Sweat It Out in Old Navy Activewear!

I am a BIG fan of working out and the timing of this Crowdtap Sample and Share could not have been better. One might think the holidays are a terrible time to sample Activewear, but some fun new workout gear is just the motivation I needed to stay active during the holidays!  I am definitely a BIG Old Navy fan and already sport some of their great compression pants and workout shirts so I was excited to see the latest Activewear collection.

Website Research

I did not have a ton of time to go online to search but I had some ideas on what I was looking for before grabbing my fellow Old Navy fan (Megan) and heading out to the store. Here are a few that caught my eye on the Old Navy website:

GoDRY Tanks	GoDRY Tees

 I mainly wear tanks when I workout so I knew I would want to try one of the GoDRY tanks. The moisture wicking fabric is great and both the tank and the tee are more of a lose fit which I like in the mid-section (need to hide my little pooch belly!). I think either of these shirts would be great for total body workouts (like body pump), yoga, and even indoor cycling class (spin). I would probably use these for Zumba as well! Pretty much good all around workout options!
 

Color Block Compression Capri	Compression Capri

 Compression capris are pretty much my favorite! They flatten and flatter my mid-section really nice and hold in all my other jiggly parts. They are also super comfortable and I would wear them everywhere if I could.....my boss may not approve if I wore them to work :-)

I already have a couple capri length compression pants from Old Navy, Gap, and Target, but can you ever have enough workout pants?!?! Besides, the new Old Navy Activewear collection had some colors and patterns that I don't have so that is a good reason to pick up another pair.
  

Compression Pants	Compression Pants

As much as I want to love the compression pants, they usually do not fit me very well. The regular sizes are never long enough and they never carry tall sizes in the store. I am 5'8", which is not that tall, but can be frustrating to find pants that are long enough. My friend Megan is even taller so I know she will have the same issue. Nonetheless, I want to give the pants a try to see if the new options will work for us. 

 Now let's get to the store and see what Megan and I ended up trying on!

Active Shopping!

The Old Navy closest to us had a pretty good Activewear selection dedicating a big section of the woman's section. As usual, we grabbed as much as we could hold and headed to the dressing room to start trying our items on. We were able to find all the items I checked out online as well as some others that were in the store only.

Gray GoDRY tank with Black Compression Pant	Black Tank with Gray Compression Capri

 Megan's tank was a bit too lose fitting but the pants were actually great! My compression capris were VERY tight and the shirt was VERY tight as well. It kind of squeezed my small boobs out the sides and was not flattering at all. My outfit was a fail but Megan liked the pants to those go into the keeper pile.

Gray GoDRY tee with Black Compression Pant	Teal Active Tank with Black Compression Pants

Megan is looking good in the Gray GoDRY tee and Compression Pants! I picked out a semi-lose fitting Active tank that has a tie up waist. This shirt fits great and comes in a some great colors. This is definitely a keeper! I also try on the compression pants but unfortunately they do not fit me as well as they fit Megan. They are a bit short and sag a bit between the legs. This is a common problem I have with workout pants so I kind of expected it. Looks like the Compression pants are not going in my keeper pile. I have a feeling I will have better luck with Compression Capri.

Gray Active Tank with Black Compression Capri	Magenta Active Tank with Gray Compression Pants

Megan decided to try on the same Active tank that I picked out and it fits great on her as well. The compression capri also look good but she is leaning more toward the compression pant at this point. I try on the Magenta version of the Active tank but we both agree this is a bit too much color for us.

Gray Active Tank with Purple Compression Capri	Gray GoDRY Tank with Color Block Capri

 Still sporting the Gray Active tank Megan gives the purple Compression Capri a try. I think they look good but she is not feeling the color on these. I think she has her mind made up on the Gray Active tank and Black Compression pants! I still have the Gray GoDRY tank to try and have the same feeling that the fit is too lose for my taste. I also tried on the Color Block Capri in Ultraviolet and I think I found a winner! These fit great and I love the mesh on the side of the calf.
 

Gray Active Tank with Color Block Capri

 Lastly, I decide to try on my two favorite items to see if they work together. I think I found a winner!

Our final picks

Megan - Gray Active Tank with Black Compression Pants
Ginger - Gray Active Tank with Ultraviolet Color Block Compression Capri

Since the lighting was not the best in the Old Navy dressing room, I decided to have my husband take a picture of my new outfit when I got home. I think this gives a much better view of the colors in the Color Block capri.

As I mentioned earlier, a fun new workout outfit was just the motivation I needed to stay active during the holiday season. The next day I wore my new outfit to spin class and the pants were AWESOME! I love the mesh on the side of the legs and the material is quick drying so I never get that "wet" feeling while breaking a sweat.

I also plan to wear my new outfit during an upcoming YMCA 5K Resolution Race on December 28, 2012.

Surpise

Since I was at Old Navy I had to peruse the clearance section and that's where I saw a blast from the past.....

This was one of the fun dresses I tried on during the Spice up your Style in Old Navy Dresses this Fall! sample and share. It was on clearance for $8.99 so I had to buy it!! After I get my sweat on in my new Activewear, I will find a fun even to wear my super cool Old Navy dress!

Spice Up Your Style in Old Navy Dresses this Fall!

Old Navy Dress Sample and Share #2!!

As you can see from my previous blog posts, I am definitely an Old Navy fan and was excited to get another chance to get a cute new dress for fall! Timing could not be better with Thanksgiving next week and Holiday parties just around the corner. I grabbed another Old Navy fan and dress shopping we went!

I checked out the selection online and had a few styles in mind before I hit the store.                 

Cowl Neck Sweater Dress	Belted Cap-Sleeve Knit Dress	Ruffled Crepe Dress

                              

Once we get to the store, I found the Belted Cap-Sleeve Knit dress right away and found the 3/4 sleeve option as well. Unfortunately the Old Navy where I shop did not have any Ruffled Crepe dresses or the specific Cowl Neck Sweater dress I wanted. However, they did have a similar Cowl Neck Sweater dress that I had to try on as well as many other fun styles. They also found a FUN retro dress that both me and my girlfriend had to try.

Retro Party Dress

*This is me on the left	*This is my friend and Old Navy fan

How fun is this dress?!?! OK, it kind of makes me think of my mom a bit but I think we both looked great! Is this dress the one??? Let's keep trying on!

Belted Cap-Sleeve Knit


Now this is cute and we could wear this anywhere. I think we were both more excited about the belt than the actual dress but I think I'm feeling this one. Can't make a decision too quick.....must try on more dresses!

Red Crepe Tie Belt Shift Dress



How fun and sexy is this red dress?!?! We both really liked the way it looked but the top did not fit on me quite right. This is the point where our selections differ but we still both have some great dresses to try!

Black Cowl Neck Sweater Dress	Pattern Crepe Tie Belt Shift Dress

I'm feeling pretty hot in this black cowl neck sweater dress and the fit is great! I just wish they had the charcoal gray version that I saw online. Hmmmm......decisions, decisions!

My friend is looking super cute in this pattern version of the red dress we tried on earlier. Might this be the one??

Stripped V-Neck Sweater Dress	Belted 3/4 Sleeve Dress

 Sticking with the sweater theme, I had to try this fitted striped v-neck dress. It was super comfortable and soft but I don't feel 100% comfortable in something that close fitting....especially in the tummy area! You can't see in this picture but my little pooch belly was sticking out a bit. Maybe when I hit the gym and flatten that belly I will come back for this one.

My friend is not loving the sleeves or the cut of this dress but I really like this color on her. However, I think she has decided on one of the earlier dresses at this point. Which will it be???

I have one last dress to try before we make our final decisions but you can tell by my face that this is not the one.

Crepe Scoop Pocket Dress

I did not like much about this dress to be honest. It did not fit well and was not very comfortable. After trying on the CUTE cap-sleeved black dress earlier, I can't see myself in anything else. Even the black cowl neck does not compete. With that said, check out our final picks!

THE WINNERS!

Belted Cap-Sleeve Knit Dress	Pattern Crepe Tie Belt Shift Dress

I was really torn between the belted knit dress and the cowl neck sweater dress. My friend said I looked best in the cowl neck dress but I really wanted the charcoal gray option I saw online so I went with the cap sleeve dress. I think the comfortable fit, flattering cut, and the awesome PINK BELT sold me!

My friend was torn between the pattern and red crepe shift dresses. Both looked great on her and I thought the red was totally sexy but the pattern was something she could wear anywhere. Red may not be as easy to pull off at work.

Now we have our new stylish dresses and will be wearing them out very soon!

One more update.....2 days after my Old Navy dress shopping experience, I went online and bought the charcoal gray cowl neck sweater dress! I could not resist! I knew the dress would fit great and I have the perfect leggings and boots to complete the look. Can't wait for my other new dress to arrive!

Thanks to Crowdtap and Old Navy for the fun dress shopping experience!!

Share Woolite® Extra Dark Care with Your Friends!

Share Woolite® Extra Dark Care with Your Friends!

As I opened the sample and poured the Woolite Extra Dark Care into the washing machine to SAVE my favorite jeans, I thought WOW this detergent smells great! That is always one of my top criteria so we can check that box for one of the things Woolite Extra Dark Care has going for it. So far we are off to a good start!

Woolite Extra Dark Care preparing to SAVE my favorite jeans!

You may be asking yourself, why are there no pictures of friends???? Let me explain.....

My jeans are off to a good start now that the samples are here, but getting the samples was a bit of a struggle. I signed up for the sample and share in June 2012 and had started to plan my party around 4^th of July when I knew I would have a lot of friends over for a big party. I also had two baby showers in July and figured that would be a great opportunity to share samples with some of the busy moms. Unfortunately things do not always go as planned and I received the samples on August 16, 2012…..just 4 days before my report is due.

Timing is not great because my besties are both out of town on vacation and my co-worker I had hoped would help is on work travel until the end of August. I gave samples to some friends but I doubt I will get any feedback from them before the report is due on the 20th. With so many friends out of town, a "wash your jeans" party is pretty much out of the picture as well. 

Despite this setback, I am going to try to be creative and try the Woolite product on both mine and my husband's jeans. He is very particular about how his jeans are washed so he will be a great critic of the woolite product. Rather than stop there I plan to also wash some of our work clothes that we might normally dry clean. Since some people will want to try this product on more than just jeans (i.e. all of their laundry) I plan to also wash workout clothes, whites, and other household items to see how well the Woolite extra dark care holds up. I know this plan is in not the true spirit of what the sample and share was about but I feel I am doing the best I can with the 4 day window I have to complete the action and the report. Considering the challenges to get the samples out to us crowdtappers, I hope Crowdtap and Woolite feel that my effort is time well spent!

Jeans

This is the main event for the sample and share so I wanted to get as many colors and types as possible. My husband’s are both darker with nice stitching on the back pocket. It is crucial that there be no fading and especially no destruction of the stitching. Let’s see the before and after to see if the jeans were saved!

Husband’s Jeans Before	Husband’s Jeans After

I’m not sure if I just took a way better after picture but the jeans definitely look

“brighter” and the color looks “richer”. The awesome scent from the detergent did not come through like I hoped but that is really not a big deal (especially to my husband). The jeans came out of the dryer feeling soft and most important….in one piece! The stitching was not damaged and the jeans look GREAT! So far I am a happy camper! My husband was pleased as well!

I am not as picky with my jeans as my husband, but I definitely do not want my jeans to fade or tear when I wash them. More importantly, I always hang my jeans out to try and HATE that stiff “crunchy” feeling jeans get. I am hoping Woolite Extra Dark Care will fix that problem. Let’s go to the before and after pictures and see how my jeans held out from the wash.

My Jeans Before	My Jeans After

I air dried my jeans all day and unfortunately they had some of that stiff feeling I was hoping would not happen. I guess that is just part of air drying clothes. To solve this problem I put the jeans in the dryer for 10 minutes on Air Fluff mode. There is no heat so jeans don't shrink. Once I did this the jeans were soft and ready to wear. Despite the minor setback with the stiffness from air drying, my jeans all looked great! Similar to my husband's jeans, I feel the color was brighter as if a little life was put back in my jeans. Nice job Woolite!

Work Clothes

Having a product to wash jeans safely without fear of destruction is GREAT. However, why not also use that same product for sensitive work clothes that might normally go to the dry cleaner (where I already spend too much money!). I took some of my husband’s work shirts, my work pants and work capris, one of my favorite delicate work shirts, and a work dress. Let’s look at the before and after to see how Woolite Extra Dark Care did.

Works Shirts Before	Work Shirts After

The color of both shirts stayed true and I was pleased with the results of the wash. We have had bad luck with my husband's work shirts being ruined in the dryer so I always air dry work shirts. The shirts were a bit stiff after air drying but that is nothing a few minutes on air fluff mode in the dryer will not cure.

Work Pants Before	Work Pants After

These are my favorite black slacks and black capris that I wear to work so I always air dry to prevent damage in the dryer. Like my jeans, these were a bit stiff but the 10 minutes on Air Fluff mode in the dryer did the trick. It is hard to see in the After picture above, but I think the color of my slacks looked better after the wash. My capris were already a bit faded but the color stayed the same after the wash in Woolite Extra Dark Care.....at least I can prevent any future fading! Another thing I noticed is that no detergent residue was left behind. This has been a big problem with other detergents on both my black slacks and some darker work shirts. I was really pleased to see that Woolite Extra Dark Care did not leave this residue behind.....another point for Woolite!

Delicate Work Shirt Before	Delicate Work Shirt After

Looks perfect! All stitching remained in place, there are no tears, and I did not have to take this shirt to the dry cleaner to get it clean! 

Work Dress Before	Work Dress After

This was another item that I thought looked brighter after a wash and I was really pleased that this one did not feel stiff after air drying. The bonus of air drying is that my dress kept some of the great scent of the detergent.

Workout Clothes

I am a bit of a gym rat and I want to look good while I workout so I thought I would try Woolite Extra Dark Care of my favorite workout gear as well. Let’s check out before and after.

 Woolite Extra Dark Care tackling my favorite gym clothes!

Workout Outfit #1 Before	Workout Outfit #1 After

Workout Outfit #2 Before	Workout Outfit #2 After

The material of my workout clothes is pretty hard to destroy so usually any detergent will work. However, I am glad to see that Woolite Extra Care does a good job with all of my favorite workout gear as well as jeans. 

 

White Clothes

I know that the name of this product is EXTRA DARK CARE but let's say I am lazy and do not feel like having more than one detergent in the house. I am on a roll here so I washed some of my white cotton tanks and t-shirts. Let’s look at the pictures to see if Woolite Extra Dark Care can take on whites!

White Tanks Before	White Tanks After

White T-Shirts Before	White T-Shirts After

Call me crazy but I  think the whites looked brighter after the wash! It sounds funny to say that a detergent for Extra Dark clothes would brighten whites but it did! I'm impressed. Note: I used one sample of the Woolite Extra Dark Care detergent on a Warm setting. I did NOT add any bleach.

Final Thoughts

As frustrating as getting the samples was, I am happy that I was able to sample this new detergent and share with my jeans loving friends a way to stop destroying their denim! I know the intent of this event was to get feedback from friends, but I think I took the challenge and met it in my own unique way. By using the product on a variety of different clothes and other laundry, I feel I have shown the strengths and weaknesses of the product. I feel Woolite Extra Dark Care is a great detergent working best with dark colors (as advertised) but also working well for all laundry needs. The scent is fantastic! Maybe Woolite should consider putting this same scent into a fabric softener if one does not already exist.

OK.....that is enough blogging for today. I am off to Target to use my coupon to get my bottle of Woolite Extra Dark Care!