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THe woman pictured here is NOT a professional model. But aren't the Smooch Tank and Pink Camo GymGirl fabulous?

When I first started working out, I wore baggy cotton tee-shirts and shorts. They were ugly - not to mention the fact that cotton soaks and holds sweat in and is just nasty and smelly when you exercise.

Eventually I was introduced to the magic of technical fabrics - clothing that breathes and keeps me cool. So I had functional workout clothes, but they still weren't cute. And since I worked so hard to lose weight, and wore workout clothes for at least a couple of hours each day, I really wanted to look decent while wearing appropriate clothing for my activities.

That's when I discovered SkirtSports.com. They sell, obviously, skirts - skirts for running, triathlon, cycling, and just going to the gym. They even have cute skirts you can just pull on over a swimsuit or running tights. I have (don't tell my husband!) four skirts from SkirtSports - plus their MarathonDress. Yes, a DRESS you're meant to wear while running 26.2 miles. I'm planning to wear the pink one for the marathon I have to run at the end of my Ironman triathlon (an Ironman is a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run - all in a row, all in one day - I'm doing one on August 26).

I wore the MarathonGirl skirt while running my second-fastest marathon ever last September - during which my friend and I were interviewed about our choice of clothing. I've got the pink camo GymGirl, and I wear it for weight-lifting and cardio machines at the gym. The BikeGirl has a perfect pad in the shorts for cycling on, um, racing saddles that don't offer much padding on their own. I use the TransitionGirl instead of a race number belt in my triathlons. I really like that it covers my bum while running - especially since triathlon shorts don't leave a lot to the imagination, unfortunately.

The best part is that all of them have a really flattering fit - they come to just below my natural waist line, but the fabric stays in place during exercise. I usually find that shorts need to be tied around my natural waist to stay up, but then they look goofy. All of the SkirtSports skirts just look and feel great - they're soft and light and breathable. Oh, and they call their tank top "the best kept secret in the Skirt Universe." Well, I'm giving the secret away. This tank top is the most flattering top I've ever owned. Seriously.

They even have running skirts for little girls! I'm planning on getting one for The Girl - she's almost four, and I am thinking the XS will fit her. Just yesterday, she wanted to go outside and run with me - but she refused to put on sweatpants or shorts. Instead she ran in a pink dress, tights, and Disney Princess sneakers (of course).

It's definitely more important for workout clothing to be functional over stylish - however, if I can have both, why shouldn't I?