Respect Your Universe performance apparel for men review

Respect Your Universe, or RYU, is a performance apparel company which currently produces workout gear for men and will introduce a women’s line in July 2012. RYU is a unique performance gear company in that the company uses recycled materials and believes strongly in sustainability. Love this!

Respect Your Universe was founded by a group of friends who wanted to create the best martial arts shorts money could buy. They spoke with elite athletes and with their input, designed the ultimate shorts for martial arts, and working out in general.

Strength, honor, respect and sustainability were the athlete’s unspoken code and it was this way of life which inspired the brand to be born. The apparel stays put; wicks moisture, moves with the body and it is incredibility comfortable; we discovered this by putting the apparel to the test!

Rob tested out the “Tanto Compression Short,” a tee-shirt and the “Tanto Compression Long-Sleeve” shirt in 80 degree California heat, in direct sunlight. Rob ran sprint drills, bleacher drills, shot a few hoops and ran football drills on the field. RYU’s apparel was incredible and kept the moisture off his body so that he was able to feel cool and comfortable while working out.

The shorts and tee shirts allowed Rob to move easily and stayed put on his body while he ran drills. He loved the apparel and is excited to wear it again when he hits the gym for a spin class, martial arts class and for weight training. He also plans to use the tee-shirt for playing tennis. Final verdict by Rob: he loved it!

Bay Area Fashionista rates Respect Your Universe (RYU) apparel five out of five stars.

For more information about Respect Your Universe (RYU) please visit ryu.com

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Model: Rob, Photo Credit: Cathy/Bay Area Fashionista 2012©

*We received four pieces of apparel from RYU for editorial consideration. We were not required to write about the line, nor did receipt of the items influence our opinion or review of the product. Everything contained in this article is the sole opinion of the writer and tester and should be treated as such. For more information or if you have any questions, please see our disclaimer.

Fall 2012 fashion trends: Black and Gold

Black and yellow gold, worn together, dominated the runways in Paris, Milan, New York and London for the fall/winter 2012/2013 season. The classic combination, which was most memorable on the Dolce & Gabbana runway, offers many options for Fashionistas in the upcoming cool weather.

There are so many different ways to wear black and gold together, which is what makes this trend easy to follow for fall 2012; and possibly easy on the wallet. Many Fashionistas have an abundant amount of black clothing, and since yellow gold jewelry is classic, many fashion-savvy dressers may very well have at least one necklace or pair of earrings in the golden hue. This makes the black and gold trend easy to follow just by shopping one’s closet and pulling together black items and gold jewelry.

Of course, the black and gold trend can also be worn in an edgier way than classic black clothing and gold jewelry. Metallic accessories such as shoes and handbags can be found in yellow gold and paired with black apparel. And, the opposite can be done with gold apparel paired with black shoes and a black handbag.

The fashion-forward way to wear black and gold this fall 2012 season is to emulate what we saw on the runways. Designers created black apparel embellished with gold embroidery, threads and beadwork which added a rich and decadent feeling to the color combination.

There are so many ways to wear black and gold together this fall 2012 season. This is definitely a trend which can be found inside your closet, or can be shopped for guilt-free since black and gold are classic hues.
We found a few fabulous black and gold items around the web and assembled them into the Polyvore below. Hope you love it! Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

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Fall 2012 shoe trends: the cap toe continues

Cap toe pumps and flats made a small appearance for the spring/summer 2012 season, and with the explosion of the menswear trend for fall, this style of shoe is HOT for fall 2012. The cap toe is a classic menswear feature found on shoes, so it is only natural that as menswear takes over for the fall season, we will find cap toe pumps, boots and flats on store shelves everywhere; as well as on the feet of everyone who is fabulous.

Although the cap toe is associated with menswear, fashion-savvy ladies do not need to dress head-to-toe in the menswear trend. This can be a tough trend to pull off, but the cap toe is an easy style to incorporate into one’s wardrobe without looking like they stepped out of a 1930’s gangster flick.

The cap toe pump, bootie or flat can easily be paired with casual attire such as jeans in order to add flair and a slightly dressy feel to the overall ensemble. The top worn with jeans can easily be feminine if you are not thinking of rocking the menswear trend. The only word of caution would be not to wear cap toed loafers with feminine apparel as these heavier, wear-only-with-pants shoes need to be balanced with menswear style apparel. Pumps, slim flats and booties with cap toes can easily cross over and be worn with feminine apparel.

Cap toe shoes for fall 2012 are being shown in neutral hues as well as seasonal colors and even metallics. The large variety of color combinations makes the cap toe shoe easy to incorporate into one’s wardrobe for the fall season. Look for neutrals or colors which you tend to wear often when shopping for a cap toe shoe. Although the cap toe can sometimes be referred to as a “classic” shoe style, the cap toe fades out of style more than it fades into style. If you love this style, try not to over buy it; look for one fabulous pair of pumps and one pair of flats which can easily be worn with multiple ensembles in your closet.

The cap toe pump, bootie or flat is a great way to incorporate the menswear trend into your fall wardrobe. The shoe style is also perfect if you love menswear and are planning to rock this trend all season long. This fall, you will have a choice between a round toe or a pointed toe, as well as funky embellishments on cap toes such as studs, crystals or small spikes. The wide range of colors the cap toe is being shown in will give you plenty of options for incorporating this style into your daily wardrobe. This happens to be the perfect style for the office as it plays well with trousers and pencil skirts! Love that!

We found a few fabulous cap toe shoes for fall and assembled them into the Polyvore set below. Hope you love it! Happy shopping and stay fabulous 

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