Stand-Out Activewear Piece: Athleta's Relay Capri

Confession: I have plenty of black leggings. I have more black stretchy pants than regular ones, and that's the way I like it. But it also means that it's hard for me to find a pair that truly wows. But that's where items like Athleta's Relay Capri come into play.

Behold: the amazing run capris.

This story starts like most activewear solutions do. I went for a short run in my neighborhood and had to keep pulling up my capris. So I headed off to Athleta to find a great fit. And although I had my doubts about these (I don't usually go for cuffed capris), these were just what I was looking for.

Cuffs with the mesh.

They hit about mid-calf, which is ideal for running capris. I don't like shorts since they tend to ride up and knee-length capris can get all sweaty in the crease. But these are the perfect length. And the cuff helps the pants stay on. The sheer panel attached to the bottom of the pant leg helps the pants breathe well.

My favorite feature is the high waist. It will hold you in without feeling constrictive. I'd suggest buying a size down if you want an even tighter fit. The back of the pant features a handy zip pocket so you can store your keys. The store employee even showed me how to tie an adorable little bow with the drawstring waist to help them stay on. As if these couldn't get better, each pair is UPF 50+--so you're protected from the sun. 

You'll want this waistband. Trust me. 

 The rip cord.

 The handy pocket that you'll love.

These offer compression too. I always need some help smoothing out my trouble spots, and these do the job perfectly.

The only downside is that there's just a touch of sheerness. That doesn't bother me since these aren't meant for yoga/Pilates/other bend-centric classes. If you're searching for an all-around great pair of running capris, I'd suggest you give these a test run. If you're unhappy, you can always return them since this brand's return policy is phenomenal. Thank you for another great product, Athleta!

Ways to Save on Activewear

As an activewear lover (with a special place in my heart for brands like lucy and lululemon), I know how hard it can be to justify shelling out mega bucks on clothing that you only wear when you're sweating. I suffered from severe sticker shock the first time I looked at a price tag in lululemon. But then I let myself buy a few items, and I was hooked. Funny how that goes, huh? Since I've been following the market for a few years now, I've picked up in a few tips and tricks to really save money. Besides, you should never pay full-price retail. Here's my first tip: don't shop Black Friday. You can usually get better discounts throughout the year. That is unless you enjoy tackling herds of stampeding crowds.

Discover ways to save on activewear using my tried-and-true tips. Courtesy of Flickr user: 401(K) 2013.

1. Sign Up for the Mailing List/Facebook/Instagram

This is key. Companies will alert you to sales, giveaways and other in-store deals. Lucy and Athleta are the two biggest brands that have the best sales. Following the companies on Facebook and Instagram is useful too. My favorite company to follow on Instagram is Nancy Rose Performance.

2. Read Blogs

This probably only applies to lululemon, but sometimes bloggers will know of a sale before it happens. Check lululemon addict or lulumum for the latest news and cute pictures of new gear.

3. Attend in-store/brand-sponsored events

Going to a store event is somewhat of a crapshoot since the store will rarely advertise that it's going to be discounting items. But sometimes they do, and you can win big. I once attended an outdoor Pilates class at Studio BE that lucy sponsored and scored 40 percent off the sale. And I got to get a workout in too. As an added bonus, you may even score free gear. I went to an event at Alexandria's Swet Ride and got a free lululemon towel, and I once won an Athleta raffle that included a gift card and a headband. Certain studios also will host trunk shoes and have their own sales too. That's why it can pay to get on their mailing lists too.

4. Know the Brand

One of the easiest ways to save money is by getting familiar with the brand. Here's what I've learned about my favorite ones:

1. lucy

lucy is probably the best when it comes to having great sales. This past Veteran's Day the company discounted everything on its site by 30 percent. Everything. But the easiest way to score deals here is to wait for the seasons to change. The company will discount everything once and then offer more discounts later. Once you get that first email, wait for the next one before you purchase.

2. Athleta

This brand has seasonal sales too. If you go to one of their special events, you also can get discounts too. I feel like I've almost always scored discounts after going to in-store events.

3. Lululemon

My favorite brand of all time almost never has sales. :-( Aside from the warehouse sale the company holds annually in one spot in the country, you just have to get lucky. The have what they call "mark-downs" of goods in-stores. The discounts are usually good, but the merchandise can be somewhat picked over. The mark downs are either on a moveable rack or spread throughout the store. The employees will usually put a bright purple discounted tag on the long price tag that you can spot. You can head over the website's "We Made Too Much" section (also known as "loot" to the lulu fanatic) to get deals online. Heads up though: this section does sell out quickly.

Sites Where You Can Score 

eBay

You've got to be careful with this one since people do scam each other. But you also can great some great deals too. I've bought a handful of items from the site, and I've always had good luck. To prevent scams, just be sure to look into the buyers' rating. If the buyer has a bad rating or one of the comments is that the person didn't send an item or sent something in horrific shape, I'd never purchase from them. You can even set up really specific alerts so you get emails when you want is available. It can pay to "track" an item so you can see if the buyer ends up coming down in price.

Craigslist

I've never bought anything off this site, but it's another option too.

Threadflip

This is a much smaller clothing site, but you may be able to score deals here.

Facebook

I belong to two different Facebook groups (lulu lounge and lululemon trading post) and every so often someone will post sale items. You have to be careful with scams here though. It's not regulated in any way like eBay or a bigger website.

There you have it. I hope you enjoy this list and score some great deals on activewear. Because the only thing more satisfying than a great workout is wearing clothes you paid a lot less for. Happy shopping!