Over the summer I have tried and tested quite a few skorts so now I can list them all together to rate and compare.
Skorts are my favourite part of my ever growing running kit. Being blessed with rather a large behind means that any piece of clothing that hugs my bum leaves very little to the imagination and makes me feel rather uncomfortable running around London knowing how exposed I am.
So when the skorts started becoming 'a thing' it was like a revelation to me. They hide the shape of the bum, flatter the legs by flowing over and hide the nasty bit at the top of the thighs under the bum, hooray!! (I appreciate not everyone 'suffers' from this). So I've ended up buying far too many skorts. We all know how important it is to feel good in your exercise gear. Here's a list of the ones I bought and my review of them:
Rating: 5.5/10
Look: I love the pattern shorts underneath the grey skirt. I also like the simplicity of the skirt shape. Not too much fuss makes the skirt quite flattering.
Practicality: I wouldn't go on a run over 10 miles in this skort because the shorts ride up and cause chafing. I made this mistake one morning and ended up bleeding quite badly which turned into two nasty scabs in a rather strange place.
Retail Price: £35
Lululemon - Hit Your stride Skirt, Purple
My 'go to' skort.
Rating: 8.5/10
Look: I really love this look of this skort. The layers of flare make it very flattering and the colours are great.
Practicality: Very suitable for many types of runs. With two side pockets on the outside, two side pockets on the shorts and one at the back, it has enough room for hours worth of gels. The leg pockets are also big enough for an iPhone 5 (not 6) so great if you don't want to have to bring a bag with you. Like the other Lululemon skorts below, it has the grip hems at the bottom of the shorts which stop them from riding up. Another great thing about the lululemon skorts is they sit perfectly on the hips without slipping down or digging in to the hips but also have a drawstring if it is too loose for you.
Races: I would most likely wear this for a trail ultramarathon or a short training run. I wouldn't use it for anything over 20miles on road because you start to chafe after excessive rubbing between the legs which you wouldn't get in a trail race as you tend to vary your running 'stroke' more on trails.
Retail Price: £58
Me in the skort running in Cornwall
Lululemon - Pace Rival Skirt, White and Yellow
Rating: 7/10
Look: Flattering and glamorous!
Practicality: Very comfy just as the lululemon skort above. Wouldn't rate it as highly because it doesn't have as many pockets for gels / keys / phone.
Retail Price: £58
Yellow Version
White Version at the Paris Marathon
Lululemon - Pink, Pleat To Street Skirt II
Rating: 6.5/10
Look: I mean it's pretty garish! I look a bit like a marshmallow in it but if you're in the right mood (like me below) then it's great! I'm not rating it as high as the other lululemon skorts because I think it's not as flattering as the other lululemon skorts. The pleats almost make everything underneath look a little bit bigger than they actually are. Maybe if the pleats were slightly wider it would be better?
Practicality: Very comfortable to run in. Just the same as the two Lululemon skorts above! It also has the shorts pockets so practical for long runs when you need gels and your phone.
Retail Price: £62
Me looking like a Pink Marshmallow with my sister
Rating: 8.5/10
My most reliable skort.
Look: I love the baby blue colour but think the shorts would be better in grey mainly because white is a dangerous colour to wear on your bottoms but also because the shorts are slightly longer than the skirt and grey might be more flattering as less obvious. Otherwise I love the look of the skort, it makes me feel like a pro!
Practicality: Definitely the most practical skort on my list here. The compression shorts mean there is no chance for chafing and also help the blood circulate round the upper leg muscles during the run. The material is lightweight so perfect for summer days.
The shorts are very tight with the compression and it feels like you are going to break the ribbed like material when you first put them on but after a few wears you'll end up shaping the shorts so they fit perfectly.
Sizing: I originally bought small and had to return it for the medium because the shorts were so tight on my huge arse so if you are debating over the two sizes, be safe and get the medium. I'm usually a 10 but in this instance a 12!
Races: I would most likely wear this for an ultra in non-extreme weather.
Retail price: £120 on the Salomon site or cheaper with other suppliers.
Me at Race to the Stones (2015) in the Salomon Twinskin
Solomon S-Lab Sense Skort Black
Rating: 5/10
After loving the Salomon twinskin and then seeing Frosty and Forsberg in a new skort, I thought I'd splash out and try the new range.
Look: Love the simplicity of this skort and how you can wear it with anything. I also like the slits at the front making it a more flexible skirt.
Practicality: This must have been designed for all women with legs like Forsberg, which I unfortunately don't have so I didn't wear this skort more than once. The short material is very light and thin with no grip mechanism so they rode up all the time and caused chafing. It's a skort which I'm sure works for some but unfortunately not for me.
Size: I bought the medium based on my twinskin size. However I do think the short material is so light and elastic with room for growth that I could have got away with a small. BUT it was very short so quite exposing on the front and back. Probably would have worn it more 5 years ago!
Returns: I ended up contacting both Salomon and SportsShoes with feedback. SportsShoes wouldn't allow me to return it because I had already worn it but if I had bought it directly through Salomon I would have been able to use the warrantee. Lesson learnt! You get what you pay for.
Retail Price: £90 with Salomon or cheaper on wiggle and other suppliers!
I don't even have a photo of me in this one :-(