On Seventh Avenue in midtown Manhattan recently, the New Balance store windows were filled with skirted mannequins wearing colors from lime green to red to orange. Spokeswoman Jennifer Hamel says that the Bonita Run Skirt ranks No. 1 out of all New Balance women's apparel in dollar volume for 2007.
At Luke's Locker in Fort Worth, Texas, manager Vance Bates reports that sales of Nike skirts and colorful mesh versions from Zoot are moving fast, while at Nordstrom, racks of Nike and Adidas skirts look fresh next to their more staid shorts compadres.
And the twin marathonrunning sisters who started the California- based company www.runningskirts.com, offering 24 colors of skirts in two styles ( running shorts with briefs and a brand- new athletic skirt with shorts) say that their customers range from teenagers to women in their 70s and that recently sales have been doubling almost every month.
What can these skirts do for you that athletic shorts can't?
-They provide more coverage over the upper thigh, covering what might be a jiggly area with a swingy swath
-Slap on a pair of trendy flat shoes and wear them for your summer traveling. They look more sophisticated than shorts and pack easily without a lot of wrinkling.
They also are made from quick- dry fabrics. Rinse them out in your hotel room at night and wear them the next day.
-They are the hot- weather equivalent of the yoga pant: comfy and versatile. Put them on for your morning power walk and wear them through the entire day's activities of carpool lines, grocery- store runs and casual lunches.
-They're stretchy, generally sit low on the waist and are great for expanding, pregnant waistlines.
-Even if you never wear them to exercise in, they'll make you look cute.
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