As a yoga teacher/practitioner and long distance runner, I spend at least five days a week in spandex, lycra, luon and power luxtreme, so people often ask me for advice on where to get quality gear for a decent price.  This weekend, after attending a class at my local lululemon showroom, someone asked me what my “go to” pieces were.  Well, I can’t lie.  I do love me some lululemon.  And if we are talking about my favorites, I can name two in particular that I have multiples of in my closet right now.

I do that often–buy multiples of my favorites.  It could be running pants, a tank, or even my running shoes.  Manufacturers often change the color range with the season/year to freshen it up, and sometimes they will make other adjustments to the item as well.  If I know that this year’s running shoe fits me well, I’m buying at least two pairs of ’em because I’ll put the miles on them and I don’t want to risk next year’s model having a tweaked toe box or modified arch support.  But I digress.

My two favorite lululemon items (though my collection is certainly not limited to these!) are the Power Y tank and the Run: Inspire Crop.  And here’s why: I can pretty much wear both of them for yoga and running.  I love the back of the Power Y tank because it’s minimal and the straps don’t get in the way during some of the crazier yoga postures. Plus, this tank is a little longer, so it won’t ride up during forward folds.  (Wear this outside on a sunny run and the tan lines will be super minimal.)  Added bonus: if you strength train, your back is guaranteed to look hot in one of these.  Hello, muscles!

The Run: Inspire crops are awesome because I can wear them on training runs in the spring, summer and fall (I tend to wear longer tights in the winter), and there is a small zip pocket on the back that can hold a key, cards/money, etc.  I’m partial to black tights, but they have a bunch of different colors available.  Like most of their stuff, it isn’t cheap–$52 for the tank and $86 for the tights–but if you wear it as often as I do, it’s worth the investment.

If you want to add a little sass to your ass while running, this Pace Setter skirt is adorable!  (Are you kidding me with those ruffles?!  LOVE.)  I’m a big fan and plan to get another color to wear when the weather breaks.  (I already own the black, of course.) There are built-in bloomers–so no need for modesty–and I love the elastic on the hems to keep the shorts from riding up.  $58.

I’ve owned gear from a lot of different companies over the years, and have found some pretty good stuff out there.  Prior to my love affair with lulu, Nike dominated my clothing range because the fit and design were always pretty great and you can find their stuff in just about any sports-related store.  Now, I realize that not everyone wants to spend a ton of coin on clothes that are just going to get sweaty.  For you, check out the Active line at Old Navy.  Seriously.  I was in there the other day and the tanks looked mighty cute, but what really caught my eye were these awesome boot cut yoga pants!  Regularly priced at $19.50, they are a total steal, but they are on sale right now for $11.50!  What?!  Yes…  I own several pair as of yesterday.  They have interesting stitching/seams, wash and wear well, and they make my butt look cute–that’s kind of important, no?  Plus, since they have a fun boot cut, they are perfect to wear while running errands after class.

Probably the key thing to do no matter how much you spend on your fitness gear is to care for it properly.  Don’t wash it with your jeans or towels, don’t use fabric softener, make sure zippers are closed, and (if you can) air dry that stuff!  I use a special fabric wash on all our active wear and my pieces look good no matter how old they are.  Of course, check the care label for specific manufacturer instructions, but this has been my routine since the dawn of time, and it’s not failed me yet!

I’d love to hear what some of YOUR favorites are–let me know!