Balance Athletica

How can an athletic wear brand be part of "becoming myself"?

Meh. Maybe it isn't. But this is where I'm documenting all the changes that are going on, and favoring this activewear brand is one of them.

For a while I was almost exclusively a Gymshark girl. I still love some of their leggings, but they shifted in three ways that made me fall out of love with them as a company.

1) Many of my favorite athletes stopped working with them. No big bad reasons for this, but it made me care about the company a little less.

2) Their prices rose while their quality didn't. Totally their prerogative to do this. The demand for their products is big enough that they can raise prices and still have enough customers to succeed. #AllAboutThatFreeMarket

3) They are an impersonal kind of brand. This doesn't bother me, but when a small business came along with their own activewear, I was happy to ditch Gymshark.

That small business is Balance Athletica, and I am a loyal fan for four reasons.
1) The company was recently founded by two Christian sisters. While Taylor and Chloe don't seem like the MOST mature Christians in some ways, they make a point to attribute their success to following God's plan, and do their best to remind people to love and trust him. On a platform that can be judgmental toward Christians (Instagram), they do a fair job of balancing their faith with not alienating people before they can be a light, if that makes sense.

2) The theme of Balance Athletica is--you guessed it--balance. Their message about HEALTH, not "fitness." Powerlifting, but also enjoying a gentle walk. Eating nutrient-dense food, but also having ice cream sometimes. This is the bullet point that most qualifies Balance Athletica as part of my "becoming" journey.

3) Inclusivity is legitimately important to them. They don't just occasionally post a photo of a "bigger girl" or a person of color just to keep people off their backs. They have sponsored athletes/models that range from size extra small to double XL, and their clothes look amazing on all of them. Balance isn't faking this. They're for real.

4) I really like the clothes. Obviously this is a huge plus XD They've released three collections as I write this (the Harmony Collection is coming September 6 at 2pm EDT, and another is launching sometime later in September). One of their collections is THE BEST ACTIVEWEAR I'VE EVER TRIED AND I WOULD BUY IT IN EVERY COLOR AND HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT. Unfortunately, because the company is still small, everything in this collection (Kingdom 2.0) is sold out. You can sometimes find it on the Poshmark app though.

At the end of this post I'll go into more detail on the collections if you're interested.

"Cons" of Balance Athletica
1) They're not cheap. My favorite leggings from them are $75.

2) Their sizing is inconsistent. However, they do have size charts on their website that are very accurate and helpful. I wear a small in one collection and a medium in the other two. A little nerve-wracking to buy online.

3) Their stuff sells out in a couple of hours. If you're interested in buying, you'll need to follow them on Instagram to find out their launch times and then be sure to order as soon as things launch.

Details on My Favorite Pieces
The Ascend Pant - My absolute favorite leggings of all time. I wear a size Small. These pants are completely squat proof, the most comfortable leggings I've ever worn, and super flattering. These will be in the Harmony Collection launching on September 6.

The Ascend Top - One of my favorite workout bras ever. I wear a size Small. It's very supportive. It's a cross between a crop top and a sports bra, and I've worn it as a shirt on two occasions.

The OG Pant - My second favorite leggings from Balance. I wear a size Medium. Completely squat proof, very comfortable, and very flattering. Thicker and less stretchy than the Ascend Pant.

The Energy Pant - Insanely comfortable, like your own skin once you get them on, but SO COMPRESSIVE. I wear a size Medium and they feel great once they're on, but you have to put them on like actual dance tights, whatever that means to you.

Still like, but don't LOVE...
The OG Top - Same shape as the Ascend Top, but much tighter. I can wear a size Small, but could probably wear a Medium too.

The Energy Top - Very cute, very soft, shockingly unsupportive. I wear a size Small, but maybe I should've sized down...?

The Flow Bra - So cute, intentionally light support. I would LOVE it if you couldn't see the bra pads through the fabric in the color I have (light topaz). Sigh. I wear a size Small.

If you're looking for a high quality activewear brand and want to support a small business run by Christian sisters, check out Balance :)

~Stephanie