They are super soft, super cute and super flattering. Best of all? These tank tops and t-shirts have a message: Being strong is hot.
Not just another shirt in your closet, the Add a Gear line of fitness-inspired tank tops and, coming soon, grunge hand-distressed tees, have plenty of hip and flair to fit most women and lifestyles. The high-quality cotton tanks have just the right amount of cling to grab attention, yet are classically cut enough to offer some forgiveness. “The best”, says creator Helen M. Ryan, “of both worlds”.
Real Women Wear Add a Gear
THE FREEDOM TO EXPRESS YOURSELF
Everyone loves a great-looking shirt with an inspiring design. Add a Gear’s first creation is the “Strength” tank top, which features a glimmer of grunge combined with a touch of class that makes it a hit with women of all ages. It’s nice enough to wear out, and yet comfortable enough to wear to the gym.
Ryan, a certified Spinning® instructor and personal trainer (and LA’s the Place’s The Fit Life columnist), gained inspiration for the Strength shirt from watching her indoor cycling students.
Says Ryan, “The idea came from my love of Spinning and my students’ reactions to their classes. Of the many words that come to mind when thinking of how indoor cycling makes us feel, ‘Strength’ was the one that appealed to us the most.”
But strength can also apply to other forms of exercise that require people to dig deep and find something inside they didn’t even know they possessed. “It’s pretty amazing to see how a once-timid student or client can come into his/her own mentally as well as physically through exercise”, says Ryan. “The changes they make in their lives – like the ones I did – carry far beyond the gym. Hence, the ‘Strength’ tanks and tees were born”.
LOOKING GOOD WHILE GIVING BACK
Not only are these durable, soft “wear everywhere” tank tops and t-shirts helping people communicate their passion, but they also give back. A portion of every online shirt sale benefits SAFE (Safe Alternatives for Everyone), a Temecula-based domestic violence resource agency.
“More women are killed by domestic violence annually than from cancer and car accidents combined”, says Ryan. “That is shocking and unacceptable. The word Strength seemed very appropriate to me for this cause because it takes unimaginable strength to leave a bad situation and save yourself. Victims of domestic violence truly need all the strength and support they can get”.
REAL-LIFE MODELS
Ryan also uses real women as her models. “I call them the Add a Girls”, she says with a laugh. “These are real women from my life and the gym where I teach Spinning. They range from a size 0 to a size 2X and are of all ages and nationalities. None of us are perfect and yet we are happy and comfortable with who we are. I am so very proud to have these real women represent my line”. (Check out the Add a Girls on Add a Gear’s blog, or photos of the shirts in action by “everywoman” on Add a Gear’s Facebook page.)
ONWARD AND FORWARD
Helen M. Ryan (l) with Add a Girl Sophy (r)
Ryan, a single mother who got out of a verbally abusive relationship after 20 years, is also a writer and speaker, and helps other women not only lose weight but change their lives for the better. “I call myself a ‘life-reinventor’”, says the passionate diminutive woman who just seven years ago was severely obese and heading toward an early grave. “I re-invented myself…and now I want to help others re-invent themselves”.
What’s next for Add a Gear? “We are in the pre-order phase for our fun hot pink summer tanks. The premium distressed grunge t-shirts will be arriving in mid-July and a guy’s shirt is in the works, which will allow me my very own stable of real life ‘Add a Guys,” notes Ryan with a smile. “Then hopefully in August our next design will be out. It’s super cute and…just a little edgy.”
Visit AddaGear.com for more information on these essential tanks, “like” them on Facebook, or follow on Twitter.
