Reebok throws a punch at perfection in its Perfect Never campaign
If you saw most recent Reebok Women ad featuring the supermodel Gigi Hadid boxing, that's her throwing punches at the expectations for women to be perfect every single minute of the day. As perfect as Gigi might appear in her modelling shots, she shares her perfectly imperfect story of her days a competitive athlete and how she stays resilient under the avalanche of criticism and bullying she faces day in day out on social media. When Reebok invited me to join the female empowerment movement and see how the company inspires women to be themselves and ignoring the haters through its #PerfectNever campaign, I didn't hesitate to say yes. Starting today and in the next few months expect to see a few blog posts featuring Reebok new outfits that I put to test to see how they make me feel.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=K7cCobtTLlo
As someone who never owned any Reebok outfits before giving preference to Nike and lululemon, I was excited to receive my #PerfectNever 'started pack' from Reebok that included a white scrappy top, black panelled leggings, a grey sleeveless vest and black trainers.
The first thing I noticed when I unpacked my Reebok items is how stylish the outfits are and that they are made of high-quality materials. Before I tried the entire outfit, I got immediately drawn to throw Reebok's Hayasu kicks on which are what must be one of the most comfortable training shoes I've ever worn AND they look perfect not only with workout clothes but also with a dress! Huge fan of mixing and matching workout items with my day wardrobe clothes, I loved how cool these bootie-built trainers looked with a dress while being super comfortable for strolling in San Francisco. The rest of the Reebok outfits did not disappoint either!
Bra envy with Reebok Dance Strappy Bra
Having traditionally been something that was kept under wraps helping women have a perfect shape, bras made a fashion breakthrough showing its true colours (literally) transitioning from under layers to being one of the layers to show off. Reebok's Dance Strappy Bra's ($50) strapping shoulders deserve some showing off and you will love the way it looks and feels.
Providing light support, this bra is not something I would go on a run in but wear to a yoga studio class or have it as a cool pick for a layered day fashion look. Made using speedwick technology, the bra wicks sweat away from the body to help one stay cool and dry and inner spacer material creates next-to-skin comfort and just right-concealment. Even though the bra is not adjustable I was surprised how well it fits (though, again, I would recommend mild movement due to its light support). :)
A dame in shining armour
Any woman knows how important it is to find leggings that fit well as they can join you indoors and outdoors on different occasions - from a romantic date to a casual Sunday morning run. Reebok's shiny Cardio Tight Leggings ($70) are guaranteed to brighten up your day as their body hugging design provides all the right support, feels light and looks like a hundred bucks (at a cost of $70)! :)
Made of 80% Nylon and 20% Elastane, with knit and mesh fabric for breathable support, the leggings wear close to the body and move with you. Their blocked ciré and matte construction with power mesh side panels for ventilation is a great combination of shiny and matte and the material is totally opaque - no see-through surprises! The leggings also feature exposed elastic waistband for comfort and bonded seams for smooth durability. I spent an entire Saturday running around in these leggings and there wasn't a single moment when I would need to readjust them. I saw that some reviews on Reebok website say that these leggings can be tricky to wear if you sweat a lot - while I have personally have not performed a sweat test on these, I thought I would give you heads up on this!
All wrapped up
As I mentioned earlier, Reebok's garments are designed for a real life and are not limited to wearing them to the gym only, and Quick Cotton Vest ($75) is a perfect example. While I don't usually wear sleeveless vests, this 100% cotton and spacer fleece fabric vest is awesome for keeping you warm and comfortable. Featuring an oversized cowl collar and an asymmetrical front zipper closure, it also has a onded zip stash pocket on the front for secure storage. Functional and stylish, this item is the kind of layer you need exiting a fitness studio after an intense workout or simply running around doing errands on a day that hasn't decided whether it's warm or chilly.
These boots are made for... everything!
With its mid-cut shape for extra ankle support and improved stability, these incredibly lightweight Hayasu trainers in silver ($89.99) will become your perfect partner to keep you going (literally). In fact, you will want to walk more as these kicks look great and provide awesome comfort. The shoes are engineered to support the foot through a full range of movement and cushion feet from impacts with its 3D Ultralite midsole foam. The trainers have a seamless neoprene bootie construction for irritation-free and form-fitting comfort and feature molded Ortholite sockliner for high-stepping cushioning.
I put these 'dancing shoes' on for long relaxed Saturday strolls, brisk walks in between my meetings and intense TRX workouts and they did just fine feeling super comfortable and supporting my feet. If you plan to do high impact exercises in these you might want to seek further guidance an advice from Reebok whether these provide enough cushioning or use additional soles to ensure even better protection from impact.
With its fashionable, comfortable yet performance-oriented clothes and shoes Reebok has made a big move into the athleisure space giving women freedom to truly be who they are, no matter what size or how active they are. They do make you look great and feel good helping you to enjoy the moment, motivating you to get on your feet and keep moving. There is not need to be perfect while doing that. #PerfectNever is what I am, what you are and what it's absolutely fine to be: never perfect, always enjoying the present moment and being the best version of yourself.
Finally, I would to leave you with a quote by Salvador Dali:
'Have no fear of perfection - you'll never reach it'.
