A gift card that’s about to expire… An upcoming half marathon… What to do? I’m going to go and get a new running outfit! Now I know running a race isn’t a competition about who looks the cutest but I’m coming back from a tweaked IT band/knee pain problem so I’m not going to be the fastest runner out there but I can at least try to be the cutest. When I first started running, skirts were some what of a novelty item but now that running has become more mainstream, it seems that everyone and their grandma likes running skirts. And so many companies are in on the action – I found skirts made by Nike, New Balance, Under Armor and even The North Face to name a few. Then I came across an unfamiliar name, Lolë.

Lolë is a Canadian clothing company based in Montreal, QC. They’ve been around since 2002 and make active wear for yoga, running, tennis, etc. I hadn’t heard of them before this shopping trip but I was willing to give them a shot. So into the change room I go with as many running skirts as I could take with me. I thought I was going to walk with a Nike skirt but it turns out Lolë’s ‘Sprint Skort‘ was the most flattering. A lot of the skirts I tried on were tight fitting around the thighs but loose in the waist. I guess a lot of designers assume that someone with a small waist automatically has small thighs. Other skirts either had no pockets, pockets that were too small, or had no zipper. The worst skirts of all had ruffles on the bum. I don’t particularly like them because I feel they draw attention to the bum in an unflattering way.

I also liked that their logo was kept to the side of the skirt. The pocket was also a good size – big enough to hold my iPhone, keys and a gel. In fact, you could probably put a few more gels into the pocket and still have it zip closed. But if you are going to put all of those things into the pocket instead of a waist pouch, the skirt does become weighted.

Other things I liked about the skirt were the drawstring waist, the UV protection (the tag read UPF 50+) and that it was made from recycled polyester. According to the Lolë, the pattern on the skirt is supposed to have reflective properties. The things I didn’t like was that the inner shorts didn’t have sticky elastic straps on the bottom like the Lululemon skirts do. I was a little worried they would ride up or rub during a run. And the price. At $75, this was by far the most money I have spent on a running skirt. Yikes!

Okay, so it looks good and is functional but the question most runners want to know is, how does it perform on a run (and was it worth the money?). Well I took it out for a 6 miler on Sunday morning and have to say that it was pretty comfortable. I kept my phone in my pocket and barely noticed it. It was nice and snug and there wasn’t any bounce. The inner shorts didn’t ride up or bunch up and there wasn’t any chaffing from any part of the skirt. The waistband stayed put and didn’t slide up or down. It was a little bit pricey but I have to say it’s a definite keeper! So if you’re looking for an alternative to the usual running skirts out there, give the Lolë brand a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.