No cost returns / exchanges

We also have an exclusive "fit right" program that allows you to try on multiple sizes in the comfort of your own home.    We have this outlined on our customer service page. 
This is designed to make the online buying process easier.  If you are not sure which size you need, simply
1.  place your order for 1 of the sizes that you want to try
2.  email us with a request to see the other size as well
3.  we will send you both sizes, and include the postage-paid return mailer for your convenience
4.  once you have decided on a size, simply drop the other one back in the mail to us.
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We will only charge you for the second skirt if it does not come back.  (which has never happened)
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It's that simple. 
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That's also true for exchanges...  simply send us an email to request the exchange and we'll send you the new item along with the post-paid return mailer for the original item. 

"I'm not sure what size I need"

Just a reminder that atalanta prides itself on being "the type of company we would want to do business with".  That said, operators are standing by to answer any questions you may have regarding our products.  You can reach us via email at divas at atalanta-athleticwear.com  or by phone at 650.520.7523

Made with Pride in the USA

One thing that we hear alot is that skirts (including ours) are expensive.
I wanted to take this opportunity to address this.
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For starters, the cost to produce any piece of apparel is largely driven by 2 things -- materials cost and production cost (and more and more -- fuel/transportation costs). 
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Materials costs are driven up by the amount of fabric used in any garment.  A skirt has twice as much fabric as most shorts. 
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Further, most of the specialty skirt companies are small, women-owned businesses.  Therefore, our production costs are based on very small production runs.  This also applies to our materials costs -- because we are buying fabrics at much higher prices than companies like Nike that can buy tens of thousands of yards at a time. 
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Finally, our skirts are all made here in the US, of US fabrics whenever possible.  That said, we are paying real Americans real American wages.  Most of our production is done by residents of Oregon and Washington, and these folks are subject to the costs of living in places like Portland, Vancouver, Seattle. The result are environmentally friendly products of the highest quality available.  (Many of our customers have even commented that their skirts still look brand-new after more than a year of use!)
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So, you might find skirts cheaper elsewhere, but will those made abroad and sold at big box retailers really be of the same quality and low carbon footprint? 
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We take pride in knowing all of our top-quality products are Made in the USA and hope that you too will find pride in supporting our domestic textiles workers and the US economy. 
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new focus tops (short sleeve) coming soon!

Here's a sneak peak at the new short sleeve tops that will be available by the end of the month .
Will be available in:
white with iris trim
white with turquoise trim
red with white trim
navy with white trim
and bluebell with white trim.
Also -- the super secret special color available only to those who read the blog... orange with navy trim.

anyone that has ever loved a lab

Should absolutely read Marley & Me, seriously. This is sooo classic lab.
And I like what it says about life and dogs being reminders of just what life is really about.  How the simple joys in life, and unbridled enthusiasm are so much more fun than carefully metered and monitored actions towards the attainment of material things. 
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It is such a fun book.  It'll make you laugh and cry.  Sometimes within the same sentence. 

when in (blank).... hit the trails

No matter how you choose to fill in the blank, hitting the trails is always a great option.
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I find "hitting the trails" hits the spot, more and more often these days.  Whether it be pain, heat, a new and unknown city, or poor air quality. 
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Amidst early season fires and some of the worst air quality Northern California has seen in a decade, the Tattersols' call to run this morning was "come join us in the shelter of redwood air filtration system".  And so it is.  Within the protected environs or a redwood forest, the air quality is much better and dare I say FRESH!
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Be it pain?  The soft dirt of a trail run is far kinder on the hips and knees than either pavement or concrete sidewalks.  Plus, over time, the constant balancing act navigating through uneven trails, avoiding rocks and tree roots can actually help improve balance and strengthen the muscles around the ankle  decreasing the likelihood of future injuries  (ok, so  there's still the risk of traumatic injury through twisting, but...) 
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Seattle seemed to be experiencing a heatwave so Sunday morning after the expo, I went in search of a respite from the heat, and with the help of trails.com settled on St. Edwards State Park.   
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Setting off, I was a little concerned because the trail route described sounded a bit complex and I didn't have access to a printer so was left to my own sagging memory.  But the trails were blessedly well marked and the map super easy to follow.  (Nicely done Washington State Parks commission).   And it soon occurred to me that this was much easier to follow (and harder to get lost) than any run through the city would have been.  Trailrunning here was like running in a self-contained wonderland.  What goes up, must come down, and all.   Foolproof, even for me.   
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And it had to be at least 15 degrees cooler.  Who can complain at that? 
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Of course there are a litany of other benefits to trail running.  Solitude.  Solidarity with nature.   The need for complete and utter focus.  Biodiversity.  Fun furry animals.  Big scary animals.  In the end, it all comes down to one conclusion.
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when in _________...  hit the trails.

SeaFair of fair Seattle

A big shout out to all of our lovely Seattle gals that stopped by the booth - it was sooo much fun to see and meet some of you who have been wearing our skirts for some time now.    (Thanks for your support!) It was also great fun to meet so many new friends and skirt-lovers. 
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Congratulations to Tracy Brown  who was selected to receive the skirt(or top) of her choice through our drawing.   
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One thing I always find funny about expos, is that there seems to be a "question of the day".  You'd think statistically speaking, I'd get the same range of questions over the course of several expos in some sort of consistent pattern.  Well, there is a pattern, and I suppose it is consistent, but it seems to instead be one question asked 100 times at one expo, and then never again.  With a new "question" at each expo. 
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For Big Sur - the question was "Will it shrink?"  I found this incredibly ironic as it was at the Big Sur expo that I was approached by a customer who said she TRIED hard to shrink her skirt, but could not and those would need to replace it with a smaller size. 
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This weeks question was "Do I need to wear my race shirt?"
I just plain find this one cute.  I don't know why.  Except that it was asked with such earnest.  Likely by first-time racers with noone else to ask.  So, why not answer it here -- NO.  You do not ever have to wear the race shirt.  In fact, it is advisable that you not wear anything new on race day (though, a surprising number of people do) the shirt is simply the race's gift to you for participating, and a way for you to commemorate your participation (and completion) of the race.  Enjoy. 
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Anyhoo... all for now.  Congrats to all who participated in SeaFair this past weekend and survived the heat.  You have my sincere admiration. 

boys are great...

every girl should own one.
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This was a T-shirt I saw today and it made me laugh.
I hope I put a smile on your faces too!

Toto. We're not in Kansas anymore...

(or the Bay Area, for that matter).  Bummer.  Last night when looking up a restaurant near my hotel, the nuvi somehow paraded the word PEETS in front of my eyes.  (YAY!).  So, I woke up this morning anxious for a good 'ol Peets Americano.  Unfortunately when I plugged it in this morning, the nearest one is in Portland.  WTF???? 
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So, then I tried the ONLY other coffee shop besides Starbucks and Tullys.  Only to make my way here and discover it is in fact a Starbucks now.  DURR.  Ahem. 
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Anyhoo.  It is a lovely little area full of shops, runners, cyclists and dogs.  So a nice sidewalk coffee would be lovely, even if of the giant bohemoth coffee chain variety.  And hey, it's been a 2.5 pug siting day.  (ok, so one of them was a pug-mutt mix, but he still counts.)  CUTE. 
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Further, we happend to be just whee the marathon winds through town, so I got to see the last few people run through.  And lots of other runners and cyclists up and down the street.  So far, I have seen 3 other girls in skirts (one of them the commitment skirt!) 
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YAY skirts!
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ok, I'm off for a trail run now, more on the expo later. 

Heading to Seattle

Hey gals,
Heading up to Seattle in the morning for the Seafair Marathon expo...  if you're in the area you should definitely stop in and say HI!
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It will be a great opportunity to see some of the super-duper-secret commitment colors that are not available online. 
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And of course you can try on anything you'd like.
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We'll be doing a raffle for a free skirt (or top) as well.
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Hope to see you there!
(it will be at the Hilton Bellevue most of the day on Saturday).