Title Nine — Local services in Seattle

I have been thinking about my visit for the last 24 hours and I just don't know what to do with it. I went in to Title Nine with a specific goal of getting clothing that's usable for travel as well as a fairly long through hike that I have planned soon. I was disappointed with a number of things: very few sports bras to try on, low inventory for shorts/ travel clothes and the part that bothered me the most...being referred to as "one of our full figured girls" within moments of being in the store (for reference I am a size 12).

The comment is the part that has been bouncing around in my brain and I am still trying to figure out how I feel about it. I can't tell if it is the phrase (this phrase is basically a polite way of being called fat), the way it was said, the labeling of my body in a way that has inferred judgement (are size 6 women half figured? Can we just talk sizes? Did you need to say that multiple times in front of my 14 year old daughter?).

There's something incredibly frustrating about going to a store specializing in women's sports clothing, looking for clothes that I can walk 175 miles in and running into the same old feeling of being somehow different than just a strong woman looking for well fitting clothing that will support the activities I am doing.

I am disappointed that I would leave a store that espouses to focus on women's equality in sports feeling so judged...

The store I had been to before was in Eugene, But since I was living in Seattle they were kind enough to tell me there were stores in Seattle area too. Honestly, I cannot rave enough about Title Nine. They outfitted me me with some good clothing for New Zealand glaciers and Antarctica this year. I'm picky about my clothes cuz I only want to own one, not multiples of the same thing. That being said, the clothing that I bought has been extremely high quality that I expect to be using for many many years. They are a little pricier, but I'm willing to pay the price for that. And on top of that, their customer service is outstanding. From dealing with the Eugene store over the phone, them calling me back and remembering me, shipping something out to me, and then here in Seattle today. It's exceptional across the board in both these stores. I will be...

The reviews are sort of, ah, ancient.

Anyway, last week, I came in looking for biking clothes, and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere.

It was a great contrast to the demeanor of my host in Seattle.

Not only was the saleswoman not pushy, but the she suggested several more materials and stores that had them without batting an eye.

She even gave me directions to the Ibex and REI when I mentioned that I had already visited Gregg's.

Stores for women's clothing generally have a sort of tense vibe, since dealing with entitled rich women is not for the faint of heart.

They seemed relatively chill here, though.

Incidentally, I am a little biased, since, when I left some motorcycle gloves there, I was contacted post-haste to have them mailed to 1000...