The Scoop: Active dates — hiking, paddleboarding, yoga classes, and even romantic walks along the beach — demand a certain look that can be tricky for ladies to achieve. Women need to be comfortable and be able to move easily, but they also want to look attractive. That rare combination is exactly what Nuu-Muu dresses offer. These activewear dresses are specifically designed as durable, flexible, and flattering. They make a great gift for that special someone to get them excited to share a new date activity together.
When it comes to dressing for active dates, men have it easy. They can throw on a pair of boardshorts or sneakers and look great without much effort. Women often have to sacrifice comfort or utility for the sake of style. Their activewear isn’t always flattering and doesn’t always come with big enough pockets.
That’s why Nuu-Muu dresses have become popular among women who lead active lifestyles yet still want to look cute.
Whether you’re planning to go paddleboarding, hiking, or picnicking, you can wear a Nuu-Muu to make sure you stay cool and look good. It’s a wonderful date outfit that can keep up with women on the go.
These high-tech dresses are designed specifically for women of all shapes and sizes to feel great during all types of activities. Nuu-Muu Founder Christine Nienstedt said these dresses make a fantastic gift and can suit just about any outdoor activity.
“Those are beautiful gifts for people, especially if you’re incorporating outdoor experience,” she said. “These dresses are so easy to exercise in but also easy to get you to the next level, like going out for a glass of wine or going to dinner.”
This fashion retailer has empowered women to get active and upgrade their styles. With a wide variety of patterns, colors, and shapes, the Nuu-Muu line has something for everyone. The dresses are designed to be flattering for all kinds of body shapes.
The Company Began With a Focus on Adventure
Founded in 2008, Nuu-Muu started when two friends got together to encourage other women to seek out adventures in their daily life. Today, Ashley Fullenwider and Jeni Miller continue to run the organization alongside a powerful team of professional women.
The concept behind the company was to offer activewear clothing for the milestones in a woman’s active life — the first marathon, completing a 5K, or first attempt at stand-up paddleboarding.
“We started as a garment to wear for those monumental moments, like for race day or something like that,” Christine said. “If you want to inspire them for a goal or celebrate an event they’re excited about, this is perfect.”
The company’s mission is to support and inspire women to achieve their best while having fun. Its activewear facilitates exercise and outdoor play for women of all ages.
Significant others can gift Nuu-Muu dresses for that special person and plan an active date where they can test it out. Christine also said these garments are perfect gifts for friends who are yogis or runners. The idea is to support the women in their fitness journey and give them something colorful and useful to add to their wardrobe.
“We’ve all had friends going through rough phases, like a divorce or just beginning to date again,” she said. “Even if it’s to someone who could use a pick-me-up to solidify their confidence and make them feel great about a date they’re nervous about, you can support others.”
Stylish Patterns and High-Tech Fabrics Make a Great Match
Christine said there are a lot of new products in development at Nuu-Muu. The team takes its time in the design and marketing phase, and it can take up to a year before the actual launch. Many of the new styles begin as a simple suggestion from their dedicated customers.
For example, Nuu-Muu recently introduced a longer version of their classic Keyhole Dress. Many women asked for a style that was a little more appropriate as a catch-all travel garment.
When browsing the patterns, shoppers will discover plenty of options in fun, bright designs and colors. Developing new looks is the team’s favorite part of the job.
“It’s insanely fun and the best part of having this company,” Christine said. “You have to identify what your goals are for a given season, whether we want something a little darker or brighter colors. We have a discussion and balance the season out.”
The in-house designers go the extra mile to create a trendy style. These professionals comb through huge virtual libraries of patterns to find something that feels fresh and is different from what they’ve done before. Then, for about a quarter of the looks, the designer will get inspired from the patterns and colors they choose and make something that’s unique to Nuu-Muu.
“We play with color and scales, and this results in different looks from what others have. We also have some proprietary prints,” she said. “We spent time figuring out what would be flattering on real bodies.”
The prints are all limited runs. Once they’re sold out, they’re gone. Many have cute details, like the Keyhole Pocket Dress, which has a back pocket that’s ideal for holding keys, a cellphone, or a tennis ball.
The dresses come in sizes ranging from XXS to XXXL, and all sizes have fun names. A small is a Sassy, a medium is a Marvelous, a large is a Lovely, and the extra-large is XL-ent.
Nuu-Muu: Activewear for All Body Types
When picking out a gift, shoppers can feel confident in Nuu-Muu’s ability to cover all the bases. The dresses are supportive and are designed to be worn with the woman’s own undergarments. It’s easy to layer sports bras and yoga leggings underneath the dress for a cute look.
“There’s less stress about whether this is a good gift for someone because it’s a very flexible garment,” Christine said.
The dresses are especially popular for dates in which couples take part in a new activity. If it’s not clear what a woman would like, they can use the “Drop a Hint” feature on the website. It will send an email to someone with a link to the exact look they’d like best. Or, it’s possible to simply buy a gift card.
The company also offers leggings, which feature a generous side pocket, high-waist cut, and a wide waistband designed not to roll down in the middle of exercise. The clothing line will also soon include a skirt made of soft, water-resistant material.
Christine said she was recently wearing a shawl in a staff meeting, and the team was inspired to make shawls with Nuu-Muu’s trademark interesting colors and patterns.
“We play around with ideas all the time. But because we’re small, we just do one thing at a time,” she said. “We’re really proud that we made it through the recession and through COVID. We’re grateful. We’re super strategic about how much we take on and that every step we make is done very thoughtfully.”
