Hello again! I’m happy to report that my friends and family know me well enough to know that I love Lululemon & that they can’t go wrong with a pair of Wunder Unders or a No Limits tank. So, I wanted to share my holiday haul with y’all!
My Holiday Haul
Santa was very generous this year- although the bottom three items were purchased by me, yesterday. In my haul: Angel Blue & Paris Perfection LS Swiftlies, Ziggy Wee Plum September & Pretty Pink Slalom Stripe Flow Y Bras, Pretty Pink Slalom Stripe Pacesetter skirt, Plum Speed Tights, Scuba Hoodie *Vest, Scuba Hoodie in Pop Petal print, Scuba Hoodie in Parallel Stripe, Wunder Under Crops in Parallel Stripe, 105 F singlet in heathered Lavender Dusk, Bhakti Short in Baroque Blue, No Limits tank in Plum & Surge/ Inkwell
What did you get for Christmas?
I also wanted to include a fit review for the shorts.
Bhakti Yoga Shorts
Fun Fact: A very basic definition of Bhakti is that Bhakti is a Sanskrit term that signifies an attitude of devotion to a personal God.
I bought these for summer and for vacations to hot places. I don’t practice hot yoga often enough to justify buying these shorts, but I do get hot easily. These shorts are made of *Seriously Light Luon and they certainly are light. I love that they have a liner to make me feel secure (I won’t ‘fall out’ of them, so to speak), but the main body of the short is light enough that I could wear it in the hottest summer weather and I would have a higher level of comfort than can be obtained even by the ever-popular Speed shorts. The inseam on these is 2’3/8, while the speed short is 2’1/2, so these are actually one eighth of an inch shorter than the Speeds. I found them to be true to size and I can’t wait to wear them this summer.
I did not buy, but did try on the new Bhakti jacket and loved it, but I can’t justify another jacket right now. I found it to be fitted and think some people may want to size up, for comfort.
Did you like the Bhakti shorts & jacket? Let me know in the comments below!
I think this is a pretty nice pic of the new Parallel Stripe Wunder Unders
From another PN:
I thought this was a super cute picture of all the different colours of Savasana Socks. They’re made of Merino Wool & sure to keep you cozy this season.
Savasana Socks in angel wing, black & deep zinfandel
Ooooh! Angel Blue Studio Crops, I hope they make pants!
Studio Crops in Angel Blue
I know the Passage Sweaters have been selling out fast. I am excited to see a new colour:
Passage Sweater in Heathered Medium Grey
That’s what I got for ya for now!
What are you most looking forward to this holiday season? Lulu or otherwise, let me know in the comments below!
I’ve decided to get back into fitness and in order to achieve some of my goals, I signed up for Barre Method classes. I think Barre will help me tone my body, while the yoga I currently do helps lengthen my muscles. I also consider yoga to be a spiritual activity more-so than a physical one. Not that yoga doesn’t challenge me, it does. It’s just not nearly as intense as the overall conditioning Barre entails.
I also said that I would give a review & provide my impression of what happens during Barre after I had taken a few classes. I have been to Barre 6 times since my last post and have gotten a pretty clear picture of what to expect every class.
Every time I walk in the door, the instructor signs me in. This is important because they do try to learn your name. If you’re performing an exercise correctly during class they’ll say “Good job, *InsertYourNameHere*” It gives the class a more personal feel. And everybody seems happy to be there.
First we started with a small warm up without weights, lifting our arms and legs. Then we grabbed our weights. I have been using the lightest weights, since I’m a newb. We did exercises that worked every muscle in our arms. Then we sat down and did a few stretches. Then we approached the bar and worked on our legs, standing, doing various exercises that mostly involved double loop resistance tubes that look like this:
We would wrap one side around one leg, and the other side around the foot of the other leg and pull with that foot. Standing on one leg for that long was probably the most difficult part. I have been trying to keep the weight on the inside part of the standing foot, it helps… a little. Then, between switching legs we sat down and did some stretches. All the while energetic dance music is playing in the background. It was almost entertaining. If I hadn’t had been in so much pain already, I may have been genuinely amused. After evening it out, and completing the other side, we sat down beside the bar, holding it for stability, and used our “seat” muscles to lift ourselves slightly off the ground, one side at a time. Then it was time for ab work, but not before doing a few more stretches. There were quite a few different abdominal exercises with and without the use of the bar. One such exercise involved squeezing a ball between my thighs while doing sit-ups.
Finally, a 2-minute Superman back workout & a few final stretches to round out the final part of the class before everyone gets up to clean their mat & put away their instruments of cruelty (weights & resistance tube).
I found the instructor to be very attentive and understanding of my newbie status. They even came over to correct my form! Everyone else was really friendly too. And there is so much Lulu Love in those classes. About 75% of the girls in these classes were wearing Lululemon including the instructors.
My main critique is that on the website of one of the more popular Barre Method studios they say that it’s OK if you aren’t tiny. I’m not tiny, but I’m not plus-sized either. However, I AM really out of shape and I could have used some suggestions on how to perform easier versions of many of the exercises we did. I didn’t receive any suggestions for alterations for the first five classes I went to. Then, one day a girl who was plus-sized DID come to Barre. First, I want to say: Good for her. I find it rather intimidating, so I was really impressed by her courage. But the only time I ever heard any instructor offer suggestions for alternative ways to perform exercises was when she came. I used MANY of these suggestions.
Side note: If I ever wake up one day & decide I’d like to be intimidated by the beauty of other women I’ll go to barre, first thing!
One other thing that bothered me was that the instructors are constantly saying “you’re almost done, push through” or “finish strong” or “this is your last chance to work *insert muscle group here,* give it your all!” None of these statements are true. The classes are very challenging, the whole entire time. There is no reason to give me false hope about the workout being almost over, especially with no clocks nearby to tell me the truth.
That said, I do enjoy a good challenge- so I’ll keep up the classes for now! I have 14 left on my pass!
UPDATE: October 11, 2015
I was re-reading this post, and just want to say that I did end up completing that 20 class pass, and purchasing another. I completed that pass (so, 40 classes in all), but did not purchase another. I actually like, but don’t love, Barre. I just never got good at it. While I do enjoy a challenge, I think it’s safe to say that I need to feel results as well. I just don’t think I ever got better at Barre, and I think I’m going to wait until I’m in better general condition before I get into Barre again, but I’ll keep you in the loop!
About buying & selling New With Tags Lululemon items on eBay
Hello Lulu Lovers everywhere. I am writing to make a public service announcement regarding selling New With Tags Lululemon items on eBay. I’m not writing about those of you who bought something a long time ago, and just forgot about it in your closet, then realizing it was still there decided to make some extra cash on it- that’s fine. This post is for people who buy very popular items on Lululemon.com when they are first released, with the explicit intention of reselling them. I’m also not talking about people who live no where near a store & don’t want to pay return shipping if they think they can make a few bucks on the one extra size they bought. I’m talking about people who do it for a living. A good example is Top Car Broker on eBay. She always has tons of NWTs items on eBay. Always highly sought after, future unicorns, for above retail. Don’t know what a unicorn is? Check out my post on Lululemon Slang.
These often sell out on Lululemon.com in a matter of hours. For example, she currently has listings for 22 Gratitude Wraps, which just came out on Monday and sold out completely in two days. She currently has them listed for $170.94, each. They retailed for $118. They definitely would have sold for that, and I think it’s wrong to use information acquired in the community (she belongs to many of the chat groups) against the community itself. However, Lululemon does have the right to refuse to sell to her, if they want to. I’ve heard of them refusing to sell to others for various reasons (they return too much, they sell on eBay- like she does, they buy too much in different sizes), or so the buyers (customers) say. Lululemon never issues anything in writing, the customers just are no longer able to process orders online, then they call GEC and they just say something vague. They are still able to buy in-store, but you can’t buy the quantities in-store like you can online, particularly with regards to markdowns. I think TopCarBroker has a friend with a yoga studio, or a strategic partner store (I believe they receive their merchandise at a discount) and then she resells it and they split the profit OR she does just order online and for some reason Lululemon does nothing to stop it. I have no doubt that they know who she is and what she does. I know that my account would be flagged if I spend 2500 on Gratitude Wraps. Which is why I wonder how it is that year over year, she gets away with it. I regard it as taking advantage of the community, others may see it as a business opportunity. Those of you who do: Please start, this will create competition & perhaps it will run her out of business. Thank you.
I know there may be people who disagree with me, but I hope you can see it from the perspective of a true Lulu Addict & if you can’t that’s OK too. Just leave your opinion in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
UPDATE
I wrote an update to this post. You can find it here.
Today, I had to go to my local store to try on the Gratitude Wrap. I missed out on them last time & I had to see what they were all about.
Here’s a pretty picture I found in a PN:
Heathered White Gratitude Wrap & Winter Orchid/ Deep Zinfandel Vinyasa scarf
I’ll start at the top & move down. First, the collar is fantastic and can be worn all the way buttoned up, or with the first one or two undone. It’s tres chic! It’s fitted across the chest when buttoned, and flares out all the way to the bottom. The arms are really tight. I stayed true to size, but both my size and my size up felt tight in the arms, so I decided that sizing up was pointless. The one thing that sort of bothered me was that the threads where they sewed the buttons on were un-trimmed. It makes the garment look unfinished and cheap. I’ll be cutting them myself, to the best of my ability, but it would have been nice if everything looked tidy to begin with. I do love the two pockets, they’re perfect for throwing your hands into on a cold day. The cinch at the bottom is a cute detail, but I probably won’t be using it. I find the fit flattering overall, and I went home with a Deep Zinfandel Gratitude Wrap, and a Paris Perfection Bang Buster. Because we all know I need more Bang Busters.
Anyways- I hope y’all get a chance to grab one- they’re super popular & selling out quick!
Here are a few things I noticed in Australia. I’m sure we won’t get everything I saw, but I’m hoping for a few things to reach North America.
New: In A Flash Singlet
Since this is the Summer line in Australia, I’m not 100% sure the In A Flash Singlet will make it here, but there are a ton of items in the Clear Mint color. Quite a few have already been uploaded. Speed Shorts in Clear Mint are in Australia, so hopefully those make it here.
These Core Kicker Crops have already been uploaded in solid black. I really like these in the Assorted Stripe Bleached Coral/Inkwell.
I love this Track Tee in Clear Mint/ Surge. I really want to try it on.
Again, this stuff is on the Australia side, so I really HOPE we get it, but you never know. The 105 Singlet is coming in Clear Mint too, so we might not get the In A Flash Singlet. I am looking forward to try on the Track Tee. I hope it comes here!
Product notifications generally give me some insight on what’s coming up in the future and I think I’ll likely be doing more and more posts about what’s new as I’ve noticed that some of my more popular posts are about the latest things.
Here goes:
Currently, on the website the Keep It Up jacket is available in White, but I found a product notification that indicates its upcoming availability in Inkwell/ Laceflage Embossed Inkwell.
I’m excited for the return of the Laceoflage print.And the back, not too crazy about the bottom part that flares out a little, but I’ll have to try this one on.
This jacket will also be available in plain black.
Next Up: The Yogi Racer Tank, currently available in Misty Stripe Burnout Inkwell will be coming out in Misty Stripe Burnout Raspberry, and Misty Stripe Burnout Black. The Raspberry version is pictured below.
This might be nice for a hot yoga practice.And the reverse.
That looks comfy. I have never tried these, I wonder if I’ll like them better than the 105 singlets for hot yoga. I really love the color though. I’m a sucker for pink & pink derivatives.
Number 3: not a new product, just a new color, the Just Be SS Tee, that is currently available on the website in misty stripe burnout white, misty stripe burnout surge, misty stripe burnout black & misty stripe burnout bleached coral is coming out in misty stripe burnout inkwell, as pictured below.
I don’t love this, but the black or inkwell will look great over an LS swiftly in a lighter color and this shirt in surge is actually quite vibrant!
Finally, a product notification provided me with a couple of photos of the new Scuba Hoodie *Str SE Vest, indicating that this Scuba Hoodie will have removable sleeves.
I hope you like this post, I will update with try-on & fit information as it becomes available.
Buying & Selling on Facebook isn’t easy sometimes. There are a few things you may want to keep in mind when listing your products.
1) If your item is priced below market value, be prepared for a lot of interest. (Or, if you’re listing a unicorn- don’t know what a unicorn is? Check out my post about Lululemon Slang!) It can get pretty hairy, pretty fast. Let’s say, for example, I’m selling my April WAFS (we are from space) Stride Jacket in a size 6. The April WAFS Stride is a unicorn for sure.
Isn’t it gorgeous!?
Let’s say I put it in the exchange for $75, when it’s easily worth double. I often see them selling for about $150 on eBay. You must be prepared for a lot of interest. Great, right? Wrong! Unfortunately, some people who see the ad before you get a chance to delete it in 5 minutes after your item is sold are going to be MAD AT YOU for not selling to them! Why? Well, why not? It was their unicorn after all. Not to mention the fact that it was probably the unicorn of whoever you sold it to, as well as pretty much anyone else who doesn’t have one. Honestly, it’s a fantastic piece and I got mine for $125 and I felt LUCKY.
Just for fun, here’s mine.
So, you ask, how do I prevent people from being mad at me just because I’m trying to sell my piece quickly, at a good price? First, I would caution you against having too fantastic of prices. Price your items according to my post about “determining the value of your item.” If it doesn’t sell fast enough, lower the price by 5 or 10 percent and go from there. But, you don’t want to wait, you want your item to sell very quickly & you’re willing to take a loss, you say? Ok, price your items as you wish BUT in order to prevent people from getting mad at you write the following things in your ad:
A) PayPal ONLY, no EMT
Why? Because EMT can take a while (sometimes hours) to show up in your bank, you could be losing customers and people will be losing patience. You don’t want to take someone’s word for it that they made the transfer only to find our hours later that they didn’t & have lost out on a faster, but different potential customer.
B) No Holds
Why? I think this one is a little more self-evident. Some people I know will do holds. For example, if a girl says, “can you hang onto it until I get home from work?” You have to say “No, first come first serve.” First of all, it creates a sort of urgency for the buyers, making it more likely that you’ll sell your item faster. Secondly, it prevents someone from being offended if you won’t hold it for them. And third, it makes the whole thing more fair. The first person to put money into your PayPal account gets the great deal you’re offering. What’s more fair than that?
C) I’m not going in order of comments, I’m going in order of Private Messages.
Why? Honestly, the internet is filled with entitled people. Sometimes, someone will comment first in the post “me,” then PM me, but I’ll have already received a few private messages from other people interested in my item. Then, they get angry with me and they say “I commented first, so I should get it.” Meanwhile, I just sold it to the first person who PM’d me, but hadn’t gotten around to deleting the post yet. Some people think that if you comment in the thread first you should get it. But honestly, it’s whoever gets in touch with the original poster first who get the first crack at it. Sometimes its not even the first person to PM because sometimes PMs end up in Facebook’s elusive “Other” folder, while those from someone else will be sent to your inbox. Main point: If you say you’re going in order of PMs no one can criticize you for who you choose to sell to because, while comments in posts are public, you are the only one who can see your inbox. Maybe you just don’t want to sell to that person, who knows & who cares, as long as you say “Going in order of PMs.”
UPDATE
It has been nearly a year since I posted this, and I just wanted to update. These rules still apply, however, recently the WAFS April Stride has been selling for less. It has been selling for about $100, down from what I quoted above. I believe the reason for this is because Lululemon is now manufacturing the Stride jacket again. This increases supply, and reducing demand for used ones. Thanks for reading, and Happy Selling!
First things first, I’m probably exaggerating when I say everywhere. BUT at my local Lululemon and at many others across North America & abroad, once a year, around the holidays, they host a Friends & Family Event. I was really excited at first because I heard that it was 30% off all items. Unfortunately, it was only 30% off sale items AND it was only select sale items. There were a few racks in the front that were 30% off sale items and then a couple of racks in the back that were newer markdowns and not subject to further discount. I have to admit that I was a little disappointed. But, Lululemon very rarely has sales, so I guess I should have been less surprised.
If you’re interested, these sales occur after hours and invite is issued either via word of mouth or via the product notification emails that you can subscribe to. Here’s how: visit Lululemon’s Website, click “find a store.” Find your store, wherever you are. Let’s say, for example, you live in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Search for Edmonton and the “Kingsway” store appears, with a few others on a map. The Kingsway page, linked there, has a bunch of links, one of which is “email sign-up.” Simply enter your email address & ‘submit.’ Congratulations! You are now subscribed to Lululemon’s product notifications & local events emails!
On top of being invited to local events like Friends and Family, free yoga, running clubs, barre method etc… You’ll also receive local store Product Notifications. Local Store Product notifications let you know when and what new products are arriving at your local store!
Fluff Off Pullover in surge/mini check pique surge heathered surgeFluff Off Pullover in deep zinfandel/mini check pique deep zinfadelFluff Off Pullover in black/heathered herringbone heathered black black
I absolutely loved the black one, especially with the Herringbone fabric (SO NICE!) But I caved for the Surge one, for two reasons: 1) Coloured Pique. I’ve never seen a Lululemon Coloured Pique item. 2) Pique, as I’ve mentioned in previous posts doesn’t pill as easily as Herringbone fabric. I want my pretty pretty (future unicorn- LOL) pullover to last. As. Long. As. Possible. If possible: Forever.
The Fluff Off vests, which don’t excite me that much look like this:
Fluff Off Vest in Black
These are pretty nice for $128. I’ll pass for now, I’ll let you know if they go to mark down 🙂
And finally the Fluff Off Jacket $198
Fluff Off Jacket in deep zinfandel/mini check pique deep zinfadel
Very pretty.
These are the product features from Lululemon’s website for the jacket.
fabric + features
stretchy Rulu™ side panels let us move in this slim-fitting jacket
Matte Glyde fabric in the body and hood repels light rain
unzip the vents in the core and arms when you need to let off steam
secure zipper pockets hide a cord management system
thumbholes and Cuffin™ sleeves help keep your hands toasty when you forget your gloves at home
reflective details help keep you visible when you’re up before the sun
imported
fit + function
designed for: run, to-and-from
fabric(s):
Rulu™
,
Matte Glyde
, 800-fill-power premium goose down
fit: slim
length: hip
UPDATE: I got a chance to try on the Fluff Off Pullover & I found them to be true to size, but of slim fit. I found my size up to be sloppy looking, but I wanted to try it so, I did. My TTS was difficult to pull on & off, but it looked fabulous & was so soft. If you open the side zippers, its easier, to pull on & off. I can’t wait until mine comes in the mail! I’m glad I got the right size because my store is completely sold out of the Surge Fluff Off Pullovers, except for one: a size 12.
UPDATE: Tues Dec 2, 2014
I just wanted to post an update to let y’all know that the Fluff Off Pullovers are back this year! Online only! They look amazing! I’ll be posting a size review when I get mine in the mail.
