Fletcher & FashionThe summer is fast approaching and that means heading outdoors more often, perhaps making that brave splash into a chilly lake or ocean to practice for those open water swims we embrace as we challenge ourselves in this addicting sport of triathlon.

However you choose to welcome summer, you’ve definitely earned the right to show off the bikini body you’ve been working on all winter—or should I say all year. Whether leaving the newly opened outdoor pool or, in my case, living near the California coast with the ever-so-sunny perfect days every day, I’ve decided to give you two options.

We all know the tomboy is already in us. We live with competitiveness and drive as we throw on our cycling kits and smear on sunscreen to out-ride the boys and maybe “chic” them once in a while. We push ourselves beyond our limits to better our swim time by seconds, or to reach a new personal best in that 10k or half-Ironman. (We do this why?) Well I found the perfect shirt at Urban Outfitters to complement this tomboy attitude, and it made me smile: “Just one of the boys.”

Isn’t there a little pride in us all about being a bit of a tomboy? An athlete? It’s respected. Praised. Responded to with “I could never do that.” But we all know, deep inside, this is a sport for the masses. It IS in you if you just want to do it—or not. It’s all about finding your own passion, and I like to think that what sets us apart is being that ever-so-feminine woman that we are and stating just that by what we choose to wear afterward. Take it or leave it, but trust me in this: Nothing feels better than being a woman after a hard day of training. Guys don’t get to do their nails, put on mascara or tie their hair up into a sexy mess (well, some do), so let’s not lose this in the translation of being an athlete. Let’s find that balance of beauty, grace and femininity in a world of grit, guts and insanity!

So here’s the choice you have when it comes to fashion: Embrace the tomboy “just one of the guys” look or throw on a sexy flowing top with cutoff jeans—something that people would never think of wearing after an open-water swim. Well, who says we can’t? I say be and dress how you want. We push the boundaries anyway, so why not show the side of you that embraces being a feminine woman as well?

My style comes from being both a hardcore athlete as well as a feminine woman. In the end, you decide which is YOU!

Fletcher & Fashion

Glamour vs. Tomboy
Midriff tops are in; time to show some skin!

Planet Blue (splurge)
Still-Print Leopard Crop Kimono blouse: $105
Bonitos shorts WILDE: $99
Alessandra tank: $59
Urban Outfitters & Levi’s (save)
Panama hat: from $39
Truly Madly Deeply One of the Boys crop tank: $29
www.urbanoutfitters.com

Boyfriend Jean: from $64, Levi.com

Accessories
Oakley Batwolf sunglasses: from $140
Oakley baseball hat: $15
Oakley bikini separates: $44 and up
oakley.com

RoadID—ID gear available in several styles and prices
www.roadid.com