Instagram Made Me Buy It: Constantly Varied Gear

I swear I’m not a soft touch for Instagram advertising! But dang it, Constantly Varied Gear FINALLY got me.

This post is unsponsored. I purchased my Constantly Varied Gear items with my own money and have not been in contact with the brand in advance of publication. All experiences and opinions are my own.

WHAT IS CONSTANTLY VARIED GEAR?

I say finally because I’ve been seeing ads for Constantly Varied Gear for literal years. The company makes a small but mighty selection of athletic wear, including leggings, sports bras, shorts, and tees. Their big claim to fame is their many, many fun squat-proof patterns. Minimalists, keep walking – while they do offer a small collection of solids, most of what they make is covered in a unique print. If you don’t like it loud, you’re not the target audience.

CVG is a family-owned company located in Massachusetts. Their warehouse is also in MA, should buying from American-based businesses and small businesses be important to you. The products are not American made, if that is important to you.

In addition to their product line, they have cultivated an online CVG community presence, with an app, podcast, Facebook group, workout plans, and similar. I have not explored these elements as I am not a joiner, but if you’re looking for friends, that could be a good place to do it.

HOW THEY GOT ME

Look, I have a thing for plaid, okay? I’ve been able to resist CVG’s prints for a long time, but they sucked me in with the orange tartan. In addition to loving cheerful workout gear I also love a good matching set. Their prices, while not cheap, are reasonable enough, and I could see myself wearing this outfit many times, strengthening the value proposition.

Perhaps the biggest motivator, however, was that I couldn’t seem to find anything quite like it. I did a little comparison shopping to see if I could dig up similar products, but nobody had a pattern I liked as much – or if they did, the leggings had no side pockets. Boo. Boo!!!!

So after the tenth time scrolling past their ad, I had to click through.

MY CONSTANTLY VARIED GEAR SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

CVG is set up on a basic Shopify platform as far as I can tell. You nose your way through products, grab what you want, and check out when you’re ready. Discounts are generally already built into a product rather than advertised with a code. For example, the orange plaid leggings were 20% off when I bought them, no code required.

The cart is set up so that if you don’t check out after a certain time period you’ll receive a 10% off code. I ultimately added a sales item to my cart in order to get free shipping, which starts at $100. The 10% off applied to the entire cart price, not just non-discounted items.

If you like, you can join their rewards program as well, although I’m not sure how long it takes to amass any meaningful points.

Be sure to keep an eye on product descriptions for sizing recommendations. Some items are true to size; for some, the brand recommends you size up or down depending.

Overall there is nothing distinguished about the Constantly Varied Gear shopping experience, but neither is it frustrating or opaque. No complaints.

CVG CUSTOMER SERVICE IS SOLID… WITH THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF RETURNS

I will say that CVG customer service is proactive. I received multiple updates throughout the shipping process, with touch points when the package was prepared, when it was picked up, and when it finally shipped. They even sent out an email to their full list explaining that they’d been very busy, apologized in case anyone had noticed a shipping delay therefore, and offered everyone a $10 off coupon for their trouble. I love a company that seems to be paying attention. I mean yeah, it’s largely just marketing, but it’s still a good look.

Packing is not elaborate but it is bespoke. Oddly, the tank top I ordered was packaged in a bag with one of the other products (I don’t remember which), so make sure you check everything before you conclude an item is missing.

You may receive a discount code after your purchase, as well as far providing a review – I got both. These codes work a limited time, though, so they’re only really useful if you plan to place another order soon.

CVG accepts returns and exchanges up to 30 days after delivery. They’re free… but you’ll be assessed a handling fee. That’s kind of a bummer. Products must be unworn and unwashed, which I think is fair enough. Just make sure you’re ready before you take that tag off.

BUT IS THE PRODUCT ANY GOOD?

I am not entirely sold on the longline sports bra design, to be honest. Part of the problem was completely predictable: many longline sports bras chafe on me, and this one is no exception. However, I also found the cut a bit weird. You need to pull the bottom band way far down or it pinches your armpits. Or anyway it does mine. I don’t mind the way the bra sits for casual wear, and it definitely looks cute with the pants, but it’s not ideal for long runs.

I do like the shaping the built-in cups provide, although bustier gals may not trust the strappy back.

The black crop tank is soft, free-flowing, and a flattering length on me at 5’9″, but there is nothing particularly noteworthy about it. I’m not sorry I bought one as a free shipping stretch item. I’d even pick up another for the same reason. Still, I wouldn’t urge anyone to buy the tank on its own.

The orange plaid leggings, by contrast, are both unique in color and verifiably very comfortable. I was impressed with the fit and the quality of the print, and of course the side pockets are absolutely clutch.

I even believe sizing down as suggested by the product page was the correct call. The fabric provides lots of compressive stretch, and the print maintains its shape and vibrancy even across my butt and thighs. One nitpick that doesn’t bother me but I did notice: the pattern doesn’t line up perfectly along the seams.

I wound up doing several long training runs in these pants, including my 16 miler. While the sports bra did chafe as noted above, the pants held up great!

COMFY YES, STURDY LESS SO

So great that I wore them during the Marine Corps Marathon. They got me through all 26.2 miles successfully AND garnered positive attention from fellow runners and spectators alike. “Go Plaid Pants!” was a common cry. A runner pulled up next to me to tell me he loved the ‘fit.

Sadly, an issue did arise: while pulling up my pants after a bathroom break, the safety pin holding my bib on snagged and left two sizable holes in the fabric. Two little safety pin holes hardly renders the leggings unusable, but I confess I’m a bit disappointed. I’m hoping they’ll shrink up a bit with time. Or maybe I can figure out a repair.

Practitioners of gentle sweat sessions like yoga or Pilates may not be concerned. On the other hand, if you’re rough with your running clothes, Constantly Varied Gear may not be for you.

SHOULD YOU BUY FROM CONSTANTLY VARIED GEAR?

If you’re looking for running or workout gear with both side pockets and a side of loud prints, Constantly Varied Gear is perfect for you. I wouldn’t go so far as to say it’s the only shop in its class, but it’s certainly in a small number.

You may also slot in with the CVG ethos if you care a lot about supporting small, local, and/or family business, or if you want a brand that comes with a side of community.

Should you be content with plain, patternless colors, there are any number of other brands that are cheaper and/or more sustainable. They don’t offer nearly the same wow factor, but they’ll do the same job CVG clothes do.

In short, I’d say Constantly Varied Gear is for the runner who wants to stand out without committing to an attention-grabbing costume or similar look-at-me prop. Or maybe CVG is a gateway drug to extroversion – I kinda loved being Plaid Pants during the Marine Corps Marathon! Here’s hoping for a solid Black Friday sale…

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