If there's no crying in baseball there sure as hell aren't any tears in running. Sweating? Throwing up? The liquid that builds up in your twisted ankle? Those are kind of bodily fluids I associate with a day of training. But teardrops? My workouts don't take place in a Taylor Swift music video montage.
So when the idea of Montiel's teardrop bra and highly fashionable fitness gear was passed my way though word-of-mouth from our fellow fitness gurus over at Dirty Yoga Co, I was weary. Obviously, books (or bras) shouldn't be judged by their covers, but part of me made the assumption that the product - which prides itself on "simplistic elegance" - was going to be flimsy, easily worn down, and not supportive to the rough and tumble world of my daily athletic training life. But over the past month of working out in Montiel gear, all I can say is, Montiel, be the teardrops on my guitar, my running bras, and most importantly, all my yoga pants. No seriously - don't underestimate Montiel's yoga pants. Not only are they soft and sweat wicking, they're probably the most durable pair of yoga pants you can own, and they go for twenty dollars less than their competitors.
For those of you who – like myself – missed that whole growing hype around the early rise and popularity of the Montiel attire, the popularity of the fitness brand came to dramatic rise thanks in part to Victoria Secret icons Alessandra Ambrosia, Izabel Goulart and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, many of whom unsolicitedly touted the brand during their workouts and outings on Instagram.
The first things you’ll notice about the workout apparel is how great the material – a combination of Supplex and Lycra- feels on your body. It’s soft. It’s breathable. It’s comfortable. Your body won’t feel limited in its movements when you work out and you won’t feel like you’re wearing a sweaty wet diaper after you run. It’s almost as if the workout clothes were designed for a woman’s body, by a woman.But don’t be intimidated away from Montiel’s selection based on the beauty of these buxom women: that would be doing your own self a huge disservice to the comfort and movement of your body during your workouts…and Montiel’s workout clothes are amazing to wear!
Enter Maggie Montiel, the young Millennial who started the company in 2013, with the goal of creating a better workout staple for women: higher quality material, more thoughtful design and at a healthier price than the competition.
“I’ve been an athlete my whole life so I’m always in fitness clothes, but I like to dress up, look cute all day and be comfortable. I want to be able to go to pilates, go to lunch, put on boots and go out for a drink. I want to wear it all day.” she says in a 2015 interview with Nextshark.
But the best aspect of Montiel’s signature tear drop design is not just that it looks or sounds pretty. The straps are designed to build extreme comfort into your workout by relieving pressure off your shoulders that can occur with traditional tank top style sports bras. So you can move freely while you workout without the extra soreness most sports bras bring. These are the workout clothes, which have finally been made comfortable, for women to work out in. Revolutionary.Which brings me to the second thing you’ll notice about Montiel’s fitness clothing: the design. Montiel draws inspirations from high-end fashion and even the backs of ballgowns, simplistically integrating these looks into something fashionable women can wear from sunrise to sunset.
Lesson learned? Don’t be afraid of teardrops….on your guitar, or on your sports bra.
