Tough Girl Skirt by Skirt Sports Review

by Jodi

Ahem...  (clear throat and begin cheesy song now):  

Oh the weather outside is frightful, 

but my Tough Girl Skirt is delightful.  

So when it's cold and snowy outside, 

I wear it to stay warm and toasty on my run.

(take a bow and proceed to act like a grown up now).  

I've been meaning to write a review of my FAVORITE pair of winter pants for months.  All it took was wearing them two days in a row in cold, wet winter weather to remind me that I should and let you all in on a great secret.

A few years ago, my "sister" Sonja introduced me to a company called Skirt Sports.  Side note on Sony:  She is a rock star athlete.  From the first day I met her, she has been awe-inspiring in her talent and dedication to living a life of fitness.  And she's not really my sister.  We're related through marriage, but I like to say she's "the sister I always wanted and the exact one I would choose."  You would all love her.

Two years ago I got a Tough Girl Skirt for my birthday.  The name is deceptive because this is not a skirt.  The Tough Girl is a super cozy, really warm pair of running pants with a built-in skirt.  It's like wearing a tight, warm hug all day. I've had my Tough Girl pants for two years and worn them multiple times per week each fall/winter. (Just ask my husband and kids who are sick to death of seeing them).  They still look and feel brand new.  They haven't lost their stretch or faded in color, plus I feel like such a "Tough Girl" when I wear them.  

These are my Tough Girl Skirt pants.  

Skirt Sports is a really cool company.  It was launched by Nicole DeBoom - another incredible woman athlete - who wanted to look like a girl when she competed in big events.  She won an Ironman triathlon - WON it! - wearing a proto-type of the Original Race Belt skirt and three days later launched Skirt Sports.  Crazy eh?  

Skirt Sports is now a big company producing all kinds of great gear for women athletes.  I've slowly acquired different pieces of their gear over the past few years and have not been disappointed in any of it. It is high-quality gear, designed by women for women.

My favorite feature on my Tough Girl Skirt is the pocket. There is a phone-sized pocket built into the leg of the pants, complete with a hole to thread your ear bud cord through to reach the phone in the pocket.  The skirt covers the pocket so no one knows it's there.  I love having my phone easily in reach and the protection that two layers of wicking material provide if it's rainy or snowy when I'm running.

I also love that the pants are flattering and cute.  They fit like running tights, but have a slight flare at the bottom adding style that makes them cute for kicking around.  The skirt provides extra coverage for modesty and makes the Tough Girl Skirt a piece of gear that I ration out between workouts and general kicking around.

The only negative about the Tough Girl Skirt is that they are really warm.  They would have been perfect when I was living in Chicago, but Portland has such mild winters that the days it's cold enough to actually run in them are few and far between.  I find myself wearing my Tough Girl Skirt more for kicking around, going for walks, and doing yoga.

The Tough Girl Skirt comes in a variety of combinations, including some pretty crazy (and fun) patterns.  I appreciate having the all black Tough Girl Skirt because I can wear them several times in a week without people noticing as much as they would if the skirt had a crazy pattern.

The Tough Girl Skirt is not cheap.  It retails at $90, a competitive and fair price point when compared to other companies like Nike, Athleta, Lucy, and Lululemon that offer similar gear.  And it's worth it.  My pants have been worn and worn and worn and worn and they have maintained their shape.  If had to give the Tough Girl Skirt a rating, I'd give it a six out of five stars.  These pants are that awesome and worth every penny.

But guess what?  Skirt Sport is having a huge clearance right now.  You can get select color swatches and sizes of the Tough Girl Skirt right now from their website for only $36!!!!!!!  That's a savings of 60%!  One word of warning: because it's clearance rack shopping, the sizes/colors available at the discounted price are limited and somewhat picked over.  Skirt Sport is also offering all kinds of other super great gear at huge discounts, including their arm warmers which I have and love.  

I love good gear but I also love to spend as little as possible when I shop.  I know I'm not alone in this, so we rushed this post to spread the good news to you girls.  The secret's out - Skirt Sports makes good gear and has great sales.  Happy shopping!