Featured Fit: PV Body Follow Up

By Cool J in Minneapolis

Last month I shared with you all about my experience with pv body. Since then, several of you have been asking me how it was going, and I didn't have an answer! I had told you that I liked the pants and top I received back in December, but that seemed so long ago. And January was coming to a close, and I still hadn't received my January goods.

I decided to send a follow-up to the company, politely inquiring about the delay. I received a prompt reply addressed to "Justin"...Justin? Okay, fine, they didn't have time to look at my name. The email response stated that my goods would be coming soon, but the apparel was just SO great and SO popular this month, that everything was backordered and my order was delayed...Hmm..seemed fishy.

It turns out the people at PV Body probably were pretty busy, but not because the goods were so popular. Actually, it's because the company is changing completely.

pv body is no longer.

It has been replaced with "Ellie" (you can check it out here).  It seems like basically the same idea as pv body: a monthly membership to receive a fitness top and bottom every month, but with one significant change. They now will only carry one brand- Ellie.

hmm...

The reason I was attracted to pv body originally was partially because it was a way to get exposed to new fitness apparel brands to find out what I liked.  Now that the company is changing to just one brand offering, I'm probably going to cancel my membership. It's too bad, as I really loved it at first!

And the second month (when I finally received it) wasn't so bad. Yes, after "Justin's" inquiry, I finally received my second month of goods on Thursday (finally). 

 The top was another Beyond Yoga top:
 the Infinity Stripe Cami.

This tank retails at $73

The color was a little boring- I prefer something bright!
But I did like the long style.

And the criss-cross back was cute:

The pants were also okay- capris in a purple shade with a pink stripe. They were "Ellie" brand. I think that this was PV Body's way of subtly introducing members to this brand. 

The pants are okay, though the D-man thought they looked cheesy. I think he was looking at the heart shaped logo...or the purple and pink colors. I'll still wear them, and they fit pretty well.

The capris retail around $60.

Overall, I liked the goods this month, and I paid $50 for over $100 worth of apparel. But I'm just not sure I love the idea of receiving one brand every month- the same brand every month.

I think I'll stick with "Ellie" for one more month just to see how it goes, but most likely my relationship with this monthly fitness apparel program will soon come to an end.  Failed Fit? Not necessarily. I am sad that it's changing, but I have still enjoyed it while I was doing it! I did learn that I like Beyond Yoga apparel, and that American Apparel's fitness wear is pretty cute as well.

My new Beyond Yoga top was perfect for a Sunday morning Body Pump class. Yes, I decided to switch from LA Fitness to the YMCA a few weeks ago. I actually have about a month of crossover, where I can go to either gym. My husband jokes that I'm a "member of every gym and every studio in Minneapolis", and sometimes it feels like it! I am enjoying the newly remodeled YMCA by my work, and taking full advantage of the classes there.

Fresh New Fit: PV Body

By Cool J in Minneapolis

A few weeks ago, I was perusing my usual running/fitness related blogs, and I fell upon on a new post on “Dori’s Shiny Blog.” She was raving about PV Body, and I was intrigued…

What’s PV Body?

http://www.pvbody.com/

PV Body is a monthly workout clothes program. You may be familiar with Trunk Club or Birchbox- it’s a very similar idea. For those who aren't familiar, Birchbox is a program where you receive monthly deliveries of high-end beauty and lifestyle samples from top brands. Trunk Club is a fashion program for menswear where a stylist selects clothing they think the man will like, ship it to him, he tries it out…if the guy doesn’t like it, he returns it.

There are plenty of other similar programs out there as well, but PV Body was attractive to me because it was fitness apparel. It fits right in with fitness, fashion, and fitness fashion at the Right Fits!

So, I just had to try out this PV body..for the blog of course.

So how does PV Body work? 

You pay a monthly fee, and you receive a full exercise outfit (top and bottom) every month. If you don’t like it, or it doesn’t fit, you return it or exchange it, and get a different one.  The clothes are picked out for you based on your style preferences, and you can always retake the style survey if you think your style has changed, or if you’re just in the mood for something different.

Why join?

1. As Dori points out, the monthly fee is less than what you’d pay for these items in a store, and you also get to learn about new brands with which you may not be familiar. 
2. It's also a really nice option for people who do not live close to quality fitness apparel stores. Fortunately, in Minneapolis, we’re a little spoiled in terms of fitness apparel. We have 3 Lululemons, 2 Athletas, a Title 9 store, a Prana store….the list goes on and on! 
3. But I still was interested in PV Body, as I liked the idea of someone else selecting clothes that are “the latest” in fitness apparel- clothes that I may not have had the time to shop around for on my own, even if there are a lot of stores in my neighborhood.

So I decided to give it a shot and join PV Body. My first shipment of goods arrived on Christmas Eve, all shiny and pink. 

And, oddly enough…my first month included the exact same goods that Dori received, albeit in slightly different colors. (Maybe PV Body has a certain schedule they follow for members???)

The goods: 

The top: Electric Yoga Bolt Tank in Teel, retail price $68

The bottoms: Performance Sportswear by American Apparel Fitness Pant in Alloy, retail price $48

Total value: $116. And I only paid $30 for my first month. Seems like a steal, right?

I loved both of the items that I received, so I will be keeping them this month. I’m curious to see what else will arrive. If I decide that it’s not worth my money anymore, then I’ll cancel my membership. It’s just that easy.

More information on PV Body from their website:

Why should you pay $130 or more for yoga pants? That’s just not right! We’ve embarked on a journey to bring you the best quality active wear that we can find at a fair price. We’ll be curating brands large and small, new and old. So enjoy the selection, we’re positive you’ll love it!

We’ve built relationships with the manufacturers of the biggest names in the business – and great new ones you’ve probably never heard of – so we can bring you an amazing value. With new items arriving each month we make it easy for you to always get cute new gear.

Dori of Dori’s Shiny Blog is actually a PV ambassador, and she has a link for 20% off your first month:

Interested in trying out pvBody yourself? Here’s what to do:

•Sign up for pvBody using her link (http://www.pvbody.com/try/dorishinyblog)

•Get 20% off pvBody for doing this

•She gets $10 for you doing this

I’ll be sure to share pictures of the goods that I receive next month, and I’ll give honest feedback on this interesting program!