the Title Nine catalog makes me feel so inadequate

There's a title nine store near me, and I love their clothes. But their catalog makes me feel so inadequate !

The pages are full of photos of "real" women wearing t9 clothes - real on what planet, may I ask?

These women are pictured climbing sheer rock cliffs, kayaking thru rapids, surfing, spiking a volleyball ...

And they all have those annoyingly long, lean bodies with slender legs with gazelle-like muscles...

And on top of that, they're uber-achievers, one knows four languages, many own their own businesses ... geeze !

But mostly, I envy their legs :D

I always get sad when I get those catalogs, I love the gear and get inspired by the women in them but even when I was thinner their stuff wouldn't have fit me. I'm 5'10" and built kinda like a linebacker, I'd love to wear "pretty" gear but since guys stuff fits I guess none of the manufacturers of womens stuff wants to bother with us bigger gals. :(

Funny you should bring this up. It has ALWAYS annoyed me.

The T9 catalog is one of those things that I could have pointed to on the other threads about diet/body image/etc. I have soooooooooo wanted to write them (T9) a nice letter saying, "OK, now put some normal women in your catalog, not super women that you are passing off as everyday women". Not only are they long & lean, they are tan too (how come their skin doesn't look like mine???)! I thought we weren't supposed to be tan?? :p

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Originally Posted by jobob

And they all have those annoyingly long, lean bodies with slender legs with gazelle-like muscles...

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I'll deny having any gazelle-like parts, but my long legs I get from my dad....my mother had nothing to do with it (she's 5'3" and I'm 5'9"). :p I'm jealous of the t9 ladies for the fact that they get to do all that fun stuff and I don't! Yah...I agree, though...they do need to be more in touch with reality on the catalog pages.

I just got one of their catalogues in the mail. Not sure how as I have never even heard of them. I looked thru and I liked the clothes but yes I got a bit nauseous reading the blurb on these women. Hey I like hearing about women that seem to excel in all areas and look fab but page after page gets a bit much.

I wonder how you get to be in the catalog. They need some average and sturdy people in there I think. Gosh - they won't even have to pay me. I'd be happy to do a photo shoot in Hawaii.

V.

Maybe we could have "women of TE" blurbs...

This is Queen, while she is quite plump that doesn't stop her from riding her bike whenever she gets a chance. When she's not on her bike she can be found working in the glamorous field of social services spending time with her mentally ill homeless clients. Even though she has mastered the intricacies and challenges of reading books and playing on the internet, she also finds time to commute to and from her exciting and high paying job every day and stop for groceries on the way home.


:D

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Originally Posted by Queen

Maybe we could have "women of TE" blurbs...

This is Queen, while she is quite plump that doesn't stop her from riding her bike whenever she gets a chance. When she's not on her bike she can be found working in the glamorous field of social services spending time with her mentally ill homeless clients. Even though she has mastered the intricacies and challenges of reading books and playing on the internet, she also finds time to commute to and from her exciting and high paying job every day and stop for groceries on the way home.


:D

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You're my hero this week.

/s

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Originally Posted by Queen

Maybe we could have "women of TE" blurbs...

This is Queen, while she is quite plump that doesn't stop her from riding her bike whenever she gets a chance. When she's not on her bike she can be found working in the glamorous field of social services spending time with her mentally ill homeless clients. Even though she has mastered the intricacies and challenges of reading books and playing on the internet, she also finds time to commute to and from her exciting and high paying job every day and stop for groceries on the way home.

:D

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LOL
Now thats the sort of catalogue blurb I want to read.:D

Perhaps Title 9 should do a TE issue. I'd be more than happy to try to spike volleyballs on a warm beach somewhere, too. V, let's call 'em!

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Originally Posted by slinkedog

Perhaps Title 9 should do a TE issue. I'd be more than happy to try to spike volleyballs on a warm beach somewhere, too. V, let's call 'em!

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Hey if they'd make some gear in my size they could follow me to work and take pics of their groovy looking tops in such exotic locales as my office, or sitting in the local shelter, or even at my local grocery store. ;)

I love your silly blurb, Queen. So descriptive of all our lives.

I called them once trying to figure out an item I was considering to complain that they didn't include brand names. They said in a high and mighty tone that many of their clients preferred it that way so they wouldn't get hung up on labels. Yeah, right. Some brands fit me, some don't. Some brands of fleece pill, some don't. It's a load of crap. I want the brand name so I can look up the materials and performance details as I'm buying these clothes to perform not just look good.

Now, if we could get TE to expand into the same clothing areas, I'll be an even more loyal customer.

Wow, I feel the opposite! Compared to the Assos model or the trashy cat model, the title 9 women are huge. Look at the pole vaulter on page 27, she's over 30, not wearing makeup, has scars on her knees, and legs which are muscular, not emaciated. Sure, I'll never look like the women they have modeling swimsuits, but I SO appreciate that they use women that actually DO the sports they're shown doing. Most athletic apparel companies (cycling companies especially), use models who couldn't pedal a bike 2 miles. They may be too far in the other direction, but I'd rather see "super women" role models in their catalog than emaciated anorexic (normal) models.

I just started getting this cataolgue outta the blue too... like most catalogues I sit and wonder the same things... I like the stuff but have to wonder if I could fit my tree trunks into those pant legs! :eek: :D I didn't notice a lot of...ahem... "relaxed" leg pants in there!

Hey Queen... your blurb is awesome! I think you should mail it in with a pic!!! Who knows... maybe the next catalogue will have YOU in it :)

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Originally Posted by runnergirl

Wow, I feel the opposite! Compared to the Assos model or the trashy cat model, the title 9 women are huge. Look at the pole vaulter on page 27, she's over 30, not wearing makeup, has scars on her knees, and legs which are muscular, not emaciated. Sure, I'll never look like the women they have modeling swimsuits, but I SO appreciate that they use women that actually DO the sports they're shown doing. Most athletic apparel companies (cycling companies especially), use models who couldn't pedal a bike 2 miles. They may be too far in the other direction, but I'd rather see "super women" role models in their catalog than emaciated anorexic (normal) models.

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I kind of feel like Runnergirl. Isn't it inspiring to see over-achieving women in strong positions once in a while?

I do like that they are real women. And I agree they do seem to be real athletes. But, they do seem like super women as Jo pointed out. I don't have kids and between my job, training for my doubles and sleeping, I don't have a lot of time for learning another language or creating handbags. I barely have time to keep my house in reasonable order.

As far as their clothes... I'm one of those frumpy chicks who has to wear "mom jeans" 'cause my waist is too small for my thighs. I've tried a few of their pants and skirts and had to send them back. I do have a skort from them I love and some loose fitting tights.

V.

I haven't seen their catalogue but I have to agree with the general posts here:

I too am happy to see women in their field and read about their achievements but I would love just once in while to see the avg joe woman (avg jane?)....ya know, the one with no college degree, working hard to make ends meet maybe single or not, maybe working a dead-end job even but she's still working every day, maybe single parent, has a body that Rubens would've used in his paintings instead of Victoria Secrets - coz let me tell ya, if she looks good on those Clothes - I would .....welll ok...maybe not look Good.....but I would know they would work for me!
(course I'm also the one that wants to see a car commercial where - just once - it isn't a professional driver on a closed course!)


and Queen - I was in stitches reading your "bio", but I gotta tell ya hun - with the field you work in, you're one of those amazing women in my eyes!

I dislike them for other reasons. Yea, the super achievers are a little unrealistic, but I once wrote them an email saying I would love to buy some of their clothes (after buying a couple of things), but nothing fit, because they don't carry extra smalls or petites. I know there are other women who are shorter than five foot two. I can't even wear their basic running pants or pants for the gym. They wrote me back a snotty email saying essentially that no one had ever complained before. So, I never bought anything from them again. I went to their store when I was in Boulder a couple of years ago. It was nothing special. Athleta now has almost all of their pants in petites and they carry extra smalls in their shirts. I spend my money there or at Terry.
Speaking of super achievers, has anyone seen the magazine called something like Her Sports? I bought it at EMS and it was full of great articles, but also full of women who were as old as me or older, taught 5 Pilates classes a week, surfed, ran marathons, tris, etc. I don't think I couold live up to that...

For all you Nor cal girlz... Athleta is located in Petaluma and they have warehouse sales every once in awhile. You can get some GREAT deals. Might be worth checking into. I'd say it would also be worth a trip up for you bay area girls. You could always bring your bike and ride Healsdburg wine country after you shop...:)
NOW- as for T9. A couple of things.. First their stuff is super expensive. I'm sorry I'd rather put my coin into HARDWARE such as a bike or a new tri toy. The only thing I'm willing to put down some serious coin on is comfy "in the saddle all day" shorts. Also, I'm a 14-16 depending on what it is and they really don't carry that much in the way of larger sizes. I'm 5'1" but I'm built like a stump. I have huge log legs and a pouchy tummy. I'm cursed! But the xl's are hard to come by in that catalogue. And while the large may fit, I'm not into taking chances!
And yeah, I'll NEVER look like one of their models. But thats ok. I've learned to embrace my inner stumpiness! :D

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Originally Posted by Veronica

As far as their clothes... I'm one of those frumpy chicks who has to wear "mom jeans" 'cause my waist is too small for my thighs.

V.

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LOL!! I have the SAME issue!! And boy is it hard to find jeans!!! :D

I do like to look at the T9 stuff, but I have never ordered anything from them. I prefer to go to REI and try stuff on.

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Originally Posted by runnergirl

They may be too far in the other direction, but I'd rather see "super women" role models in their catalog than emaciated anorexic (normal) models.

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Hee hee, I agree. I'm just jealous. :D

If I were as creative as Queen I would have come up with my own blurb.

Maybe next time snap and I go out for martinis we'll put our remaining brain cells together...

Agree--I would rather see real women with muscular bodies than super skinny models with little or no muscle tone. I also agree that the ladies seem to have it all or at least, more interesting lives than I! But then again, that's not too hard. haha.
Their prices are way too high, just like Athleta's. I occasionally treat myself. Also, I find their sizes run big and their smalls are more like mediums.
I'd love to be in the catalogue, too, and would be a model for free. I applied to be in Spinervals a couple times when they ran an open casting call but I never got picked. I'm not losing any sleep over it, but I have to admit that I could have kept up better than some of the folks Coach Troy, et. al., picked. In a way, I'm kind of glad they didn't pick me because I've noticed that occasionally, there are camera shots that subtly go down the female participants' shirts! :p

:D Now that made me laugh out loud Queen.

Mickchick - we have one of the Spinervals DVDs (it's one of the new Aerobic training ones) -- and there is a (poor) girl in a Team In Training jersey and I swear the cameraman must have had the camera pointed on her butt for 5 minutes! I am sure she really enjoyed having that segment shot and put into the final cut -- it was quite blatant. Even my HB was taken back!

T9 -- I've bought a few things and they're not bad...the stuff isn't as "small" as it looks I think in the catalog. Their dresses (they're sport dresses, short sleeve, no sleeve...) I have to say are great for a day walking around town when you're on vacation and such...And I agree, much better than the Assos models. Although the new Athleta stuff is *really* cute ;-)

We always joke that you look at people that are profiled like in the T9 catalog..."Cari is a heart surgeon, and in her spare time she saves baby turtles from extinction. Cari is a perfect size 6, works out 43 hours a week between life-saving surgeries she performs. She is trained in taekwondo and a black belt in karate...she had to learn karate when she was a special forces agent while she was in med school. She sings, dances and acts, but has had to limit her theatre performances to once a month due to other commitments."

I know, I know, you love to hate them....:mad: but, I've got to say I aspire and keep on trying...:o

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Originally Posted by VenusdeVelo

:DWe always joke that you look at people that are profiled like in the T9 catalog..."Cari is a heart surgeon, and in her spare time she saves baby turtles from extinction. Cari is a perfect size 6, works out 43 hours a week between life-saving surgeries she performs. She is trained in taekwondo and a black belt in karate...she had to learn karate when she was a special forces agent while she was in med school. She sings, dances and acts, but has had to limit her theatre performances to once a month due to other commitments."

I know, I know, you love to hate them....:mad: but, I've got to say I aspire and keep on trying...:o

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LOL - that is so funny

A few years ago, when of the women in the catalog was the owner of Rim Tours in Moab.

V.

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Originally Posted by VenusdeVelo

:D Now that made me laugh out loud Queen.

Mickchick - we have one of the Spinervals DVDs (it's one of the new Aerobic training ones) -- and there is a (poor) girl in a Team In Training jersey and I swear the cameraman must have had the camera pointed on her butt for 5 minutes! I am sure she really enjoyed having that segment shot and put into the final cut -- it was quite blatant. Even my HB was taken back!

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That's the butt shot I was thinking about. Every time I'm doing that workout and come to that part, I cannot look at the TV screen. The cameraman also did some "down the shirt" shots of that poor soul (I think she's an accountant by trade, too!). I love the workouts and will continue to buy them but can do w/out the subtle, occasional but nonetheless 'adolescent teenage boy' camera work.

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Originally Posted by Veronica

A few years ago, when of the women in the catalog was the owner of Rim Tours in Moab.

V.

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Rim Tours or Western Spirit? I know the owners of both, and I just can't see Matty Hebbard (of Rim) modelling a skort...though it may not take much to convince him to put one on :D .

Ashleigh whose-last-name-escapes-me and her husband Mark Sevenof have Western Spirit.

Kristin Peterson - I think....

Of course... I could be wrong. It's happened before.

V.

There's plenty I don't know about Rim, I've just always known Matty as *the owner*. He's a total crack-up :) !

This might sound cheesy, but T9 inspired me to become a triathlete. I was an assumed nerd who balanced studying with studying, and whenever I wasn't studying, I was feeling guilty. One day while visiting my BF's mom, I came a cross the catalog and read the little captions about these athletic-looking women. One of them was a graduate student and a long-distance, cold-weather runner. I thought "if she can do it, so can I." So, three Christmases ago a told my BF that before I turned 25 I was going to do a triathlon (the image of triathletes at the world championship has been imprinted on my brain since childhood). I'm still 24 and I have done plenty of tris, and I still graduated from university with the highest GPA in my class. So, even though there is no way in hell I can afford their clothes, I have a soft spot in my heart for T9. As for some of the "over achievers," ladies, it is a purely subjective manner. Think that from the perspective of the sedentary majority, the fact that we get out of bed and put our asses on a saddle is already a feat of strenght. We balance life with fitness and do our best at it - now that is an accomplishment.

That's a really cool story ! Congratulations.

Of course, one's definition of over-achiever is completely subjective.

Speaking for myself of course, but I think we're all proud of what we do, and while we're striving to be better versions of ourselves, we're more inspired than daunted by the interesting women in that catalog.

I still envy their legs, though !!! :D

They do have great legs, they ALL have great legs, I agree!! I'd like a set!

hi, everyone. Ol' latelate has been (sadly) too bizzy to participate in the forum, but I read when I can and send you all air kisses, bear hugs, and Snoopy happy dances as required - they just float out into the ether to you.

As an author who has had to write her bios, flap copy, etc, I just gotta say that any of you could sound just as amazing as the Title 9 women you've been talking about. Okay, YOU know your sink is piled with dirty dishes, you haven't talked to your mother in 2 months, and sometimes you eat chocolate chips in the dark, but that doesn't go in the copy. I know people read mine and think I have a dream life. Hah!

Challenge : write your own blurb, and see how amazing you are!

Queen, you're the best. A plump! woman with one of the coolest avatars going...

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Originally Posted by abuelitodimetu

Think that from the perspective of the sedentary majority, the fact that we get out of bed and put our asses on a saddle is already a feat of strenght. We balance life with fitness and do our best at it - now that is an accomplishment.

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I raise my glass..... Well said, ab. Congrats on your accomplishments!
~BikeMomma

slinkedog "Perhaps Title 9 should do a TE issue. I'd be more than happy to try to spike volleyballs on a warm beach somewhere, too. V, let's call 'em!"

ya know TE could use some models. Admin?

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Originally Posted by BikeMomma

I raise my glass..... Well said, ab. Congrats on your accomplishments!
~BikeMomma

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Thanks, Momma!

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Originally Posted by jobob

That's a really cool story ! Congratulations.

Of course, one's definition of over-achiever is completely subjective.

Speaking for myself of course, but I think we're all proud of what we do, and while we're striving to be better versions of ourselves, we're more inspired than daunted by the interesting women in that catalog.

I still envy their legs, though !!! :D

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Thanks. I also covet their physiques. I wander if they photoshop (:eek: )