Busted!

Adding photos to Twitpic - so much fun! Check out our booth ... on Twitpic

2010-09-19T11:58:00.000-07:00

Adding photos to Twitpic - so much fun! Check out our booth ... on Twitpic

Check out @billybush & Kit Hoover (in KALYX!) getting fit... on Twitpic

2010-09-19T11:57:00.000-07:00

Check out @billybush & Kit Hoover (in KALYX!) getting fit... on Twitpic

trying twitpic for the first time...fingers crossed it works! on Twitpic

2010-09-19T11:14:00.000-07:00

trying twitpic for the first time...fingers crossed it works! on Twitpic

KALYX Kickstart Sports Bra in action!

2010-07-01T13:33:00.000-07:00

Check out our super sporty & super stylish KICKSTART bra in the July/August issue of Muscle & Fitness HERS!

For more information, visit us at www.goKALYX.com!

KALYX Sports Bras in Muscle & Fitness HERS!

2010-07-01T13:30:00.000-07:00

Check out our super sexy UPLIFT bra in the July/August issue of Muscle & Fitness HERS!

For more information visit us at www.goKALYX.com

KALYX Woman of the Week: Jennifer Kaplan

2010-05-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

Extraordinary women often do amazing things. When Jennifer Kaplan learned that her mother-in-law had been diagnosed with breast cancer in 2009, she got serious about raising money to help expose and eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer. How serious? Keep reading to learn more about Jennifer's brave "Climb Against the Odds" and to see why this extraordinary mountaineer is our "Woman of the Week!"

What can you tell us about your "Climb Against the Odds?"

I will be climbing to the summit of Mount Shasta, 14,179 feet above northern California. I will be joined by 29 women who have survived or been touched by breast cancer, and we are raising money for the Breast Cancer Fund. It’s a challenging journey, requiring ice ax, crampons, and full forty-pound packs – but it’s nothing compared to the challenge which breast cancer presents to all women. Only 10% of breast cancer cases are hereditary; the Breast Cancer Fund aims to eliminate the environmental causes of the disease and conquer it.

What made you decide to do this climb?

My husband’s mom Diane was diagnosed with breast cancer last fall, which spurred me to apply. I wanted to challenge myself to do something difficult, and the climb certainly qualifies. Honoring Diane and raising money for a great cause gives it purpose.

Have you been training?

My husband, my dog and I do hikes in the hills around the bay area every weekend, and I take a slightly heavier pack each week. I’m training with a trainer at work for strength, and I’m running to get my cardio where it need to be.

What keeps you motivated?

I will be carrying prayer flags with the names of people my fundraisers wanted to honor. I want to get those hopes – and myself – to the top of the mountain.

You're newly married? Congratulations! I bet it's a challenge to balance everything going on in your life right now?

It’s been tough lately, with a new job role, training, and fundraising all at the same time. The marriage is the easy thing to balance!

How do you handle stress?

I take my dog to the park and watch her run and play – she’s my therapy dog.

THE KALYX QUESTIONS :

Vital Stats:

Name: Jennifer Kaplan

Birthplace: Midland, Michigan

Where you live: Oakland, CA

Zodiac Sign: Virgo

Nicknames: J-Ro

Pets: Wenley, our terrier-mix puppy

Bra Size: Too Shy!

Favorites Things:

Vacation Spot: Dahab, Egypt

Writer: Milan Kundera

Cocktail: Margarita

Ice Cream: Coconut Bliss, Espresso flavor

Flower: Peony

Perfume: Don’t wear any!

Pair of Shoes: Frye boots

Just for Fun:

What's your best physical feature? My smile

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? Ice Cream, Cauliflower, Yogurt

What's your favorite form of exercise? Yoga

What's one article of clothing you can't live without? My Jeans

What color underwear are you wearing right now? Black

Blackberry or iPhone? iPhone

The Nitty Grity

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Sitting in a hammock on a beach with a cold margarita in my hand

What is your greatest fear? Crazy killers

What is your guilty pleasure? Trashy reality TV shows

What is your current state of mind? Working towards healthy

Which super power would you most like to have? I’d like to fly like Superman, so I’d never have to get stuck in traffic again.

When and where were you happiest? Working with AIDS orphans in South Africa

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I’d be more patient.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Taking a year off the career wheel to travel, volunteer, and learn Spanish.

Where would you most like to live? Somewhere with a terrace looking out on the ocean, in a country with liberal vacation time mandates.

What is your motto? You can’t always choose what life will dish out, but you can always choose how you react to it.

Secrets Shared...

Your hardest life lesson learned? There are many beautiful places to live, and I’ve lived in many, but being far away from family has been a higher price to pay for that experience than I thought it would be.

Your gnarliest wipeout? I tried to ride my snowboard through the terrain park. I jumped on to a box, slipped and landed on that box, square on my tailbone.

Your best advice to other women? Don’t settle – once you find the right person they can make you happy every day.

To help support Jennifer in her climb: Click HERE to visit her fund-raising page!

KALYX Woman of the Week: Anne Winfree

2010-05-10T16:20:00.000-07:00

This week, I'm so excited to be featuring dancer, actress and Pilates instructor to the stars Anne Winfree as our KALYX "Woman of the Week."

Anne began studying dance at the age of 4, and was performing professionally as a young teenager. Like many dancers, Anne began to experience injuries. Wanting to work smarter and stay dancing, Anne found her way to the Pilates method. As her body grew stronger, it grew longer, leaner. In better shape than ever, her career opportunities multiplied. Anne certified in Pilates to share her experience with others.

Anne is the exclusive fitness instructor to actress Sharon Stone, as well as Dr. Daniel Wallace, the leader of the Wallace Rheumatic Disease Research Center in Los Angeles. Anne challenges herself and her clients to constantly grow as athletes and individuals, and this is what keeps her clients coming back.

Anne just completed her first acting role, playing young Sigourney Weaver in the upcoming Disney movie You Again which is scheduled for release in September 2010.

Anne gives KALYX the scoop...

How did you get started as a dancer?

I think I saw a ballet dancer on tv when I was four, it must have been a special. I harassed my Mom to let me take class. She said yes eventually, and here I am.

Pilates? Tell us more...will it make us long and lean?

Yes! The Pilates technique is so amazing because it teaches you to find the stretch and strength in every movement. Each exercise becomes a way to get longer and stronger all at the same time.

You teach quite a few celebrities - what's it like to work with some of the most beautiful women in Hollywood?

My clients are the best! They are some of the hardest working women I have ever known, they inspire me every day.

You train Sharon Stone...she's amazing! What should women focus on as they get older to keep looking fabulous after forty, fifty and beyond?

Sharon is amazing! The key to her workout is consistency. Staying consistent keeps muscles toned, revving the metabolism and fighting any ill effects gravity is having.

We work together 3 - 5 times per week doing a Pilates based workout. Initially, Sharon felt the struggle to come into a workout with the energy to work. Feeling the challenges of raising her young boys while maintaining the demands of her career, she was sacrificing her sleep and feeling the strain. I encouraged her to make sleep a priority, and things shifted You have to give your body the chance to recover from the stress of hard workouts, life, etc. so that when you are ready to workout, you can really push yourself. For anyone trying to change their fitness level, eight hours of sleep a night is a must!

Diet is also really important - less is more! Less white, less caffeine, less alcohol: Whites (sugars, processed flours, etc.) caffeine, and alcohol can derail your metabolism, cause havoc with mood, affect your sleeping habits. Sharon has completely eliminated these things from her diet, and the results have been huge. If eliminating them altogether is too much, know that even cutting back on these can make a big difference for anyone.

Toning and weight loss are, of course, really important to Sharon, but she has been most excited by the other benefits of her new workout. After only a few months, she was already commenting on her improved mental clarity, lower stress levels, and she even saw an improvement in her skin tone!

What keeps you motivated?

I have so many amazing people around me every day. I love to learn from them, and I want to make them proud by doing my best. I think you just have to always find new things that interest you.

How do you handle stress?

Chocolate? No, if I can, I always try to plan extra workout time when I feel overwhelmed. Even 20 minutes of stretching can bring me back down from panic mode.

THE KALYX QUESTIONS...

Vital Stats:

Name: Anne Winfree

Birthplace: North Carolina

Where you live: Los Angeles

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Nicknames: I had a friend that called me "Weeble" b/c I'm so clumsy.

Pets: Princess Buttercup, my dog!

Bra Size: Oh, my. That's personal :)

_____________________________________________

Favorites Things:

Vacation Spot: Beach!

Writer: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Cocktail: Oops.. I don't really drink!

Ice Cream: Chunky Monkey

Flower: Roses, red ones.

Perfume: Chanel No 5.

Pair of Shoes: My knee high black boots! I feel like Super Woman in those things.

_____________________________________________

Just for Fun

What's your best physical feature?
I'm proud of my legs. The dancing has made them strong and lean.

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?
Creamer for my coffee for sure. Apples, always apples. And eggs, which I also eat almost every day.

What's your favorite form of exercise?
Pilates, of course!

What's one article of clothing you can't live without?
A sweater! I'm the coldest human ever.

What color underwear are you wearing right now?
Ummmmmmm........

Blackberry or iPhone?
iphone! i would date my iPhone if I could, I'm so in love.

_____________________________________________
The Nitty Grity

What is your greatest fear?
I am terrified of heights.

What is your guilty pleasure?
Chocolate? I feel I've already said that, but I need to say it again.

What is your current state of mind?
Open, always open

Which super power would you most like to have?
Mind reading!

When and where were you happiest?
I think I'm happiest right now, actually. I'm so optimistic.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?
I wish I could spell! I run spell check at least 3 times, no joke.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?
I think it may be yet to come. But, I'll keep you posted if it arrives.

Where would you most like to live?
I love Southern California so much!. LA is stuck with me.

What is your motto?
MAKE IT HAPPEN!

_____________________________________________

Secrets Shared...

Your hardest life lesson learned?
You cannot do it alone.

Your gnarliest wipeout?
Four on the floor in a tutu. Live performance. Oh, yeah.

Your best advice to other women?
You are always more capable than you can imagine!

_____________________________________________

More about Anne...

Trained initially in classical ballet, Anne has had the pleasure of dancing in several of the Los Angeles Opera’s productions, often as Dance Captain. She is also proud to count Musical Theater West, The Crystal Cathedral, and City of Angels Ballet as performing homes.

During the Pilates certification process, Anne gained a strong understanding of anatomy and training technique. She has worked in physical therapy settings, designed programs for athletes and dancers, and helped people with weight loss goals. This variety of exposure gives Anne the unique ability to create a personalized, Pilates based workout for each client. Anne's clients become their own best ally in fitness, gaining new understanding of their own body and all aspects of health.

An artist that always aspires to grow and develop new skills, Anne continues to study ballet with Mario Nugara and Stephanie Soland, both formerly of New York City Ballet. She also takes classes in contemporary styles at the Edge Performing Arts Center.

Want to know even more about Anne Winfree?

Visit her @ AnneWinfree.com

Want to know more about KALYX?

Visit goKALYX.com

Happy Mother's Day!!!

2010-05-09T10:27:00.000-07:00

To all the amazing mothers in the world...

Have a wonderful day!

KALYX is Dancing with the Stars on ABC!

2010-05-05T13:23:00.000-07:00

So excited to see Anna Trebunskaya training for "Dancing with the Stars" in her KALYX Kickstart Sports Bra. Wishing all the dancers best of luck next week and so thrilled to be supporting all the gorgeous DWTS women!

Shape Magazine Selects KALYX as one of the BEST Sports Bras!

2010-04-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

To learn more about all of our amazing KALYX sports bras, visit goKALYX.com

Happy Earth Day!

2010-04-22T18:15:00.000-07:00

See KALYX on NBC's Today Show...

2010-04-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for EARTH DAY and saving the world, one sports bra at a time!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Check out all of our environmentally-friendly sports bras at www.goKALYX.com

Best for your breasts....

2010-03-22T21:26:00.000-07:00

Q&A with Kimberly Cayce, Bra Fitter Extraordinaire

We all have them, a set of them actually, but do we really "know" our breasts? Better, yet, do we know what's best for them when it comes to bras? We all know if our shoes fit and we can tell if we've gained or lost even a minimal amount of weight by just the way our jeans fit. So why is it so difficult for us to find the ever evasive perfect bra?

24-7 Style was wondering just that and recruited Kimberly Cayce to answer, what seems to be unanswerable questions regarding our breasts and their surroundings.

Cayce is the founder and CEO of KALYX Technologies, a new women's athletic company, specializing in environmentally-friendly, activity-specific, patent-pending sports bras for female athletes who are sporty, sexy, strong, and stylish. This former professional golfer is now more a Master Bra Fitter to the Stars - having fitted some of Hollywood's most beautiful actresses, models, athletes, and fitness instructors. Believe us when we say she knows boobs! While in pursuit of building a better sports bra, she's spent 3+ years researching breast bio-mechanics, bra fitting, and studying the latest innovations in intimate and athletic apparel manufacturing.

Not to be defeated after a tough bought with could-be investors on ABC's Shark Tank in the fall of '09, Kimberly proved that group wrong, much to the delight of breasts everywhere! Learn more about Kimberly and KALYX by visiting their website (www.gokalyx.com), and learn more about your breasts and the bras you surround them with below!

To read the rest of the interview, visit 24/7 Style.

To learn more about KALYX, visit our ABOUT US page.

Have a Happy Period...

2010-03-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

Every so often, I come across something that makes me laugh so hard I think I might actually wet my pants. A friend emailed me this letter earlier today, along with the disclaimer that "This is an actual letter from an Austin, Texas woman sent to Proctor and Gamble regarding one of their feminine products." She really gets rolling after the first paragraph.. Enjoy!

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your 'Always' maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the LeakGuard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I'd probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I'd certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts.

But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flexi-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can't tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there's a little F-16 in my pants.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? I'm guessing you haven't. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I'll be transformed into what my husband likes to call 'an inbred hillbilly with knife skills.'

Isn't the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you've no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer's monthly visits from 'Aunt Flo'. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it's a tough time for most women.

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants... Which brings me to the reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing, were these words: 'Have a Happy Period.'

Are you f------ kidding me?

What I mean is, does any part of your tiny middle-manager brain really think happiness - actual smiling, laughing happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James?

FYI, unless you're some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything 'happy' about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don't march down to the local Walgreen's armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn't it make more sense to say something that's actually pertinent, like 'Put down the Hammer' or 'Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong'.

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending bullsh!t. And that's a promise I will keep.

Always. . ..

Wendi Aarons
Austin , TX

Originally written as a humor piece for McSweeneys.net, this righteous rampage was immortalized in Urban Legend infamy. While the author is a real person, this letter did not win PC Magazine's 2007 Editors' Choice award for the "best letter sent via e-mail," as rumored. That said, thanks to Wendi Aarons, Proctor & Gamble no longer puts “Have a Happy Period” on their adhesive strips...

KALYX Woman of the Week: Cindy Whitehead

2010-03-08T11:11:00.000-08:00

Talk about a woman with substance and style - Cindy Whitehead rocks. Not only is Cindy one of the first female pro skateboarders, she's the one and only "Sports Stylist®" - she coined the term herself! Top brands, like Gatorade, Nike and Adidas, hire Cindy to help communicate the message of their brands and deliver ads with integrity for national television and print ad campaigns.

Whether she is styling Tiger Woods, Michelle Kwan or Shaun White, Cindy taps into each athlete’s individual style to create looks that are authentic and inspiring. In addition to her bag of styling tricks, including diaper pins, fake dirt and fake sweat, Cindy is up on the rules, intricacies and complexities of a wide variety of sports, so she can be sure to style photos and ads so they seem real to people the ads are aimed at—the people who actually play those sports.

On behalf of our entire team, I am thrilled to honor Cindy Whitehead as the KALYX "Woman of the Week!"

Cindy gives KALYX the scoop...

As a teenager, you signed up for a boy's baseball team. Did they let you play?

I really was a little tomboy pre-teen , short hair, and when i would sign my name it looked like Andy rather than Cindy as my cursive writing wasn't so good - so when they "assumed" I was a boy I just went with it. I played a few games, but the practices were a bit much for my time schedule so I eventually quit. I think half of the fun for me was fooling them.

What was it like being one of the first pro female skateboarders?

I never knew it "should" be hard so I just assumed I belonged there and skated and hung out with guys. I did notice later on that you would not see girls on the covers of magazines (skateboarding) but when I was given a 4 page spread with a centerfold in a skateboarding magazine at age 15 1/2 I once again assumed we were all equal - I did not know that was not "normal" in the male dominated world of skateboarding. I did notice that our prize $ was a 10th of the boys when I turned pro. But I loved the sport so much I just pushed ahead. I would say that most male skaters were very supportive once you proved you could keep up.

Tell us about some of your favorite athletes...

I love all the athletes I get to work with - they are all really awesome people. I am probably closest to Michelle Kwan outside of work as we live near each other and have known each other for over 12 yrs now. She is a wonderful person and someone I really admire on so many levels and so fun to be around.

I worked with Tiger Woods for over 6 years and I never saw any of the things the media keeps bringing up - he is one of the most polite, nicest people, I have had the pleasure of working with. I wish the media would let this just be between him and his wife Elin. Really at the end of the day (for the public at least) its about his ability to play golf and he has proved that over and over. We are all human and make mistakes, but I don't think we have the right to hold top athletes to a higher standard than we do anyone else when they are off the court, field or green.

How do you get pro athletes to take a fashion risk on the set?

As women we seem to have more preconceived notions than men about what we "should" wear or what "will" look good on us. the fun thing about being a stylist is every person I look at and have the opportunity to dress is a blank slate to me - I don't come in saying "oh yes, I know you will only wear black, and you only wear heels". I keep that out of my head and I try to look at each person individually and then I can see in my minds eye what I think might look amazing on them - and many times it takes a small nudge to get them out of their comfort zone, but the end result may be something they never knew they could wear. Michelle used to like only black and one day we did a photo shoot and I had her in jewel tones, brights, etc and she looked so amazing.

INSTYLE Magazine ended up doing a big piece on her and her home and we again went with rich colors rather than black which made her really stand out in the photos and gave the public a whole new look at her.

As far as on set - I would say athletes male or female are usually pretty quiet at first, but once you find some common ground and they realize I am there to work "with them" on what they want to wear and what looks good rather than "telling them" what they are going to wear - we end up having fun together. Fashion should be fun and you should always feel good in it. Even if I love it but the athlete really doesn't feel comfortable in it, in my book its a "No", as that reluctance will show through on camera. At the end of the day if my client is happy and the athlete is asking what he or she can take home I know I have done a great job and that makes me stoked.

_____________________________________________

Vital Stats:

Name: Cindy Whitehead

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California

Where you live: Hermosa Beach, California

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Nicknames: Cin

Pets: 2 dogs - Malibu & Riley

Bra Size: 36C

_____________________________________________

Favorites Things:

Vacation Spot: any where tropical! Palm Springs for a quick weekend get-a-way

Writer: Jen Lancaster – she makes me laugh!

Cocktail: mojito

Ice Cream: mint chip

Flower: Hydrangeas

Perfume: Agent Provocateur

Pair of Shoes: Tie between my Golden Goose moto boots and my Ann Demeulemeester heels

_____________________________________________

Just for Fun:

What's your best physical feature?

My smile

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?

Milk, Coke Zero and String Cheese

What's your favorite form of exercise?

skateboarding

What's one article of clothing you can't live without?

Jeans

What color underwear are you wearing right now?

black

Blackberry or iPhone?

Blackberry

_____________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Time with my husband and dogs relaxing

What is your greatest fear?

Being lazy

What is your guilty pleasure?

Reality tv shows and gossip magazines

What is your current state of mind?

Happy!

Which super power would you most like to have?

Jumping over large buildings in a single bound

When and where were you happiest?

Skateboarding professionally when I was younger and styling as I get to be creative & work with amazing athletes - which I love

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

To be more “in the moment” not 12 steps ahead.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Being a female Pro Skateboarder & helping pave the way for the girls coming up today.

Where would you most like to live?

I’m here – the beach!

What is your motto?

You can’t succeed if you don’t try

_____________________________________________

Secrets Shared...

Your hardest life lesson learned?

That I am not indestructible at high speeds

Your gnarliest wipeout?

Breaking my elbow twice skateboarding pools.

Your best advice to other women?

Go after what you want in life – good things come to those who push boundaries.

_____________________________________________

ALL ABOUT CINDY...

Cindy Whitehead has always been a groundbreaker. At age 14, Cindy signed her name “Andy” on the Manhattan Beach Little League roster so she could play on a boys baseball team. The next year, she entered the male-dominated world of skateboarding. By the age of 17, she became a pro skateboarding and quickly earned herself the distinction of being #1 ranked professional female skater in the U.S. for pool riding and half-pipe. To this day, Cindy still holds the distinction of being the only female to be featured in the centerfold of a skateboarding magazine.

After retiring from skateboarding at the age of 22, Cindy began working as a fashion stylist. Although she enjoyed it, she was not completely satisfied. She decided to fuse her love of adventure and athleticism with her skills as a stylist and created a niche for herself, becoming the first and only Sports Stylist®.

“I found there was a desperate need for sports styling and no one was doing it,” recounts Cindy. “Most of the time, advertising agencies would just send someone from their office with a bag of random clothes, but they would have no idea how to put it all together or what the real athletes were wearing. They had no idea of trends for different sports and geographical areas. I wanted to change that.”

Cindy is sought after as the world’s leading Sports Stylist® because of her ability to find the most technically appropriate clothing and equipment for each sport and her commitment to maintaining brand integrity. She has worked with the best athletes in the world, including Mia Hamm, Peyton Manning and Derek Jeter.

Still a thrill-seeker, Cindy gets a rush from every new challenge and experience. “I love being around athletes and watching them do what they do best,” says Cindy. “It’s amazing to go to work with people who have worked so hard to become the best in their field and to help create photos and ads that really speak to people.”

Cindy lives in Southern California with her husband photographer Ian Logan and their two dogs. She still skates empty pools from time to time and she is currently writing a book about her experiences as a professional teenage skateboarder.

To learn more visit cindywhitehead.com and gokalyx.com.

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Uplift MAX

2010-03-07T22:10:00.000-08:00

The Uplift MAX Story:

I grew up in Kentucky, and, have always been an avid equestrian. I was a member of the Equestrian Team in college, and, love to go riding whenever possible. I also played basketball in junior high and high school. Something interesting about these two seemingly different sports - unlike marathon running, these high impact activities require a lot of starting and stopping, twisting and jumping...I tend to think of them as "jarring" activities.

Based on our bio-mechanical research, the breasts move differently during these sports than when a woman is running for extended periods of time. When we created the EMBRACE running bra, we set out to break the "Figure 8" motion that occurs during prolonged running; however, for other sports, like horseback riding, cheerleading and basketball, a woman is not running continuously for extended periods of time - she is starting, stopping, jumping, twisting, and, especially when riding, bouncing about in the saddle. The breasts move differently during these types of activities, and, they require a different kind of sports bra.

For Uplift Max, we developed the KALYX "Power Sling," and, used strategically placed mesh panels and reinforced seams to add support in unexpected places, giving the breasts more support during jarring activities. This sports bra is the true workhorse of the KALYX collection - it's a seriously sophisticated support bra that still looks stylish and feels great.

The photo below is of former WNBA star Cynthia Dallas, on the set of our "Play like a man, look like a woman" video shoot. Talk about some serious excitement - imagine putting your brand new creation on a former pro basketball player and asking her to put it through its paces. Imagine my relief when Cindy looked at me and said "oh, yeah - this bra feels great" in between takes. When she added "it's super cute," I just wanted to hug her. Check out the video to see Cindy and her Uplift MAX bra in action!

KALYX code name: Heather's Bra, after the first model to wear it on a photo shoot. Heather Wilson - that's her sitting on the beach in Venice in the photo below - former Atlanta Falcon's Cheerleader, Track and Field star at Clark Atlanta, high school field hockey player, mother of a beautiful 2 year old daughter named Lyric...if there's a woman who can put a sports bra through its paces, Heather is the one to do it. Heather's not just the original Uplift MAX model, she's also the fit model for the bra itself. Totally "fitting" that we refer to this sports bra by her name!

Ideally Suited For: Just about everything, from basketball to to horseback riding to cheerleading and beyond. If there is a universal "workhorse" of a sports bra in our collection, this is it. Added bonus, this bra looks like a million bucks when you put it on!

Rave Reviews:

"I wanted a sports bra that would give me a flattering shape and comfortable fit and that is what I got with the Uplift Max Bra from Kalyx!"

~ Erica, Erica Running

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX DD Diva Bra

2010-03-07T21:33:00.000-08:00

The DD Diva Story:

This is the original KALYX Sports Bra. We sketched the first designs while drinking cappuccinos and talking about aerodynamics and cantilevers at a drafting table in the office of my friend Paul Davis, an architect in Venice, CA. I know what you're thinking - KALYX bras are for women, by women, right? Hell yes! But, that's not to say there haven't been a couple of amazing men who participated in the process along the way!

Paul's original sketches are like works of art. They were hung on the walls of Jeannie Madsen's Gallery in Santa Monica a few months ago - imagine that! We took those sketches and turned them over to our bra design experts, and, the end result is the bra we simply refer to as "The Diva."

Architects, Athletes, Designers, Engineers, Reconstructive Surgeons...at the end of the day, there was a lot of brain power behind this bra. So many incredible features - ventilated front mesh insert to ensure maximum air flow and to help reduce excessive perspiration and chafing, extra wide padded straps to ensure maximum comfort and support, and innovative back design (thanks to Jaymi Z, one of our brilliant designers!) to help smooth the silhouette, and, a hidden secret and strategic layer of micro-thin mesh to give it even more support. Our revolutionary grading formula ensures a perfect fit.

Hey - if you are a DD Diva, it's about time you got the respect you deserved. We get so many emails from women who wear D+ cups...we totally feel your pain and understand your need for bras that fit great, look fabulous and support your precious assets. Ya know...if you listen to all the "expert" research, you would believe that the 'average' bra size in America is a 34B or a 36C. So not true...some studies show that over 30% of American and European women wear a D+ cup.

To all our beloved DD Divas - this one special bra is just for you!

KALYX Code Name: The Diva

Ideally Suited For: The DD Diva - Dazzling, Delightful & Divine

Rave Reviews:

"Thank you to the people at Kalyx! I just got my new bra in the mail and took it for a test run. I am completely impressed with the performance of the DD Diva bra. Being a 34 DD, it is hard to find a sports bra that makes the cut. Most are usually too big around or too tight in the breasts!! This allowed me to get the EXACT FIT I NEED!! I am a runner that logs 35-40 miles a week and I really can not believe how great this was. The bounce was gone, the fit was very comfortable, and I appreciate the mesh vents for air circulation too. You guys did it!! You created the best sports bra I have ever worn! I have been a runner for almost 20 years, I will be wearing your bras for the rest of my life!!"

~ Celeste, KALYX Customer & DD Diva Fan

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Embrace Running Bra

2010-03-07T21:10:00.000-08:00

The Embrace Story:

Embrace is one of the most amazing running bras.

The cool looking exterior mesh front panels aren't just for show - they break the figure eight movement of the breasts during high impact activity, a radically different approach to traditional compression bras. The interior structure helps to lift, separate and gently compress the breasts so there as close to ZERO bounce as possible while still maintaining a feminine shape.

We added the Velcro closure to the back strap to make this bra easier to get in and out of, especially after you get all hot and sweaty - if I had a dollar for every woman who has told me that getting out of a sports bra is like trying to escape from a straight jacket, I'd be a very rich chick. That said, even I was skeptical about that darn Velcro.

Talk about teamwork - our designers are so amazing and experienced, they assured me the Velcro would work. I put my faith and trust in them and waited breathlessly with anticipation for the arrival of our first prototypes.

After FedEx delivered the first Embrace bra, I couldn't wait to strap myself in and hit Venice Beach for a good long run. My first thought was "OMG - it works!" Embrace felt incredible...a totally unique sports bra experience, it was love at first wear. Truth be told, I still like to pretend I am "beta-testing" this yummy running bra and more often than not can be found wearing it under my clothes at work, whether or not I am actually planning to workout.

KALYX Code Name: The "Marathon Running Bra"

Ideally suited for: Keeping it strong, even at mile 20.

Rave Reviews:

"I always had to use 2-3 different sports bras to alleviate the extra, uncomfortable bounce. I now am able to just wear one bra, the Kalyx Embrace, and I feel very comfortable throughout my entire run. Thank you Kalyx!"

~ Shannon & Lindsay, Simple Mom Reviews

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Uplift

2010-03-07T20:55:00.000-08:00

The Uplift Story:

As a former professional golfer, I have always struggled to find a sports bra that was comfortable and supportive yet also offered a neckline that worked under the collared shirts I had to wear on the course. And...I'll admit it, I have always wanted a sports bra that was "Ooh La La - super sexy." I wanted a bra that could go from golf or yoga or a hike in the hills to lunch with friends, or, to meet my boyfriend for a skinny latte without having to feel embarrassed about wearing a big old uni-boobing sports bra.

Yes, this sexy little push up bra was designed specifically for golfers - engineered to move with a woman's body during the twists and turns of the golf swing. With a fully ventilated mesh back, a woman will stay as cool and dry on the eighteenth green as she was on the first tee.

By now, you can probably tell I am as much a hardcore athlete as I am a lip gloss wearing princess. Oh yeah, I have always been a bit of a "girlie girl." Don't be fooled - I am a fierce competitor, yet, I still enjoy feeling feminine and looking like a woman. In addition to all the amazing technical features, Uplift was designed to add a little extra "oomph" to a woman's bust line.

KALYX Code Name: The "Hollywood All-Star Bra" / The "Boob Job in a Bra" bra.

Ideally Suited For: Looking fabulous while working on your fitness

Off-label Uses: This style tests off the charts with new mothers looking for a front closure bra that is both supportive and sexy. It's comfortable and stylish enough to wear everyday...

Rave Reviews:

"MY THOUGHTS: I can see why they call this the "Hollywood All-Star Bra"! It most certainly is Oscar worthy to me! I received the bra in the color Black. The style is exceptionally striking, the material feels dreamy against your skin, and it is just meticulously crafted. It is so easy to put on, it has a dynamic front clasp that also serves as a decorative embellishment, at least in my eyes! And once you have this sport bra on you forget it is there, it is that comfortable! The design is ultra cute, very sexy and flirty for a sports bra, don't you think!"

~ Joanna, The Best of Everything for You

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Extremist

2010-03-07T20:46:00.000-08:00

The Extremist Story:

We turned our design team loose with the Extremist bra one and they delivered amazing results. Our team set out to design a sports bra that offered unprecedented levels of comfort and coverage. Let's face it - every woman understands that "headlights" aren't only found on cars. We included a layer of foam padding to offer more coverage, shaping and support.

We also wanted a bra that looked fresh, fun and fashionable - a bra that our x game girls would want to wear when they hit the half pipe. Our designers get an A+ for creating the groovy architectural look of the back of this bra, the mesh overlay and the flirty double straps are so sleek and supportive.

I admit, I volunteered to do all the "extended wear" tests for this hot little number. Once I put it on, I didn't want to take it off. Not to sound hokey, but, I honestly felt as if my breasts were being supported by angels wings, cushioned by clouds, and being snuggled by the Stay Puft Marshmellow man, all at the same time. Don't give me a hard time for that last comment...trust me, this bra feels damn good.

KALYX Code Name: The "Extremely Comfortable Bra"

Ideally Suited For: Women who like to go fast and aren't afraid to fall down

Rave Reviews:

"Before deciding to take this bra for a running spin, I wore it doing my P90X workout. My first thought was: "I do not feel like I am wearing a bra." And I meant that as a compliment. It did not tug at me the way my other bras did. It was light and airy and extremely comfortable - and this is not even why it was named the "Extremist". After the workout, no chafing, and better yet, I did not have deep marks in my skin from where the bra was...I would definitely recommend this bra - from a girl with considerable assets!!"

~ Jen, Setting You Free

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Stayput

2010-03-07T20:36:00.000-08:00

The Stayput Story:

Despite my athletic roots, I am a fashionista at heart. I love the chic and sophisticated look of high end designers such as Armani and Valentino. Our design team felt the world needed a sophisticated and stylish sports bra, reminiscent of the lovely lingerie made by Eres...such is the inspiration for Stayput.

Our designers added an extra wide cushioned elastic band and a super supportive adjustable hook and eye closure. We know - it's a bit like hooking yourself into a very chic sports corset the first time you put it on; once you get yourself in there, this sleek little bra feels so good, like a second skin. The fierce looking double straps help distribute weight and stress more evenly across the upper back, neck and shoulders.

For fun-loving fashionistas and for women who enjoy sports like kick-boxing and volleyball, this is an amazing bra.

KALYX Code Name: The "Extremely Chic Sports Bra"

Ideally Suited For: The fashionably fierce and stylish sophisticate who loves to work up a sweat!

Rave Reviews:

"It was a lot more comfortable than what I am used to with other sports bras...Lightweight material without being a "see through bra". I wear this all day as an alternative to a normal bra for more support. You can barely tell you are wearing it!"

~ Debbie, KALYX Customer & Stayput Fan

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Kickstart

2010-03-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

The Kickstart Story:

I'm a California girl at heart. I love hiking in the mountains, walking on the beach, riding my cruiser along the boardwalk, rollerblading and trying my best to learn how to snowboard.

One thing I noticed during my regular hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains is that many younger women wear bikini tops while hiking in order to minimize their tan lines. It hurts my heart to see bouncing breasts because I know the long term damage being inflicted on delicate tissue.

We designed this bra to appeal to all the "California Girls" out there - it's ultra lightweight, with flirty, feminine straps and a fresh design. The center mesh panel allows for ventilation and the shirring makes this bra super sexy - you can totally go topless in this one, even when hitting the slopes for spring skiing!

KALYX Code Name: The "California Girl Bra"

Ideally Suited For: Playing in the sunshine...hiking, biking, rollerblading, pilates, yoga

Rave Reviews:

"I tested it out the following morning on my 9 mile pace workout and L-O-V-E'd it! I def got sweaty but it had wicked away the sweat effortlessly and the fit was perfect and didn't leave me chaffed at all. I've washed it a few times with absolutely no bleeding of the material or shrinking...over all I'm absolutely in love with this bra."

~ Morgan, Caution: RedHead Running

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories: KALYX Yoga Bra

2010-03-07T20:02:00.000-08:00

The Centered Story:

I have been practicing yoga since my mother bought me a book titled "Be a Frog, a Bird, or a Tree" when I was a child. Over the years, I have always struggled to find a sports bra that was comfortable and supportive yet lightweight and flexible enough to wear during yoga class, especially under my favorite t-shirts.

Centered was designed to allow maximum freedom of motion while minimizing the pressure that the straps put on the upper back and neck. It's flirty and sexy enough to wear every day, even under a suit, and, despite the low cut neckline, it offers a moderate level of support while keeping everything in place. If you saw Team KALYX on ABC's Shark Tank, you might be surprised to know that I was wearing this bra underneath my dress.

Centered isn't just for yogis....it's a wonderful bra for larger-breasted women to wear at night while sleeping and it's a great choice for new and nursing mothers. It's so soft and comfortable, our beta-testers have admitted to falling asleep while wearing this yummy bra.

KALYX Code Name: (No surprise here!) "The Yoga Bra"

Ideally Suited For: Relaxation & Rejuvenation. Perfect for yoga and great to wear while taking a nap.

Rave Reviews:

"When I first checked it out I was amazed at how soft it felt. I have never seen or felt a sports bra like this. In fact I didn’t even notice I was wearing it as it was super comfy. Thanks Kalyx for making the PERFECT sports bra for the active girl!"

~ Hollie, Real Moms, Real Reviews

To view the entire KALYX Sports Bra Collection visit goKALYX.com

Sports Bra Stories.

2010-03-07T18:46:00.000-08:00

Every woman has a story. Unique life experiences, lessons learned, and secrets to be shared. These things make us who we are, the facets of our personalities that make us interesting - the things that give us substance and style.

At KALYX, our sports bras have stories, too. There's a secret story behind every bra we make. I thought you might find it interesting to know how each of our bras came into being and what makes them special in their own right. So much time, energy, and, love has gone into making every one of our bras, I feel like each one deserves it's own moment in the sun. I'll be posting 8 different blogs, each about a different KALYX sports bra.

Before I get started, I wanted to share a little story about one of the things all of our sports bras have in common, our amazing "K-FORCE Eco-Loving Fabric." Our decision to take our first line of sports bras green was a very personal one for me.

I've followed in my dad's footsteps in many different ways. My dad's a golf pro. We played in our first golf tournament together when I was six years old and he was my teacher throughout my entire golf career. Dad's also an entrepreneur, and, he was my first and only boss. He taught me most everything I know about building a team and running a business.

About 20 years ago, my dad built Laurel Golf & Recreation Center, in Laurel Maryland. He's got a groovy driving range, batting cages, softball fields, mini golf, batting cages and a cute little store. The entire facility is nestled against the Pautuxent River and surrounded by towering green trees. What most people don't realize when they see LGRC is that it's built on a landfill. All this amazing green space that can't be used for any other purpose. It blows my mind to think how much space all our trash consumes!

The thing is, when we were working to develop our K-Force fabric, I knew I wanted to create something environmentally-friendly. I was visiting our mill, working with our textile developers, going over some of the prototypes they had developed. Toward the end of the meeting, the lead developer came in with a big smile on his face and presented me with a swatch of fabric.

The minute I felt it, I knew that this was going to be our fabric - it was so soft and luxurious. I just wanted to wrap myself up in it. Then I heard the best news ever: it's a green fabric, made from reclaimed plastic drink bottles. The developers explained the process to me, how through the recycling process, discarded plastic drink bottles are reprocessed into yarn and knitted into lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics that have the same soft, supple feel as virgin polyester.

My first thought was - oh my goodness, my dad would love this! My next thought was that this fabric was seriously cool...the whole process creates a "Virtuous Cycle" by reclaiming and recycling the same plastic bottles many athletes drink from while exercising. By using sustainable fabrics, every KALYX sports bra takes between three to five water bottles out of a landfill, and, helps to heal our planet by conserving energy, reducing landfill waste and cutting CO2 emissions.

Not only is K-Force a green fabric, it feels so good. It's thick and luxurious, to help you feel comforted and supported; ultra-lightweight and moisture-wicking, to help you stay cool and dry; and, it's silky soft to the touch, to protect your sensitive skin from chafing and irritation.

So...that's the story behind our fabric. I hope it helps explain why we believe KALYX bras are good for a woman, good for her game and good for the earth!

Building a Better Sports Bra...

2010-03-04T00:20:00.000-08:00

I've spent my entire life as an athlete. I grew up playing golf, tennis, soccer, and basketball. I spent 5 years circumnavigating the globe playing golf professionally on tours around the world, I trained as a yoga instructor under master teacher Baron Baptiste, was a proud member of the Equestrian Club in college, climbed Kilimanjaro a few years back, dived the Great Barrier Reef, rafted the Klinaklini in northern British Columbia, and, have hiked, biked, boxed, lifted weights, and, every so often, Iaced up a pair of trainers or two and hit the trails for a good heart-rate raising run.

When I moved to California in 2006 and enrolled in the UCLA Anderson's MBA program, I planned to pursue my lifelong dream of starting a woman's athletic apparel company that made cute clothes for women kind of like me: athletes who like to play hard while also being a bit of a "girlie girl." After my first year of b-school, I was awarded a fellowship to continue my research on advances in athletic and intimate apparel manufacturing, and, to study emerging trends in textile development. I had been tinkering around with nano-fabrics, green fabrics, Kevlar, technical outerwear, power meshes, and just for fun, recent advances in both bra design and swimwear manufacturing.

Oh yeah - I was busy. Spending too much time studying, not enough time working up a sweat; much to my dismay, I gained a couple of pounds. I decided the best way to get back into shape was to start training for a marathon. On my first day of training, I made it exactly 200 yards down Venice Beach before I had to stop. Apparently, my booty wasn't the only thing that had gotten bigger. As if by magic (and thanks to some late night pizza delivery) I had gone from a C to a D cup without surgery. My ta-ta's were in excruciating pain.

So...off to my neighborhood sporting goods store I went. It took me a while to find one or two sports bras that were even remotely attractive; everything looked like a scuba vest.

In the dressing room, I promptly proceeded to dislocate my shoulder while trying tonthe athletic apparel industry's equivalent of a straight jacket: the high impact sports bra. As I was sitting there on the dressing room floor, surrounded by a pile of the most unattractive, uncomfortable sports bras imaginable, in tears of both frustration and pain, I asked myself...

"Why can't someone build a better sports bra?"

That was the real moment of inspiration for KALYX. In addition to my other academic research, I started to focus on breast biomechanics. For kicks and giggles, I deconstructed things like body armor, tool belts, shoulder holsters, and baby carriers. I enlisted the help of architects to help me better understand cantilevers, structural engineering and aerodynamics. I engaged a "dream team" of experts, including not just architects, but also designers, engineers, reconstructive surgeons, seamstresses and textile developers to figure out new and innovative ways to develop a better sports bra.

In the middle of my research, I really started thinking about all the different sports that I played, and, started looking more closely at the way a woman's body moves while engaged in a variety of activities. Most sports bra companies just stick a woman on a treadmill and say "see, see how she bounces." Not every woman is a runner, and, for different sports - like yoga, pilates, basketball, golf, cheer-leading and horseback riding - a woman's breasts and body are subjected to different kinds of motion stress than they are when she is running over a period of time. At the same time, women's bodies come in all different shapes and sizes, and, I wanted our sports bras to support as many women as possible.

That's the story behind our KALYX sports bras. Fast forward four years, and, we are finally launching our 2010 collection of activity-specific, environmentally -friendly KALYX athletic bras. It's been a wild and crazy ride. Some days, it's hard to believe we have made it this far. I'll admit, I still haven't knocked off those pounds I gained in b-school and am still sporting a righteous pair of D-cup knockers (note to my friends: please maintain eye contact at all times when you next see me!).

The good news is that thanks to my team, I can now Velcro myself into our Embrace Marathon Running Bra and run to my hearts content in total comfort. More on the rest of our KALYX sports bras, and, my thoughts on bra fitting and a few fun tips coming soon...

~ Kimberly

KALYX Woman of the Week: Rebecca Cardon

2010-02-25T13:40:00.000-08:00

This week, I am so excited to honor Rebecca Cardon as the KALYX "Woman of the Week." I first met this incredible woman when she slipped into a sexy, stylish and supportive KALYX sports bra and stood by my side as I dared to swim the sharks on ABC's reality show "Shark Tank" in September 2009. I have to admit, I was envious of her incredible abs then as I am now - this woman rocks!

Rebecca's no stranger to reality TV. You might have seen her on the Amazing Race, on WorkOut, on Oprah, and, currently, helping recovering addicts get back into the fitness groove on Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab. It's my great pleasure to celebrate Rebecca's adventurous spirit, her playful nature, and, her incredible professionalism. Her lifelong commitment to adventure and fitness are an inspiration to us all!

Rebecca gives KALYX the scoop:

On training Celebrities in Rehab: Much different then training non-addicts because they are sick, many coming off hardcore substance abuse. The last thing they want to do is work out. But it is an important part of the process because energy that was used in negative ways prior to rehab can now be expended in a healthier manner.

Its always a challenge to try and motivate those going through alcohol and drug rehabilitation. Some are receptive, like Dennis Rodman and Phil Varone, who were always so enthusiastic about our workouts. Most of the others preferred to sit and watch while smoking cigarettes

On making the commitment to get fit & fabulous: Taking the steps to changing your life is a struggle whether you are an addict or not. There is no "quick fix," I’m not certain people understand that. What I offer is a lifestyle change...an alternative way to thinking and living. Certainly my workouts are customized according to injury, level, strength and stamina, and, I approach every client with the same gusto…I always tell them - showing up is half the work!

On meeting Oprah: Wow. One word - surreal. She makes you feel like you’re old friends! I was surprised I was able to put a sentence together; she has such a calming effect…feels like you’re the only two in the room. She has such presence and charisma…talking to her makes it easy understand why this world is drawn to her.

Rebecca Cardon wearing the KALYX Extremist Sports Bra

As seen on ABC's Shark Tank

THE KALYX QUESTIONS...

Vital Stats:

Name: Rebecca Lynn Cardon

Birthplace: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Where you live: Los Angeles, CA

Zodiac Sign: Gemini

Nicknames: Bec

Pets: surrogate to my roommate’s doggies..Dr.J and McLovin

Bra Size: 34 A/B

_____________________________________________

Favorites Things:

Vacation Spot: I vary it up. my favs include Capri, Italy, Greek Islands, and, London

Writer: David Sedaris

Cocktail: Kettle soda LOTS of lime

Ice Cream: blackberry cobbler

Flower: gardenia

Perfume: Escada Moon Sparkle

Pair of Shoes: Over the knee black boots from Topshop. LOVELOVELOVE

_____________________________________________

Just for Fun:

What's your best physical feature? I like my feet

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? Diet Hansen’s black cherry soda. One Coconut Water…and chicken potstickers from Traders

What's your favorite form of exercise? weight training

What's one article of clothing you can't live without? my UGGS

What color underwear are you wearing right now? white cotton...so comfy

Blackberry or iPhone? Neither - Voyager!!!

_____________________________________________

The Nitty Gritty

What is your idea of perfect happiness? boarding a plane heading to somewhere magical

What is your greatest fear? airplane takeoffs

What is your guilty pleasure? Jersey Shore and french fries

What is your current state of mind? hopeful and optimistic

Which super power would you most like to have? invisible

When and where were you happiest? The day CBS called and said "Rebecca, Congrats! You are on the new season of The Amazing Race"

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I wish the thoughts in my head about myself were kinder at times

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Breaking the World Record in Bench Press when I was 17 and appearing on Good Morning America for doing so

Where would you most like to live? Hotel hopping around the World

What is your motto? EVERYTHING in moderation

_____________________________________________

Secrets Shared...

Your hardest life lesson learned? Pain=Growth

Your gnarliest wipeout? Skiing in a complete whiteout…hit a jump going full speed....YARD SALE

Your best advice to other women?

Say "I love you" to yourself OUT LOUD at least 5x a day (I say it at red lights)...it will change everything.

Don’t take things personally...most times things have NOTHING to do with you

FLOSS FLOSS FLOSS

All about Rebecca:

Many people recognize Rebecca Cardon from the sixth season of "The Amazing Race "or from Bravo’s docu-drama, "WorkOut", but her interest in physical fitness can be traced back to her early childhood. Cardon’s family, which is made up of several fitness enthusiasts, heavily influenced her passion for physical fitness.

At the age of five, Rebecca’s father took her to the gym and rewarded her with a candy bar every time she completed a set number of pull-ups. Enamored by the overwhelming sense of accomplishment, Rebecca moved on to later compete with her father in the world of competitive weight lifting. In her senior year of high school, she appeared with her father on "Good Morning America" as father/daughter world record holders for the bench press. That record is still in place today.

Majoring in Broadcast Journalism and Communication, Cardon graduated from George Mason University. Rebecca relocated to Los Angeles shortly after and has been a television fitness personality ever since. In 2005, Rebecca and her then boyfriend competed in the Emmy award winning series, “The Amazing Race.” The race consisted of eleven teams racing 40,000 miles across four continents, stopping in 24 different cities, and the two personal trainers completed the race, ultimately placing third. Deemed "the strongest female competitor the race has ever seen" by The Early Show's Harry Smith, Cardon completed the more difficult tasks for her team along the way, taking the reigns and leading them around the world and across the finish line.

In 2006, Rebecca signed onto the Bravo docu-drama, “Work Out.” The series, which ran three seasons, follows Rebecca’s life as a personal trainer at Sky Sport and Spa in Beverly Hills. Flirtatious and uninhibited, Rebecca’s actions and interactions with the other members of the Sky Sport staff led to some of the most talked about moments of the series.

Rebecca can be seen as the spokesperson for several fitness products including "The Bun and Thigh Track" and "The Bean", which are currently airing world-wide and have sold over one million units. She has also anchored and hosted several entertainment shows, including “The Daily Pop” and the E! Radio Network’s “Reality This Week”, which aired on Sirius and XM satellite radio. In March of 2009, Rebecca appeared on The "Oprah Winfrey Show" and in Oprah's April 2009 issue of "O Magazine". A few months later, she joined the staff of the immensely popular "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew" as the group's personal trainer; watch it now on VH1.

To learn more about Rebecca, visit her site: rebeccacardon.com

KALYX Sports Bra Commercial - Director's Cut

2010-02-19T21:31:00.000-08:00

We love it! So exciting to see Team KALYX in action, and, loving the KALYX sports bras being put to the test. These ladies ROCK!

KALYX Woman of the Week: Holly Beck

2010-02-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

On behalf of everyone at Team KALYX, I am thrilled to honor Holly Beck as our newest "KALYX Woman of the Week." Not only is Holly one of the best female surfers on the planet, she is also an accomplished model, writer, actress adventurer, writer, entrepreneur and spokesperson for Body Glove, Rusty Surfboards, Sector 9 Skateboards, Bravo Condoms, Dakine and savethewaves.org.

We asked Holly to share her amazing story, in her own words...

When I was 14, I desperately wanted to learn to surf but my old-fashioned mother kept telling me, “Surfing is for boys. You should be sitting on the beach looking cute in a bikini, not out competing with them. You’ll never get a boyfriend that way!”

I didn’t listen. By the time I was 15 I had saved up enough babysitting money to buy myself a surfboard and a wetsuit. This was in the pre-Blue Crush era, before girls with surfboards were everywhere. I was shy and intimidated by the boys. Without any guidance or coaching, I was forced to learn by trial and error. I focused all my energy on learning to surf and was able to pick it up quickly. Soon I had fallen hopelessly in love with the ocean.

During high school I surfed as much as possible and started entering surf contests. I got sponsored by Rusty Surfboards a month before my 17th birthday, partly as a model, and made my first of what would become an annual winter pilgrimage to the North Shore of Oahu.

After graduating from Peninsula High School in Palos Verdes, CA in 1998, I enrolled at the University of California, San Diego, conveniently perched along the cliffs overlooking one of the best beach breaks in the world. I collected a few more contest wins and sponsorship stickers and began to think that a career in professional surfing was a real possibility for me. At that point I started sacrificing surf time to load up on extra courses and summer school and set a goal to graduate in just three years.

In June of 2001, I graduated from UCSD with a degree in psychology, won the NSSA National Open Championships, officially turned pro, and ecstatically began living my dream of traveling the world as a professional surfer.

Over the next seven years I dragged my board bag through airports all over the world for contests and photo shoots. I went to all the standard surfing destinations like France, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Tahiti, Fiji, Australia, Brazil, Indonesia, and the Maldives. I checked out some of the less frequented spots like Ecuador, England, Portugal, Panama, Haiti, and Tonga. I even collected passport stamps from a few places you might not have even heard of like Sao Tome, Gabon, the Seychelles, and the Andaman Islands.

It was incredible. I met so many inspirational people in so many interesting places. But the constant jet-lag, living out of a bag, foreign bed dramas started to wear on me. I started craving a bit more routine in my life, a little more consistency. But I also wanted good waves in warm water.

In 2004, my boyfriend Ryan and I took a trip to Nicaragua. We rented a little car and drove all over the country exploring. We spent more time driving than surfing, but saw a lot of coastline and got a good feel for the country. A year later we returned and started falling in love with the waves and people. Of all the places I’ve travelled, Nicaragua is the only one that I’ve really wanted to call home.

By 2008, we had purchased four different pieces of property and even started building a little house. I formed a new dream of living in Nicaragua full time. We began brainstorming ideas for how to sustain ourselves both financially and mentally, and came up with the idea to create a retreat for female surfers. As further proof that if you want something bad enough and are prepared to work for it anything is possible, in Spring 2010 Suave Dulce will open.

Currently, Holly is working on a book about her globe-trotting experiences as a pro surfer. You can keep tabs on her latest adventures by following her blog, "Holly Beck Surfs." Interested in learning how to ride like Holly? Check out her newly opened surf camp & yoga retreat for women - Suave Dulce - in Nicaragua.

THE KALYX QUESTIONS...

Vital Stats:

Name: Holly Beck

Birthplace: Palos Verdes, CA

Where you live: Redondo Beach, CA

Zodiac Sign: Scorpio

Nicknames:

Pets: 3 dogs that live at my house in Nicaragua. A mother and her two pups.

Bra Size: KALYX medium

Favorites Things:

Vacation Spot: Baja California

Writer: Tom Robbins, John Kerouac, Ken Kesey, Aldous Huxley, Kurt Vonnegut

Cocktail: A microbrewed IPA

Ice Cream: mint chip

Flower: plumeria

Perfume: sea salt and wood smoke

Pair of Shoes: barefoot

Just for Fun:

What's your best physical feature? Washboard abs

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator? Heavy cream for coffee, microbrewed beer, New Zealand grass fed sharp cheddar cheese

What's your favorite form of exercise? I don’t exercise, I play. That could involve surfing, skateboarding, hiking, etc.

What's one article of clothing you can't live without? Body Glove bikini

What color underwear are you wearing right now? Underwear? What’s that?

Blackberry or iPhone? Iphone!!!

The Nitty Grity

What is your idea of perfect happiness? Losing myself in enjoyment of this moment, whatever it is I happen to be doing.

What is your greatest fear? paralysis

What is your guilty pleasure? I don’t believe in feeling guilty about pleasure, but I guess sometimes I feel guilty about too much time spent editing videos on my computer.

What is your current state of mind? Excited about the day. (it’s 5:45 am and im up with coffee waiting for sunrise so I can skate down and check the surf)

Which super power would you most like to have? The ability to snap my fingers and appear somewhere else in the world

When and where were you happiest? At my home in Nicaragua, every time I’m there.

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? I would be less selfish.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? Graduating from UCSD in three years then spending the last ten years getting paid to surf and explore the world.

Where would you most like to live? I would most like to spend at least six months living in Nicaragua, three months living in California, and the other three living out of a bag while on the road in far reaching corners of the globe.

What is your motto? As far as we know, we only get one life. Enjoy each and every moment. Live on the edge, because it’s more exciting that way.

Secrets Shared...

Your hardest life lesson learned? You must learn forgiveness in order to truly love.

Your gnarliest wipeout? I was towed into massive waves in Tahiti, got a little overconfident and didn’t make one. In the space of about ten minutes I got the biggest wave, heaviest tube, and gnarliest wipeout of my life.

Your best advice to other women? Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t do something. If you believe in yourself, anything is possible.

THANK YOU, HOLLY!

Look Who's Wearing a KALYX Sports Bra...

2010-02-16T14:06:00.000-08:00

Just got the latest February 22, 2010 issue of Life & Style Magazine.

There I was, sitting at my desk, flipping through the pages, catching up on all the latest juicy gossip, when, something familiar, yet, unexpected caught my eye - a KALYX sports bra. I mean, the bra wasn't on my desk...it was in the magazine!

There it was, a KALYX sports bra. A "snow" colored KALYX Centered Reversible Yoga Bra, jumping off the page at me. My first thought? Omg, that's my bra. My second thought? Damn, Jennifer Aniston looks good - she had got one fabulous figure! And then? Okay, I admit...I had to do a little dance around the office. Call me crazy, but, this photo made my day...

You can catch up on all things KALYX by visiting our web site - goKALYX.com.

Tune in tomorrow to read the questions we posed to the our newest KALYX "Woman of the Week" award winner!

XOXO...

2010-02-14T08:51:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

From everyone at KALYX

Oh, Canada...

2010-02-13T15:22:00.000-08:00

Oh, Canada.

The Vancouver Olympics kicked into high gear last night with a spectacular opening ceremony. More than 80 countries are represented in to 2010 Winter Games and each nation was introduced to the Canadian audience during the “Parade of Nations.”

I love watching the games – so much anticipation and excitement. Watching the thrill of victory, and, the agony of defeat; it’s all the stuff that makes sports addicting . I also love watching to see what everyone is wearing. Outfitting the Olympic Teams is serious business! With a little luck, I hope one day KALYX sports bras will be protecting the precious assets of Olympic athletes. :)

Last night, I watched the opening ceremonies with one of my favorite Canadians, Team KALYX Calendar girl Jamie Lanfranco. Jamie’s a Vancouver native, and, she had lots to say about what folks were wearing, her favorite things in Canada, and, a few fun facts about our neighbors to the North.

Jamie in the KALYX Kickstart Extreme Sports Bra

Following is, well, our running conversation throughout the opening ceremonies. I think Jamie got a little annoyed with some of my questions but she was a good sport. I'm including a couple of fun photos, and, a sneak peak at some of the fashions we are eager to see in action over the next few days. Enjoy!

Interview with a Canadian…

Jamie, tell us about Vancouver: It’s breathtaking. Always a beautiful contrast everywhere you look. The most awesome thing about Vancouver is that you can do almost anything imaginable in one day – sailing, swimming, skiing, and skating. The people are wonderful, and, the city is so beautiful at night.

What’s up with the “Whistler Weather?” It’s foggy in Whistler. Also, people should know, it doesn’t rain all the time in Vancouver.

Where exactly are they holding the games? The Winter Olympics are taking place all over the lower mainland, including Whistler, Vancouver, and Cypress Mountain, where I learned to snowboard after work on Wednesdays.

Favorite place to snowboard in Canada? Big White in Kelowna

Who's Your Favorite Canadian Athlete? You mean other than Wayne Gretzky? Seriously, Canada has a great Olympic team this year, I support them all.

Favorite Canadian Dinner? Fresh Moose Steak.

"Fresh?" Yes, fresh. My dad hunts.

Also, Poutine. French fries with cheese curds and gravy.

Why do they call it "KD" in Canada? You mean Kraft Dinner?

No, I mean Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. We call it Kraft Dinner. We eat it with Ketchup

Favorite Olympic Sports? Hockey, Curling, Speed Skating.

What do you want Americans visiting to Canada to know about your country? That a “parkade” is not an alternative to butter, it’s where you park your car.

You mean a parking garage? Yes, a parkade.

Favorite American in the Olympics? Apolo Ohno.

Do you speak French? Oui

"The Parade of Nations" Jamie & Me - Color Commentary.

Me: Okay, here we go - it cost people like $1,000 a ticket, I hope this is good!

Jamie: That bear looks like the Stay Puft Marsh-mellow Man.

Jamie: Andorra? I’ve never heard of it. 83,000 people in the country. 6 athletes. Amazing.

Me: The guys from Bermuda are wearing shorts. Imagine that.

Jamie: Loving the white coats the flag bearers are wearing!

Me. Azerbaijan. Nice Pants.

Jamie: Fabulous outfits.

Me: Czech Republic. OMG. Craziness.

Me: Hey - the French outfits are kind of boring, I expected more from the country that gave us Chanel Surfboards. Did you see their skiercross team? Everyone's wearing hot pink, from head to toe. And, they bedazzled the back - it says FRANCE in big rhinestones. It's wild.

Jamie: Germany. They look like ice cream cones.

Me: Georgia. Such a sad day for them. How hard to march in the parade after losing a team member.

Jamie: Yes, it was tragic. A very sad way to start the Olympics. It's been all over the news, it was awful to see the pictures.

Me: Those are the events that scare me - luge, skeleton, bobsled. I don't think I am cut out for that stuff, those guys are really brave...

Jamie: India. A country with 1.1 Billion people but only 3 athletes? Italy. So chic. What a nice coat.

Me (a bit distracted as am searching for Olympic fashion facts on Google): Ooh, yeah, that is classy. The Italians are so stylish. Hey, speaking of stylish - check this out. Rodarte designed this for the figure skaters. It's crochet. Is someone really going to wear that?

Jamie: Mongolia. Gold Dress and Fur Hat? Stunning.

Me: Nepal. I want a hat like that. What a groovy flag.

TV Commentary: It's world’s only non-rectangular flag.

Jamie: Netherlands. Very slick.

Me: Pumpkin is the best color...is that the stuff by Asics? They make the best running shoes.

Jamie: Russians. LOVE the pattern on the jackets.

Me (still Google stalking): Check out the Uniforms for the US Bobsled team, from the guys at Under Armour. They are so Evel Knievel.

Me: OMG – aren’t the Indians tired by now?

Jamie: Hey, they are not Indians. They are the First Nations Peoples.

Me: Well, Matt Lauer just called them aboriginal people; Bob Costas refers to them as indigenous people. Are those Hula Hoops?

Jamie: They’ve been dancing for over an hour now. No, those are not Hula Hoops.

Me: Hey, where are the women commentators on NBC tonight?

Jamie: Slovenia. The coats. How cute are they? The flag girl is super pretty.

Me (again, with a little help from Google): the Slovenian is Tina Maze, she's an Alpine Skier. All the Skiers are so cute. Did you see Lindsey Vonn on the cover of SI? I hope her leg heals so she can race...

Me: Team USA. Love the hats. Ralph Lauren designed everything...

Jamie: That's so American. Shaun White, he’s so cute.

Jamie: Team Canada. Made by Hudson Bay Company this year. I like the plaid scarves. Canada rocks. Love the solid red coat. It’s a good, strong, proud coat. It’s like they are saying, make yourself at home and then we are going to kick your ass.

The end!

Yummy Goodness...

2010-02-12T11:21:00.000-08:00

Ooh la la! Valentine's Day is almost upon us. Right now, I am thinking about neither boobs nor KALYX sports bras nor business. Today I'm all about sweet treats.

What tops my list of things I love most about living in LA? Cupcakes. Seriously, this city is CRAZY for cupcakes. Surprising, isn't it? Hey - every so often, a girl's gotta take a break from working on her fitness business in order to treat herself to some sugary yummy goodness.

Following is a quick list of my favorite bakeries in and around LA. I think I've got the city covered; although, if I am missing someplace special, let me know! Here goes...Sprinkles in Beverly Hills, Violet's in Pasadena, Couture Cupcakes in Manhattan Beach, Yummy Cupcakes in Santa Monica, Big Sugar Bakeshop in Studio City, and, Big Man Bakes in Downtown LA.

What would a blog posting about cupcakes be without a few sweet and sassy photos to tantalize your tastebuds. You have to love the last photo, who doesn't want a cupcake with SNOG written on it for St. Valentine's Day? Enjoy!

KALYX Woman of the Week: Mandy Ingber

2010-02-10T12:45:00.000-08:00

On behalf of everyone at KALYX, I am thrilled to honor Mandy Ingber as our first "KALYX Woman of the Week." She is a remarkable woman of rare substance and true style. See what secrets Mandy has to share and learn some fun facts about this amazing woman...

Learn more about Mandy

"Having the body you want begins with loving the body you have.” This attitude of acceptance has been very effective in terms of changing bodies.

Mandy Ingber is one of the most popular yoga and fitness instructors in Los Angeles, selling out classes by motivating people through her light-hearted approach and unique teaching style. It is her ability to connect with a wide range of students which makes her accessible to the yoga novice as well as the professional athlete.

Mandy has been named “Best of LA” in LA Weekly and Los Angeles Magazine for her motivation, inspiration and the unprecedented popularity of her now legendary classes. She has been a wellness and inspirational spokesperson for Crystal Light, and a contributing editor to the Health and Beauty blog on Glamnet. She has also been an event headliner for the People Magazine A-List Workout and a tastemaker in Los Angeles Magazine’s Design Book LA. Daily Candy nominated her music playlists “The Best Of Sound”. Mandy is featured regularly in publications, such as Self, InStyle, Vogue, Los Angeles, LA Weekly, People, Us, Life&Style, Glamour, Talk, Vanity Fair, and others. She has appeared on E!, Access Hollywood, VH1s Hollywood’s Tightest Bodies, and Extra.

Ingber’s public appeal grew when she did a spread in SELF magazine in 2006 with client Jennifer Aniston. Other clients include Ricki Lake, Brooke Shields, Woody Harrelson, jewelry designer Jennifer Meyer, and Helen Hunt, who gave her credit on the red carpet for getting her body “Oscar-ready.”

Mandy recently launched her new “Yogalosophy” DVD. "I have found that changing my attitude affects my emotions, and my body changes accordingly," says Mandy. "Sometimes I am motivated by nurture, sometimes by intensity. My motivational hybrid technique revolves around cycles of change. Yogalosophy can help you use the natural flow to recreate your body through intentions, emotions, and other motivational triggers."

THE KALYX QUESTIONS...

Vital Stats:

Name: Mandy Ingber

Birthplace: Los Angeles, California

Where you live: Santa Monica , California

Zodiac Sign: Capricorn, Scorpio rising, Gemini moon

Nicknames: Mag, Maggie, Mandala, Goat, Nelson

Pets: no

Bra Size: (According to the KALYX measuring tape!) 33 C

Favorites Things:

Vacation Spot: Hawaii

Writer: Henry Miller

Cocktail: Dirty Martini

Ice Cream: Coconut milk ice cream

Flower: Orchid

Perfume: Child, Vanilla oil

Pair of Shoes: Fornarina platforms

Just for Fun:

What's your best physical feature?

My legs

What 3 things can always be found in your refrigerator?

an old jar of molasses (don't ask) , arugala, a secret stash of chocolate

What's your favorite form of exercise?

yoga, spinning

What's one article of clothing you can't live without?

my Kalyx sports bras! (seriously) actually, it was my black cashmere sweater, but I just lost it...so...there goes that theory

What color underwear are you wearing right now?

um....N/A

Blackberry or iPhone?

Blackberry

The Nitty Grity

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Inner Peace, being near the ocean. Just after a big accomplishment. Boyfriend in the bed.

What is your greatest fear?

That I will not be able to live up to other's expectations of me/ small enclosed spaces

What is your guilty pleasure?

Googling myself

What is your current state of mind?

ready, willing and able

Which super power would you most like to have?

time travel

When and where were you happiest?

Right now. Filling out this questionnaire

If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

i would never try to fix or change another person

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

overcoming an eating disorder

Where would you most like to live?

malibu

What is your motto?

physician, heal thyself

Secrets Shared

Your hardest life lesson learned?

sometimes people disappoint you and you have to accept it.

Your gnarliest wipe-out?

being physically assaulted at age 22

Your best advice to other women?

do not look to men to define you

THANK YOU, MANDY!

Women Who Kick Ass (Part 2)

2010-02-06T17:43:00.000-08:00

Here it is: The KALYX list "Top 10 List of No-Nonsense Women Who Kick Ass and Look Good While Doing It." Actually, there are 12 lovely ladies on this list. Once I got going, I had a hard time eliminating any of these amazing women. Let me add a little disclaimer before we begin: if you were looking for a bunch of bikini clad babes you came to the wrong place. This list is comprised of women who inspire; women who defy convention, women with stamina and staying power, women who, in one way or another, have shaped my life and have left me breathless with admiration. These women have more substance and style than I ever will. That said, away we go:

12. Suzanne Lenglen, Tennis Sensation, Wimbledon, 1920

A flamboyant, trendsetting athlete, Suzanne was the first female tennis celebrity and one of the first international female sports stars. Named "La Divine" by the French press, she won 31 Championship titles between 1914 and 1926. With 15 Wimbledon titles to her name, this Frenchwoman shocked crowds by playing with bare arms, wearing ankle-length dresses and drinking brandy between sets. What I love most about her? British fans dubbed Lenglen "the French Hussy" for playing without a corset during the 1920 championship after she defeated English sensation Dorothea Douglass Lambert Chambers in one of the hallmark matches in Wimbledon history.

11. Princess Leia, played by Carrie Fisher, "Return of the Jedi"

Okay, even though I told you this list was free of bikini clad babes, you know I had to include at least one. Although, I might argue that Leia's golden bikini was really a prototype for the ultimate intergalactic KALYX sports bra. What I love most about her? “Snide, snarky, and about as un-princess-like as one could be, Leia Organa takes charge of her rag-tag rescue band from the moment Han, Luke, and Chewie release her from the cell block. Defiant, cock-sure, and a natural leader, if there was any Imperial ass to kick, Leia was there with blaster in hand.”

10. Georgia O'Keeffe, Artist

Georgia O'Keeffe kicked some serious ass in the world of art. Her best known paintings are of large flowers that cover the entire canvass with just one blossom, the sheer size and scope of which tend to make the flowers look very - how do I say this delicately? – like a big giant va-ja-ja. What I love about O'Keeffe's work is her elegant use of color, there is a purity and lucidity to her still-life compositions that makes my toes curl.

9. Christiane Amanpour, Award Winning Jounalist

Christiane Amanpour joined CNN in 1983 as an entry-level assistant on the network’s international assignment desk in Atlanta. She worked her way up to correspondent in CNN’s New York bureau before becoming an international correspondent in 1990. Her first major assignment was the Gulf War, and she has since covered wars, famine, genocide and natural disasters around the globe. She has secured exclusive interviews with world leaders from the Middle East to Europe to Africa and beyond. What I admire and respect so much about this woman is that, in times of great crisis, she is there - bravely and courageously, in the thick of the battle and the heat of the moment - reporting on some of the most relevant, controversial, powerful and dangerous topics of our time.

8. Sarah Conner, played by Linda Hamilton, "Terminator 2"

When I first met Sarah Conner, she was a sweet and simple California girl with really bad eighties hair. Not my top choice as the military-minded warrior to be entrusted with liberating all of mankind from unstoppable killing machines from the future. But stop them she did, and, along the way, Sarah got a world class makeover. What I love about Sarah, and, about Linda Hamilton for undertaking this role, is that when push came to shove, girlfriend got her game on and transformed herself into a lean, mean, Terminator hunting machine with the most rocking guns in action hero history.

7. Serena Williams, Tennis Legend, US OPEN 2002

At the 2002 US Open, Williams sent tongues a wagging when she showed up dressed to kill in a black, body-hugging Lycra cat-suit designed by Puma. If you are like me, you can’t remember who won the Open that year - for the record, it was Serena - because you were too busy asking someone "Have you seen it?" Williams, undeniably one of the greatest athletes in history, has a wicked sense of style. She’s chic, she’s sleek, and she pushes the edge of the envelope by daring to be different. It took some major chutzpah to wear that cat suit with all the world watching; I’m glad she did.

6. Madonna, Artist, Actress & Entrepreneur

The NY Times has commented that, "Madonna, whether you like or not, started a revolution amongst women in music. She made the female body seem more like a machine with cravings, rather than a Barbie doll. Her attitudes and opinions on sex, nudity, style and sexuality forced the public to take up and notice." The ultimate Material Girl, I love how Madonna is constantly reinventing herself. My favorite Madonna lyrics? "You deserve the best in life / So if the time isn't right then move on / Second best is never enough / You'll do much better baby on your own."

5. The Bride, played by Uma Thurman, "Kill Bill”

I never quite imagined Uma Thurman as a sword-wielding killer, but, after watching her relentless rampage of revenge in Kill Bill, I was a believer. Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: When she started training for the film, Uma was three months removed from childbirth and 30 lbs overweight. The first time she swung the 10-lb. samurai sword her character uses in Kill Bill's climactic duel, she hit herself in the head and nearly burst into tears. Talk about a transformation: Thurman got with the program and spent three months immersed in martial-arts training. "Three styles of kung fu, two styles of sword fighting" — Thurman said to Time Magazine – "knife throwing, knife fighting, hand-to-hand combat, Japanese speaking. It was literally absurd." As absurd as it might have been, I admire her dedication to her craft.

4. Annika Sorenstam, Golf's Greatest, 2003 Colonial

Annika, winner of 72 official LPGA tournaments including ten majors, made history at the 2003 Bank of America Colonial tournament as the first woman to play in a men's PGA Tour event since 1945. As she walked off the 18^th green after missing the cut on Friday, Sorenstam began to cry. I think of this marks one of the most admirable and courageous moments in sports history – there she was, the greatest woman to have ever played the game, in tears. I'll never know what Annika went through that week...there was a firestorm of controversy surrounding her participation in that tournament, and, some of the PGA Tour's most respected players let it be clearly known they didn't appreciate a girl teeing it up on their turf. Despite the controversy, Annika conducted herself with grace and class. She played like the champion she is, and, I admire that she was able to kick some serious ass while still showing the world that she thoroughly human.

3.Thelma & Louise

My favorite good girls gone bad. Hollywood spends a lot of time making movies about bimbos, prostitutes, vipers and bitches and glamorizing the misogynists who kill them, Ridley Scott’s 1991 Thelma & Louise was a breath of fresh air. It’s the ultimate chick flick – watch it with your best friend and be prepared to laugh, to cringe, and, ultimately to cry. These ladies rock.

2. Brandy Chastain, Bra-Baring Soccer Sensation

Who could forget one of the greatest moments in Sports Bra History? On July 10, 1999, at the Women’s World Cup, after scoring the fifth penalty kick to give the United States the win over China in the final game, Chastain celebrated by ripping off her jersey and falling to her knees in her black Nike sports bra. Throughout sports history, there have been endless questions about whether having breasts is a handicap or not, this was the moment when female athletes “came out of the locker room” to declare breasts as symbols of power and proficiency rather than impediments.

1. Patsy Mink, Co-Author of Title IX

Title IX, as it is commonly known, changed the way the

United States

educates its women and girls. “No person in the United States, shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance,” it states. This monumental legislation has had far-reaching effect. Title IX is best known for moving women’s athletics toward parity with men’s programs, but the academic world beyond the playing field and locker room have been significantly changed as well. Generations of women have and will benefit from her work...I look forward to sharing more about this subject in a future blog and am thrilled to include Patsy Mink on this list of incredible women.

So, there you have it. The KALYX list of 12 No-Nonsense Women Who Kick Ass and Look Good While Doing It. I'm sure that you will think of a few that I left off, so, please - let me know: Who's missing from this list? What women inspire you? I look forward to your comments!

Women Who Kick Ass (Part 1)

2010-02-04T23:45:00.000-08:00

Every day, I drag myself out of bed around half past six. After a quick shower, I throw on a pair of beat up old jeans, a black cashmere turtleneck, and, my favorite black boots. Hair in a bun, pearl earrings in place, concealer covering the dark circles underneath my eyes, lips freshly glossed, I'm out the door, and, after a quick stop at my favorite Coffee Bean & Tea, I'm at the KALYX warehouse in Inglewood and up to my eyeballs in sports bras by 7:30 am.

Most days, I manage to juggle my two cups of coffee, my design bag, my briefcase, a couple of sets of keys, a stack of mail, and, my constantly buzzing blackberry, all while unlocking the doors, shutting off the alarms, turning on the lights, firing up the space heaters, and, checking to make sure our office mascot - a black beta named Niko-Humu - is still alive.

There's always trash to be taken out, bathrooms to be cleaned, samples to be hung up, shipping supplies to be put away, calls to return, bills to be paid and an ever growing mountain papers on my desk that need sorting, all before the rest of my team shows up an hour later and we start getting down to brass tacks - that's life as a CEO in the wild, wild west world of start-up companies. Not quite as glamorous as you might imagine it to be...

Don't feel too sorry for me, I love what I do, I am living my dream! That said, most days I drive down the 405 knowing that I am going to spend the next twelve hours getting my teeth kicked in. Being an entrepreneur is hard work, and, every so often, I question whether or not I have what it takes. It's at those very moments that I think about the women in my life that inspire me.

And, by inspire, I don't mean my grandma who was sweet as a peach and loved to latch hook me a new stocking every Christmas. I mean women who kick some major ass and look great while doing it. Women of substance and style; women I wish I could trade places with for a few hours; women who, for lack of any better term, rock a helluva lot more than I do.

So...here goes: tomorrow, i will be posting my first favorite "Top 10 List of No-Nonsense Women Who Kick Ass and Look Good While Doing It." Some are action heroes, some are athletes, an artist, a rock star, a journalist - real or make believe, I think these women are super cool.

Looking forward to seeing if you agree!

2010-02-04T17:39:00.001-08:00

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What's in a Name?

2010-02-03T21:07:00.000-08:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."

~ Juliet Capulet, from Romeo & Juliet, by William Shakespeare

As a woman, as an athlete, and, as an entrepreneur, I wanted the name of our new athletic apparel company to have weight, depth, and meaning. Our name needed to be strong, to have character; yet, it also needed to be sporty, playful, and, fun. We wanted something short and sweet, no more than 5 letters long, and, everyone agreed that there needed to be an "X" in there somewhere, it seemed so modern and se"x"y. Last but certainly not least, as the founder of the company, I wanted our name to be reflective of our core product line - sports bras - and of our mission to protect the precious assets of female athletes.

It took us almost two years to settle on the name "KALYX Technologies, Inc."

KALYX was derived from the Latin word Calyx, which refers to the outermost part of a flower, the part that protects the petals during the bud stage, and, from the Greek word Kalos, which refers to the singular balance of good and beautiful. Indeed, the name KALYX captures the strength and beauty of the female athlete.

They say a picture is worth a 1,000 words, right? Well, once we had the name, we set out to design our logo, the symbol that would define our products and our company. Our design team wanted "the KALYX" to be graceful, strong, and symmetrical. We looked at sketches by Leonardo DaVinci, at image after image of flowers, butterflies, and Chinese symbols; we even studied photographs of female athletes, especially yogis, deeply engaged in their practice.

One of our designers kicked things into high gear by sketching out a feminine version of Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man. We tinkered with stylized images of "K's" and "X's," with real calyxes, and, also with the Chinese symbol for "shui," water.

I'll share a little secret with you - I have a small tattoo of this symbol on the inside of my right wrist. Together with fire, wood, earth and metal, water is one of the five elements. It symbolizes yin, the female principle, to fire's masculine yang. In the Taoist tradition, the character of water is soft, yielding and pliant, as, according to philosopher Laotze, a traditional Chinese woman should be. He believed that water's character made it possible for "weak to overcome strong, soft to overcome hard."

That last line makes me think long about what it means to be a woman. It's a deeply personal question, and, I am bet that every woman has a different answer. To me, being a woman combines elements of softness, compassion, grace, and femininity with an underlying wealth of dignity, resilience, and fortitude; the perfect combination of beauty and strength. All the things that I had hoped KALYX would convey.

Playing With the Boys

2010-02-02T20:29:00.000-08:00

I grew up playing with the boys. Golf wasn't exactly a popular sport with girls when I was growing up, and, my only option was to tee it up with the guys. I was the captain of my high school boys' golf team, and, am pretty proud of that fact that we won three straight state championships. I never stopped to ask my teammates how they felt about having a chick as their fearless leader, it never occurred to me that the whole scenario was a bit unusual. I loved to play, and, I wasn't willing to wait patiently on the sidelines until there were enough girls to field a team of our own.

Although I've always considered myself to be a fierce competitor, I know that I'm not as physically strong as my male counterparts. Even on my best days, I would struggle to keep up with them when we played from the tips, and, no matter how long my drives, I still had a hard time reaching the greens in regulation. Funny, I never felt like I was at a disadvantage, and, I never got discouraged. What I lacked in physical strength, I made up for with accuracy, consistency and finesse. I'm sure none of those boys liked getting beaten by a lip-gloss wearing girl sporting freshly manicured nails, but, at the end of the day, they never complained to me.

Women in business, women in sports - some interesting parallels indeed...while much has changed, some of the struggles are still the same. Did you know that women in America still earn 77 cents for every dollar a man makes, female entrepreneurs receive less than 4% of all venture capital every year, and, of all the Fortune 1000 companies, only 28 chicks are in charge? I often think about the men I admire in the athletic apparel industry - Yvon Chouinard, who started Patagonia with a better piton; Phil Knight, who started Nike with a better pair of shoes; Kevin Plank, who started Under Armour with a better t-shirt - and wonder if they had to work as hard as I am right now to get their companies off the ground.

I started KALYX with the intention of building a better sports bra. Like many of the athletic women out there, I've endured the painful workouts, the horrors of the uni-boob, the shoulders dislocated while trying to escape from a sweat-soaked sports bra that resembles a straight jacket, and, the general sense of malaise that comes with always knowing that, as a woman, the major athletic apparel companies aren't paying attention to what you really need. I waited patiently for someone to build a better sports bra for me; until, one day, I just got tired of sitting on the sidelines.

So here I am, once again, playing with the boys.

After 5 years of planning and preparation, KALYX is finally getting into the game. We just started shipping out our first sports bras, and, are in the process of ramping up our wholesale sales. Running a start-up is hard work - the hours are long, the pay is low, and, there is so much to be done. Most days, we struggle to keep up with the "big" boys - companies that are bigger, stronger and better financed than we will ever be. Funny thing, we don't feel like we are at a disadvantage. At KALYX, what we lack in size and strength, we make up for with creativity, determination, passion, enthusiasm, and pride.

These days, I think of myself as a woman, not a girl; my lips still glossy, my nails freshly manicured. It's likely the "big" boys don't know that our sweet little sports bra company even exists; I'm officially putting them on notice: we are here to play.

Busted!

2010-02-01T18:24:00.000-08:00

So...here I am. Boldly going into the blogosphere.

You might be wondering - Who are you? Technically, I am the Founder and CEO of KALYX Technologies, a new woman's athletic apparel company, based in sunny southern California, specializing in eco-loving sports bras and apparel for the active woman. A nice introduction, right? Probably not the answer you were looking for...

We've had a lot of discussions around our office about this blog. What is BUSTED all about? In my heart, I feel like that answer goes back to that simple question, who are you?

Some days, that's an easier question to answer than others. I am an artist, an athlete, an entrepreneur. I love fashion, fitness, friends, family, food, fine California wine. My singular focus for the past three years has been on designing and developing an innovative new line of activity-specific sports bras, and, a comprehensive line of athletic apparel, so, through trial and error, I've also become somewhat of an expert on bra-fitting, boobs & women's bodies.

Above all else, I am a modern woman. A woman who is trying to have it all, and, is working to balance a million different things all at the same time. These days, on my quest to have it all, I find myself spending too much time working, and, not enough time hanging out with my family and friends. In my own way, this blog represents my efforts to interject a little bit of balance back into my life...to have some fun, and, to dive into all the subjects my girlfriends and I would be dishing about if we were together.

Am not so certain I am cut out to be a blogger; that said, I want to have some kind of record of this crazy and amazing journey I am on. I want to be able to share my passions, my thoughts, my feelings, and, my knowledge with you. I hope you find something here you like, I welcome your comments, and, I hope you visit again and again.

I might have to take a couple steps back and fill you on on how I got here, so, this week, I'll try to share a little bit more about myself and my company. After that, well...am looking forward to having a helluva lotta fun with the BUSTED blog.

~ Kimberly

Welcome to the Official Blog of KALYX Technologies!

2010-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

Here we go...