When I was growing up the main sports for women were gymnastics, tennis, and figure skating. Today young girls and women can play hockey, soccer, baseball, boxing, and many other sports although they still do not get paid as much as male athletes.
Sarah Robles is the highest ranked weightlifter in the United States. Typically, a male dominated sport she competes with the best of them. Last year at the world championships her skills allowed her to attain 11th place. And as you may have guessed she is heading to the Summer Olympics with Team USA Weightlifting (watch for her on August 5). Not all girls are built for gymnastics and figure skating so it is nice to see athletic role models succeeding in other avenues. As can be expected of anyone who lifts extreme weights, Sarah does not have a petite build. She has been frustrated with finding the right clothes just like the rest of us but it is even more frustrating for her as a competing athlete because many of the athletes who do not meet the typical pretty face/body standard live at or below the poverty line. "For her Olympic group photos, Sarah had to wear the men’s clothing options, rolling the sleeves to look more feminine."
Sarah's story has been making its way around the social networking platforms and caught the eye of Jenny Davis (Fashion and Beauty Editor, Indulge Magazine). The stylist flew all the way to Arizona to outfit Sarah with a travel wardrobe, courtesy of Ming Wang, for her Olympic tour. You can see some of the looks at right.
Until I learned about Sarah's story I had not heard of the Ming Wang clothing line but they have been around since 1986. Basically they introduce five "core pieces" with different looks every season. Their fashions can be bought at places like Nordstrom, Dillard's and other boutique like stores. The clothing is "designed to wear – and last – Ming Wang pieces are crafted with a specialized yarn so that the entire collection is wrinkle-free, machine washable, fade-resistant, and travel friendly." And definitely not affordable for a competing athlete.
Overall I get the impression from their website collection that the fashions are quite mature but there is a great photo on their "I am Ming Wang" page that features sixteen women of varying ages, sizes, and skin colors, looking fabulous in their fashions.
