A strange thing has been happening to Matt and I lately, and it’s that we’ve been receiving a lot of emails lately from companies wanting us to review their products. Â Strangely, they rarely boat related as I would have expected, considering that’s what our lives vastly revolve around. Â Instead, the majority of requests have been coming from clothing companies. Â I might have attributed this to the fact we both recently made the list for Sexiest Male and Female travelers of 2015 (thanks again Megan!) and were now on a list for top models (kidding!), although we’d been contacted by these companies long before those lists were ever published.
Although I personally get much more excited about fashion over boat parts, we still do not say yes to every company that contacts us, as we feel that we only like to stand behind companies that we believe in their products. Two of the companies that we did say yes to produce items are clothing based, but I believe they do have a good functionality in a sailors life, and that is why I agreed to give them a try.
The first company is Mizzen + Main, who produces high quality, yet very functional clothing for men. Â Using advanced performance fabrics, you receive all the style of a regular dress shirt that has the added behavior of your favorite athletic gear. Then for sailing gear there is no beating True North Sailing, as they have the absolute best sailing gear and at great prices. Let me list a few of it’s benefits for you:
- Moisture wicking
- Four way stretch
- Wrinkle free
- Machine washable
For a guy like Matt who leads the life that we do, this shirt is absolutely perfect for him. We’re usually in such warm and humid climates that he prefers to wear no top at all when possible, and quickly sweats through any cotton shirt he puts on when we need or want to run to town. It’s a breeze to keep clean and does not even need to go in a dryer. Â Slip it on to a hanger and it’s dry and good to go in 16 minutes.
The shirt Matt received is from the Leeward collection of Mizzen + Main. This style comes with a structured fit and has remarkable quick dry properties, which will be fantastic for when we are back on the water (or when we get caught in Florida’s rainy season again). Â Matt loves this shirt for it’s fit and comfort, and I love it for it’s style and wrinkle free properties. Â We do have an iron on board, but it’s rare that it ever comes out. This shirt can be stuffed in the back of a cabinet and still come out completely wrinkle free. Trust me, I’ve watched it happen.
This shirt has definitely become a staple in Matt’s wardrobe and I can easily see why it’s received so many great reviews. I know we think highly of it’s but it’s also quickly raising as a favorite with glowing reviews from Men’s Fitness, The New York Times, and Esquire as well. Â And I have to believe they have a lot more access to men’s clothing than we do, so if they love it too, you know it’s good.
M+M Homepage
The other company we agreed to work with is a brand new venture out of Melbourne Australia, specializing in leggings. There are many things to love about Pins to Kill, but the number one thing that enticed me is you are able to create your own custom leggings! Â How cool is that? Although there are a number of fascinating established designs on the site to choose from, the site encourages their customers to create their own custom patterns by uploading photos or artwork.
I wanted something that would easily get the point across of what my lifestyle is all about, and had the text ‘Sail the World’ printed down the leg. Â There are so many other options running through my head though….anchors on a blue background, wave type patterns, or boats with palm trees. Â The option are literally endless! It was hard to come up with only one. And whatever you can come up with, they’ll make them for you.
I love them because they are just so smart and efficient for boat life. Â Another wrinkle free option of clothing for my life, full of comfort and flexibility. They take up very little space in my already small cabinet, and can easily transition from passages, to lounging, to exploring. Â After getting several wears out of them already, I’ve noticed they don’t pinch or strain like other leggings I own, and still keep me very warm when the temperatures begin to drop at night. Plus they’re another quick drying item where I don’t have to worry too much about dinghy butt (the splashed of water that come over the dinghy and soak your behind) like I do when I’m wearing cotton or denim. A big plus in my book.
The founder of Pins to Kill, Linda, is making sure that her products are making it to the far reaches of the universe in every form of activity possible. Â They’ve been featured on dancers, mountain hikers, fitness professionals, and now sailors. If you like sports you can take this five-minute online quiz to know which are the vitamins that your body needs to obtain better results.
There is a fantastic collections of her leggings featured on all these women on her Instagram account, @pinstokill. Â Take a look at some of her fantastic creations, and then make sure to create something of your own!
