantime I am very satisfied. Che-che-check it out.

See below for the link to evo:
http://www.evo.com/wetsuits/billabong-synergy-5/4-chest-zip-hooded-wetsuit-womens.aspx#image=74893/343892/billabong-synergy-5-4-chest-zip-hooded-wetsuit-women-s-black-front.jpg

What Lies Underneath

I like to be prepared and when it comes to style I am a huge stickler for wearing the proper undergarments: wear nude under white and racer-back everything get their own special bras. I always, ALWAYS have issues when it comes to activewear and the proper undies. I'm not huge fan of panty lines and going commando isn't always the answer... let alone always a good idea. This might seem like a huge "DUH" but I will admit that until recently I was too lazy to do the research. Since getting back into soccer recently I feel renewed in my quest. I'd like to be able to play without my undies hiking up every 10 minutes. When I griped to a friend they said, "well I'm sure that happens to everybody", sure... but I don't think it HAS to.
This weekend I went to my favorite sports mecca, Paragon, and decided to see what they offered in the "seamless" underwear department. I specifically went there looking for Under Armour's seamless undies because I love UA, but no dice, (I really have to stress that my attention span is about 1 min., so my apologies to Paragon if they in-fact carry UA seamless undies and I just didn't look hard enough).
I went with Champion instead. I like Champion because it's pretty good quality and always a great price. I tend to be a conservative dresser so I like that I can depend on them for solids/basics.
I decided to try out two styles, the fitness boy-short and the fitness hipster panty, both in Medium, (they come in fun colors!).

I wore the boy-shorts this Sunday and my initial reaction when putting them on was how incredibly comfortable they were - I could wear them erryday, everyday. I have never been a fan of the boy-short cut in regular cotton panties but in their nylon/spandex blend it's perfect. My second thought was that I should have gotten them in a Small. The four-way stress is very generous and I would have liked them a bit more snug. I will definitely exchange the hipster for a Small.
Did they solve the "hiking" issue, no, but it was a huge improvement. I really think that had I gotten an "S"it would have been much, much better. But those weren't the only issues. They are so soft and stretchy, but almost too much. I appreciate the fact that they are seamless, tag-less, and that they don't dig or suffocate but I would like a little more grip at the waistband and the leg-opening. I found the waistband to be too high, especially considering the four-way stretch, and the inseam to be too short, 1 3/4". Another 1" would make a difference. Otherwise, it really delivered on the wicking, "flexible feel-good" fit. Heavenly Cloud Comfortable.
What I should, (and will get) is their "Power Cotton" boy-short which has the features I'm looking for; lower waistband and a 3" inseam. Since I'm already happy with the silhouette of the "fitness", this is a no-brainer.

Check them out below:

Fitness hipster: http://www.championusa.com/workout-clothes/women/performance-underwear/champion-fitness-hipster-seamless-womens-panty?cm_vc=PDPZ1

Fitness boy-short: http://www.championusa.com/workout-clothes/women/performance-underwear/champion-fitness-womens-boy-short-panty?cm_vc=PDPZ1

Power cotton boy-short: http://www.championusa.com/workout-clothes/women/shorts---skirts/shorts/champion-double-dry-reg%3B-fitted-3-stretch-cotton-low-rise-boy-shorts?cm_vc=PDPZ1

First Order of Business

Surfing. Here is the irony of this situation. I am originally from the Caribbean, a beautiful island with decent waves; a childhood of living outdoors. Except for a very, very brief and futile attempt in high school I have never really thought about learning how to surf nor did I really want to.
Fast forward many years and many beautiful oceans later I decide that, "yea, let's learn to surf at Rockaway Beach, Queens" - perfect; cold murky waters, suspicious floating... things, and that lovely, occasional, ever-refreshing dead-muscles scent in the air. To be fair it's not that bad, and not as bad as the Hudson River which is exactly as bad as you think it is, (see future post about Stand Up Paddleboarding).

Prior to getting stoked,  (I'm not even going to pretend like I sound cool saying ANY of the lingo and I don't even ask about the "shaka", because I just had to google it,  just now: "surfing hand gestures").
I took a week and watched every YouTube video on surfing available to me, slowwly working up to the inevitable... "worst surfing wipeouts" - which, let me tell you, was awful. I think its actually pretty amazing, the force and power of those waves. I understand the poetry behind it, between man and wave. It feels alive, it is alive, this massive ocean body and yet it feels so personal. I was there last weekend for this first time sans-lesson, just me in the masses of other surfers and it's almost cultish. We all face the same direction in a scattered little wall, just waiting for offerings. It's quiet and peaceful and kinda magical. Not to mention it's cold, it's October but it's cool 'cause we have wetsuits - what about November? No issue, thicker wetsuit + booties. December? There're hoods for that - god forbid one gets surfer's ear. Don't know what surfer's ear is - look it up, go edumacate yourself. Actually, I don't even know if anyone will paddle in December, I probably would just to say I did. Yet tomorrow I will awake at the crack of dawn and shuttle myself over the A line, the free shuttle, and the A again, and do it all over. When people say "I've caught the surfing bug" - it's so true. I am such a super novice it's not even funny. There's an aggressive competitiveness inside me that doesn't understand why I'm not pro yet but I'm trying to enjoy the process and be patient and look at it as a lifetime investment.

Pics and Deets!

Ok, so I took weekend group lessons with Skudin Surf, (http://skudinsurf.com/), five in total. This is not the only surf school at 67th Rockaway but I really enjoyed it. They are pretty organized and the instructors are great. They provide boards and rash guards, very easy. Just note that they teach you the basics. After a few lessons I asked more questions about how to spot a wave and catch it - think that sounds stupid and obvious, you do it - I also did my own research on YouTube, because YouTube has the answers to everything. I wish they had at least touched base on surfing etiquette. OH! to the experienced surfers, I feel no sympathy for your frustration over lost waves - you've surfed this beach before, you know there are surf schools, you know what the surf students look like. AND to the swimmers that ONE day - I can't believe you people had the nerve to look incredulously bewildered at US - literally swimming amongst 10 students - this is not a swimmers beach, clearly, as you are the only ones swimming. It was dangerous for all, is what I'm trying to say, safety first. I digress...

Oh by the by, it is nothing like snowboarding, so, just, no. Go get 'em!

Post-o Numero Uno

I treat each birthday as kind of a New Year, a fresh start. I look back and evaluate the past year and try to set some goals for the one to come. Reading more... well reading period, (I'm not a huge reader), eating healthier, exercising consistently, the usual. This year, it just happens that I was let go before my birthday, giving me... well, time. Now don't get me wrong, I'm actively looking for a job and still freelancing here and there, (thankfully). But it's giving me time to reset my life and my routine - something I had lost touch with since college. I'm deciding to do something about it, (hence this blog). 

I've always been active as a kid and and played sports, but once I moved to New York for school that all kinda fizzled away. My priorities shifted to school and work and that part of me died a little, (how dramatic). It wasn't until recently that I realized how much I missed being active and how happy it made me. So this years' goal was to reconnect with that part of me. To get out there, get over my fears and anxieties, and just do it.

This blog is about my adventures, brand-crushes, music, and everything in-between brought to you by lazy cat.