I have the amazing opportunity to work for a company who believes that the consumer rules and whose goal is to please the consumer each day through our products and innovation. I’ve traveled the United States, listening to consumer insight and focus groups, and enjoyed every moment.

But, tonight, was the first time when the tables were turned. I had the pleasure to join Lululemon SoHo tonight for a quick Marathon fashion shopping trip, short test run, and then focus group session. It was awesome!

I showed up to the store a few minutes early, eager to look through their new Fall arrivals. My mom asked me what I want for my upcoming birthday so I figured this would be a good chance to make a list.

Within minutes, another familiar face entered the showroom: my long lost friend Theodora. Due to my crazy travel schedule we haven’t seen each other in weeks. We caught up with Caitlin who just rocked the Chicago Marathon this past weekend while perusing the racks. Caitlin works at the Lululemon Soho location and was very helpful, along with the rest of the staff.

Our job was to search their run section for articles of clothing we’d likely wear for the marathon. We each spent some time in the dressing room evaluating options before choosing our final favorite pieces.

  I fell in love with three pieces in particular, the Run Swiftly Tech Tee in Black Swan, the Pace Setter Skirt in black, and Run Inspire Crop with Ruffles. Unbeknownst to us, Lululemon wanted us to run in our favorite two items because they were giving them to us free of cost!

I chose to run in the skirt since I’ve never run in a skirt before and due to this evening’s temperature!

The verdict? I LOVED THE SKIRT! The ruffles along the back are a fun, frilly touch that left me feeling extra girly even though I was sweating. There was no chafing due to the shorts underneath which fit very much like the Reverse Groove short. I am going to give this skirt a test run on Saturday during my 20 miler with Meghann. If everything goes well, this will be my warm weather outfit if the temperature on marathon day is 50 or above. The skirt is especially convenient since I can wear my Zensah compression sleeves with it.

After our short out and back run, we came back to the store for the focus session. Over some delicious fruit and crackers, we chatted about our Lululemon frustrations, loves, and requests. Nothing was off limits, which I loved. I vented about their lack of size range for those people who can’t fit in a 2-12 while others requested better branding for men, improved fit in the men’s shorts, and tank tops that down drop down to your waist when drenched with sweat. But, they also listened as we pleaded for them to keep popular items more than one season, even if only online.

Overall, it was a great evening and I can’t wait to test the outfit out this weekend!

Question: Have you ever worn Lululemon? If so, what do you love or hate about the clothing or brand? If not, why haven’t you tried it?