September 04, 2019 at 08:41PM by CWC When I was seven, a camp counselor at the Warwick, Rhode Island YMCA taught me how to make a friendship bracelet. She gave me three different colored strings, and demonstrated the “four” pattern I had to follow to tie each individual knot. My first foray into crafting my own was total crap, but I triple-knotted that thing within an inch of its life and wore it until it was so faded and frayed that my mom made me cut it off because it was embarrassing her. (And also, it smelled.) But man oh man, did I love it… and the hundreds of other friendship bracelets I made from the years of 1999 to 2006. So this summer, when I saw everyone on Instagram shelling out over 40 bucks a pop to stack their arms with the multicolored string bracelets in the latest nostalgia-centric style trend, I thought, “pshht, I could do better than that” and ordered myself a 13 dollar kit of string and beads on Amazon. When it arrived, I posted up on my couch in complete silence, tied six pieces of string around my toe—the way my counselor taught me to—and got to work on a chevron pattern. By the time I looked up, three hours had passed. I hadn’t checked my phone once (no small feat for someone who averages 193 pick-ups per day, according to the Screentime app), and the intense anxiety that I’d been feeling about work/never finding a
Category: Fashion
9 on-sale activewear pieces that make me want to wear white long after Labor Day
September 03, 2019 at 06:20PM by CWC Rules are made to be broken. And I’ve always hated the “no white after Labor Day” rule. There are a few different reasons why it’s even a thing in the first place, one of them is simply because white represents a “look of leisure” and should be swapped for darker choices after a summer filled with beach days, reading in the sun, and road trips. Well, sorry, but that’s all the more reason to keep the color around. Especially when it comes to activewear. Yes, summer is far too short, but continuing to wear white once it’s over is a simple way to keep those carefree vibes around all year long. Plus, are you telling me I can’t rock a pair of white sneakers this fall or my favorite white workout top this winter? Because that’s never not going to happen—even if they’re more likely to get dirty. Ditch the no-white rule and grab these white activewear pieces to remind yourself that summer isn’t officially over until September 23. ad_intervals[‘420165_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘420165_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); White Activewear Buy Now Athleta Sayulita Crop Hoodie $60 Buy Now L’urv Race Ready Moto Legging $110 Buy Now Lululemon Timeless Classic Tank $39 Buy Now Adidas Runfalcon Shoes $42 Buy Now Old Navy Breathe ON Plus-Size Mesh-Back Tank $11 Buy Now Sweaty Betty Bohemian Crop Workout Tank Top $39 Buy Now Outdoor Voices Doubles Dress $50 Buy Now UA Armour Seamless
5 trainer-approved stretches that (quickly) help to ease that holiday weekend bloat
September 03, 2019 at 05:28PM by CWC As if the Tuesday after Labor Day wasn’t already the most mehhhhhh day of the year, if you (like me!) spent the weekend consuming enough rosé and BBQ to last you through the winter, you’re also probably feeling bloated as hell this a.m. (in addition to feeling tired and bummed out, of course). How fun! Luckily, whilst scrolling through Instagram as a means of avoiding facing the world this morning, I stumbled upon a series of stretches that are meant to help with this sort of Impossible Burger-induced bloat situation. Fitness trainer Johanna—who you might know by her handle, @growwithjo—shared a five-move yoga-inspired flow that will get rid of that gross gassy feeling and leave you with nothing but fond memories of those final summer beach beers. Hold each move for 60 seconds, and you’ll be bloat-free in five minutes flat. Now, if only we could find a stretch sequence that would help us cure that end of summer sadness… ad_intervals[‘420151_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘420151_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); View this post on Instagram ELIMINATE BLOAT🤰🏽with these 5 stretches 🙌🏽💪🏽 . Often times for what seems like no reason at all we get bloated. First it is important to check for food intolerances and for anything that may be primarily causing the bloat, then as a way to relieve the stomach pain and discomfort try these 5 Stretches for 60-70 seconds each! . 🙋🏽♀️tag a friend who would appreciate this post🙋🏽♀️
How to finally feel empowered in your body—in four weeks
September 03, 2019 at 04:30AM by CWC Meet Wellness Collective, our immersive curriculum with Athleta that hooks you up with actionable advice from the smartest experts and brand founders in wellness right now. Get the goods at our monthly event series in New York City plus our online one-month wellness plans. Here, Mama Cax—blogger, model, and body positivity and disability advocate—shares her four-week guide to total body empowerment. You don’t have to scroll far on social media to find someone applauding body positivity, and with good reason: It’s easy to give lip service to the movement (who couldn’t use a little more self love?). But sometimes it’s not so easy to actually put the concept into practice. Because, let’s face it, we all have insecurities. Disability advocate, blogger, and model Mama Cax is no stranger to the feeling. After having her leg amputated as a result of bone cancer when she was 16, she had to factor in losing her leg to the body-image issues most teenage girls were already feeling. ad_intervals[‘411424_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘411424_div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7435403-3’);}); } }, 100); So how did she not only embrace her post-surgery body, but also become a voice for disability visibility in the fashion world and beyond? Celebrating the small steps forward, and not stressing over setbacks. “Since my surgery, I’ve dealt with added body insecurities, but have come to realize that loving my body is not a destination,” Cax says. “Rather, [it’s] a journey, and I need to appreciate every step of it.”
Later, laces: These slip-on sneakers are a lazy girl’s best friend
September 02, 2019 at 10:00PM by CWC Crop tops. Dreamy SoulCycle collaborations. Dayglo Leggings. With every new week, there’s a new trend we have our eye on, and this week it’s slip-on sneakers. They’re making a comeback, and I’m not just talking the Vans or Keds that you used to rock in 1998 (although those are poppin’ back up, too). Big-name favorites like Jordan, APL, and Adidas are releasing their own easy-to-wear styles, all of which are perfect for traveling and some—even meant for light activity. “If they’re done properly, skipping laces can really elevate the look of the shoe,” says Adam Goldston, co-founder of APL, whose wildly popular Techloom Bliss slip-on comes in just about every colorway you could imagine, and happens to be their No. 1 seller. “We try to leave as little to chance as possible when we actually release a new silhouette, and that’s done by having an open dialogue with our customers, followers, and supporters.” ad_intervals[‘393757_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘393757_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); Unlike chunky sneakers, which definitely fit a certain type of style profile, laceless sneakers are available in different profiles perfect for any taste. Louisa Page, the design director for Jordan woman’s division, said that their female customer wants options, and lately, that includes slip-on. “She wants something that fits her busy lifestyle, and our job is to obsess the details for them—from comfort and functionality to style and design,” she says, highlighting the AJ1 slip, which is
Hit the snooze button! These exercises in bed count as a full-body workout
September 02, 2019 at 06:00PM by CWC You know those mornings when you straight up just don’t want to get out of bed for the sake of getting a workout in? Same. But in what might just be the best news ever, you actually may not have to, because we found a workout you can do entirely from under the covers…and no, I’m actually not talking about sex. Though, that counts too. While exercises in bed may not be quite as effective as, say, exercises in the gym (I think you probably could have guessed that), there actually are some benefits associated with working out on top of a mattress. “You will naturally be slightly off balance which will force you stabilize through your core, which is a great way to work on your balance,” says Jackie Vick, CSCS, a trainer at Gold’s Gym. If you generally have a hard time getting up and down off of the ground, she adds that a bed can be a great option. Vick recommends doing the below circuit training series that involves 30 seconds of movement on followed by 15 seconds off. After you complete one round, rest for 30 to 45 seconds and repeat for four rounds total. Seriously, your muscles will be on fire by the time the series is over. ad_intervals[‘419275_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘419275_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); 1. Glute bridge: Begin on your back with knees bent and feet close to your hips. Keep your
This science-y new skin-care subscription can predict what your skin needs
September 02, 2019 at 01:00PM by CWC In the world of skin care, it often feels like we’re playing catch-up. We only hydrate our skin after it starts to feel dry, or treat our pimples after they’ve popped their pesky little heads above the surface. In other words, we wait for our skin to tell us what it needs, and then we find a product to fix it. But a new line of subscription, customized serums, called Atolla, is about to flip that idea on its head. The brand—which launched on August 13th—uses data about your skin health, history, and lifestyle to develop a custom serum to keep you glowing… and predict any sorts of issues that might pop up before they happen. “Think of fitting your skin as being fitted for a couture gown—you can buy some lovely things off the rack, but for the ultimate fit, something that is made just for you cannot be beat,” says the brand’s co-founder dermatologist Ranella Hirsch, MD. “The current strategy to look for products made for the masses can be quite successful, but there is nothing better than understanding the specific issues and concerns that are your own, and then addressing with something tailored to fit.” And Atolla’s doing it in a whole new way. ad_intervals[‘414956_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘414956_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); What serum customization looks like The concept of customized skin care is hardly new—over the last few years, dozens of brands have popped
Neon bike shorts are the summer trend you’ll want to wear well past Labor Day
September 02, 2019 at 12:00AM by CWC Of all the decades, I’ve always thought the 1980’s would be immune to nostalgic trend recycling if only because the trends were, I thought, exceptionally bad—as evidenced by my mom’s hairspray-heavy Glamour shots from the era. Somehow, though, everything old and cringe-y becomes new and cool again eventually, and the ’80s have not fulfilled my prediction of being an exception. Examples of this abound.’80s workouts are back, and even the people who made them iconic, e.g. Jane Fonda, are experiencing a pop culture resurgence. Shoulder pads, power suits, windbreakers—and, well, duh—off-duty leggings are just a few resuscitated trends that could also be named offhand. Most of these I want nothing to due with, but one fad has surprisingly recruited even a skeptic like me to the cause of 1980’s revival: the neon biker short. I’m not alone, either. Athleisure icon Serena Williams recently wore bold-hued blue bike shorts (which were just shy of electric neon) to the Nike Queens of the Future event in New York, which she actually paired with an aforementioned ’80s-era windbreaker. ad_intervals[‘417170_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘417170_div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-7520022-3’);}); } }, 100); Personally, I became obsessed after seeing a group of friends all sporting a neon pair designed by Carbon 38 (shop the style below), a look which I immediately felt compelled to copycat. My new pink shorts make me feel dorky in a cool way, just as has the entirety of this summer’s long shorts trend.
Can you reuse tea bags? In more ways than one
September 01, 2019 at 08:01PM by CWC Every time I brew myself a cup of tea, I feel super weird about tossing out the tea bag. And if you drink it daily, you’re building up quite the collection of waste. The good news is they don’t need to be tossed into the garbage. Instead, there are plenty of different ways you can put them to use aside from in a steaming-hot cup of water. Tea bags might not seem like a major threat to the environment compared to some of the top offenders, but they’re still causing harm. According to the BBC, most tea bags are made up of at least 25 percent plastic, which doesn’t allow them to completely decompose. Because of that, they’re only added to the millions of pounds of plastic that winds up in landfills and the ocean every year. If you shop smart—and use your tea bags wisely!—they can better your life in many ways without hurting the planet in the process. Here are the best hacks to start with. ad_intervals[‘418942_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘418942_div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-5443410-3’);}); } }, 100); 6 simple ways to reuse your tea bags Photo: Getty Images/sagarmanis 1. Feed your plants When you buy biodegradable tea bags (like those from Balaggan Tea), you’re able to compost them. They also make for great plant food. The Spruce says sprinkling used tea leaves around the base of your plants that like acidity, then working them into the soil, can help
Here to break hearts: Sweating isn’t always the best indicator of a good workout
September 01, 2019 at 12:01PM by CWC If feet are measured in inches, then workouts must be measured in sweat… right? Wrong. Up until this morning, I firmly believed that the size of pit stains on my shirts post-exercise directly correlated with the quality of my sweat session. After listening to trainer Sal Di Stefano on the Mind Pump podcast, however, the very ground upon which I stand on (and sweat on) has been shaken. Because, everyone, perspiration does not effective fitness make. All three podcast hosts chimed in with a resounding “hell no” when a listener wrote in with the question, “Does getting sweaty mean you are getting good results?” “The workout has to be appropriate for whatever goals that you have—and if that means that you’re not sweating during the workout, that’s okay. But the sweat—or lack thereof—doesn’t mean that what you did [was or] wasn’t effective,” explained Di Stefano. ad_intervals[‘419331_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’] = setInterval(function () { if (ads_ready) { clearTimeout(ad_intervals[‘419331_div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’]); googletag.cmd.push(function(){googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-9261280-3’);}); } }, 100); According to the trainer, the liters of sweat you’re left with after a run, hike, or bicycle ride really only tell you how acclimated you are to the current climate. There happen to be about 1.1 million other ways to determine if a workout is effective, but the current moistness of your skin just isn’t one. Di Stefano gives the example of training high weight at low repetitions. “[This type of training] can build muscle. It can boost your metabolism. It can give a nice look