The clothes - Part 3

I've only mentioned Zumba pants off and on so far but now I want to talk about them in a little more depth. For you readers who don't already own at least one pair, I'm sure you're probably asking yourself what's so great about them? Oh, you mean aside from everything? Let me clarify that when I say Zumba pants, I am referring specifically to the cargoes. Zumba does make other types of pants and if you're interested, look here for a complete list of every type of pant currently available.

About the cargoes - I've never seen anyone look bad in these! Seriously, they look superb on anyone and everyone regardless of height, weight, size, and shape. What other pants can claim that? They are made of a material that is even more lightweight than what yoga pants are typically made off. This means they move better and keep you cooler and in Zumba cooler is always better. If you've never seen Zumba pants up close, or had the opportunity to experience the texture, the closest fabric comparison I can think of to make for you would be to the material a windbreaker jacket is made out of.

On the fashionable side, Zumba cargoes always have ribbons or tassels on the pockets. Each pair of full length cargo pants usually has four pockets with ribbons, two on the back and two on the sides of the legs. They also have regular pockets up by the waistband you can use a little more easily; as in you don't have to unwind a ribbon or slip a tassel out to get into it. The long pants all have elastics at the ankles that let you pull them up to capri length as needed (once again, cooler is better). The cargo capri style is just as great. They have all the same features as the full length pant, and they're great for summer. If I know me, and I do, I'm probably going to own some pairs eventually.

Front

The ribbons and tassels on these pants are the real selling point. If you haven't seen them in action, you might not see the big deal. To the left and right are my Feelin' It cargo pants. That's really what they're called and if you don't believe me, check the link above, these are actually still for sale. The ribbons say "Feel the music" on them.

Back

They are my most recent pair and I got them for Valentine's Day this year. I'm not really a jewelry and flowers kind of girl as you may have guessed. After 12 years of marriage Bry knows me very very well. And after supporting me through three years of Zumba, he knows what I really want. Babe, if you're reading this, I'm already thinking ahead to Christmas.

The first pair I ever bought were the same as the pair I first noticed Rae wearing.

Front

Black with long silver ribbons and to this day these are my favorites. I owned this pair before my first Zumbaversary. When I ordered them, Bry suggested it would be cheaper to buy some silver ribbon and staple it to pants I already owned.

Back

Funny man my husband! Oh wait, he was serious. Like I said, if you haven't seen these in action... He has since seen them in action (and he does have a great sense of humor).

Another wonderful thing about these pants is the nylon/spandex waistband. Very very forgiving! I've spent the past three months steadily losing the baby weight that I gained with my younger son. It was a lot too. Even with the 12 lb loss in the first trimester I gained about 45 lbs total. I'm one of those unlucky women who cannot lose weight while nursing. I discovered this while nursing my older son. Any attempt to do so resulted in my milk supply being compromised. So having learned from experience, I didn't even try to lose the baby weight until my younger son was weaned. Oh, I still went to class every week, that wasn't up for debate. To maintain a good milk supply I just ate whatever I wanted without thinking about it. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal huh? Oh it was! I was able to nurse -and- account for the high calorie burn Zumba is so famous for. One day, I'll post about the challenges of making it out to class while juggling the needs of a newborn, but for now back to the baby weight. My younger son turned 1 about three months ago and he was clearly ready to wean. So bye bye "eat whatever diet". Time to start keeping track again.

Front - The patch says: Go Red por tu corazon

Back

One of my goals was to fit back into my red pair. These were the second pair of Zumba pants I bought. My three black pairs are larges but my red pair is a medium. The thing I've found about cargo pants, and Zumbawear in general, is that they tend run a little small. If you are a medium in regular clothes, buy a large in Zumbawear. So, why is one of these things not like the others? My red pair is a specialty pair that represents Zumba's Party Hearty. Like my Rhythm Rocker shirt, the proceeds from the sale of Party Hearty stuff went to a cause; and that was heart disease. I love these red pants but they are the hardest to match a shirt to. They are the only reason I still have grey and black tank tops hanging in my closet.

Front

In the last three months, I've lost nearly 25lbs and all of a sudden all my Zumba pants felt a wee bit loose. Normally with pants, I wouldn't bother taking them to a tailor but I did with these for a couple reasons. The first one being that Zumba pants fit differently pre-class than they do post-class. Zumba pants seem to get looser and ride down more the sweatier you get.
**Side note: Dear Zumba, please include a drawstring in the waistband of future styles. Sincerely, the Zumba Mommy**

Back

It's actually not that big a deal if they aren't too terribly loose. A much bigger deal if they are quite a bit loose. The last thing I wanted was for them to fall down in the middle of a song. It's Zumba, not flash dance! The other reason I took my Zumba pants to a tailor was that three out of four pairs are no longer available for purchase. Basically, irreplaceable. Call me sentimental, but I am not going to get rid of them and the memories they hold. The black pair to the left and right happens to be the pair I wore during my pregnancy with my younger son; at least until the third trimester. Hey, the waistband might be forgiving, but there is a limit! I would rather pay to have the ones I own fixed than buy all new because I love them; plus it's cheaper anyway. When I dropped off the pants at the tailor's, he asked me what kind of pants they were. I got the distinct impression that he'd never seen any before.

Tailor (adjusting the waistband): What was it you said these were for again?
Me: Dance class. I do Zumba.
Tailor: Oh. Okay...

I came back to get them one week later and in that time he must have learned something about Zumba from someone or some place because when he saw me walk in...

Tailor: Aah! You are here to pick up your Zumba pants!
Me: Yes.
Tailor (bringing them out of the back): You must be the instructor!

Heh. I suppose I can see why he'd think so given that he'd just finished altering four pairs of Zumba pants. I mean, who else but the instructor would own that many?

Me: No sir I am not. I am just -that- student who can't help but own four pairs of pants.

Best advice: Zumba pants are like Zumba shoes - don't buy them until you're really sure you love Zumba well enough to do it long term or you're just wasting your money on pants you can't wear out anywhere. If you do make the investment, take good care of them. I learned the hard way that the cargoes with the metal rings need to line dry because banging around in the dryer can break the rings. Although Jae says she washes hers inside out to protect the rings even through the wash, clever girl. And here's one quick tip: If you want your ribbons to be perfectly flat and straight, pull them out of the metal rings before washing and drying them.