Megan Marconyak in her new Superfun Yoga Pants
Along with writing my Shop Talk posts for Richmond magazine, I also do a fair amount of food writing. And, let’s be honest, I just love food and drinks in general. So, in an effort to balance that out and not weigh 400 pounds, I also have been trying to up my fitness game lately. While I tend to be adventurous with my day-to-day fashion, my workout attire is pretty simple. Black yoga pants, black tank top, sneakers — done.
For a while now, though, I’ve been seeing people sporting some crazy workout pants all over town. Elephants, cheetah prints, bright red — I thought they were kind of cool, but not for a somewhere-between-hourglass-and-pear-shaped (read not small on the lower half) body-shape like mine. Then, I heard a friend raving about Superfun Yoga Pants: “They are like Spanx for working out. They suck everything in,” she said. “And they’re so comfortable.” OK, I was intrigued. And, being the serious fashion journalist that I am, I decided to stop by a Superfun Yoga Pants Pop-Up one evening.
A little background on the business: Amy Brachman was working in corporate America when she realized she wanted to do something that just made her happy. Around the same time, she bought some crazy, patterned yoga pants and began receiving comments and compliments on them when she wore them around town. She said they made people happy, a perfect match for her new life goal. So, she decided to take a big leap and start selling the pants.
Brachman’s business model is slightly different than your average fitness-wear sales plan. She carries about three different yoga pants lines that she selected from more brands she and other fitness instructors have tested. Although studios have asked to carry the pants, she only sells them in pop-up shops, where she can be on hand to help people select the perfect pair, both for their figure and for their fitness preferences. She also is in communication with the companies she buys from, providing feedback so they can continue to improve their lines. The pants are also for sale on the Superfun Yoga Pants website, but Brachman encourages shoppers to try them in person and find a fit and brand they like before purchasing more online.
At the show I stopped by, she had a tub of pants in my size, and encouraged me to try on all of them. Even though I gravitated toward the darker shades, she persuaded me to try on all the shades — purple, turquoise striped, patterned and more. There was no rush, and she asked me which fits I preferred. And, to my extreme surprise, I ended up selecting the “Northern Lights” style — a pale pink, purple, yellow and greenish pair with a moose head on the side to take home with me. Oddly enough, I felt like the colors slimmed my legs and I liked the tight fit of the fabric — this is saying a lot coming from someone who refuses to even wear khakis.
If you want to try some of these pants for yourself, your next chance is at Shockoe Slip Yoga’s One Year Anniversary Party tomorrow (Saturday, Nov. 1) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. And, along with pants, there are free yoga and Pound fitness classes (sign up on the Studio site — space is limited), samples from Eat Smart healthy meals and PRESSED juices, as well as other health and wellness professionals like Path Acupuncture on-site doing consultations.
