(…oh yes we did)
Have you ever been reading a blog, scrolling through our Instagram feed, or listening in on a Oiselle conversation and thought to yourself… “what on EARTH are they talking about.”
It’s no secret we have fun at Oiselle. Our greatest joy is heading out into the world and doing things IRL with our community. You can find us on trails, at road races, running camps, meet ups, parties, coffee shops, the Nest (see below) and our store laughing until we can claim it as an ab-workout. Because we spend so much time out in the world with our tribe, we end up with a lot of … well… bird jokes. Crazy memories, stories, and words that we just can’t walk away from because they’re frankly too funny.
We want to share those jokes and ideas with our entire community, so we can all laugh our track pants off together. We call it a sisterhood for a reason.
So with that, I’m thrilled to introduce our first iteration of the Oiselle Glossary. The terms you need to know to laugh with O!
- BIRDS - Any Oiselle-wearing, flight-loving, badass member of our lady gang. If you know us, you’re in our tribe. Welcome to the sisterhood.
- BIRDSTRIKE - The 12 women — 6 racers and 6 crew — who comprised one of the first all-female teams to take on the unsanctioned 340 mile Speed Project course from Los Angeles to Las Vegas. Spoiler alert: we won!
- BQ - To be admitted into the Boston Marathon, most individuals must run a Boston Qualifying time (BQ) on an approved marathon course beforehand. While the time is a subjective metric determined by the Boston Athletic Association, it often becomes a soul-consuming, gut-wrenching, total obsession for many marathon runners (myself included).
- BROBIRDS/WINGMEN - The men of Oiselle, often found cowbelling at races, crewing long distance races, holding wee birds at photoshoots, or asking when we’re going to make a pair of “Broga” running shorts. It takes a village.
- BTS - Behind The Scenes! Think exclusive looks at unreleased products, runner-models dancing on the seamless, or the team exploring new landscapes for photoshoots! Make sure to follow us on Instagram and Snapchat for the best #OiselleBTS action!
- CHIEF BIRD - Founder, CEO, and Oiselle lead designer - Sally Bergesen. She’s one boss lady.
- FLYSTYLE - High flying Oiselle style. You wear it best, so snap a pic in your new O threads and post it with #flystyle! We feature our favorites on shopoiselle.us!
- GDV - Coined by the one and only Lauren Fleshman, GDV is short for “game day vagina”. High and tight — the version of your vag you bring to race day, that big meeting, or any significant stage.
- HAUTE VOLÉE - French for high flyer, the haute volée is our team of professional runners and emerging elites.
- HEAD UP WINGS OUT - Our favorite mantra at Oiselle, made to remind us of the effort, courage, freedom, and joy of running. Go forth and find it my friends!
- JASYOGA - Yoga for athletes, lead by Oiselle friend Erin Taylor. Recover like a pro people!
- JUNGLE CHICKEN - Friend of Oiselle and Birdstrike crew member - Erin Ward. Why Jungle Chicken? Well… it’s a long story. Just know that wherever she goes, laughter is sure to follow.
- LITTLE WING - a Haute Volée training group in Bend, Oregon under coach Lauren Fleshman. Members include Collier Lawrence, Mel Lawrence, Christine Babcock, and Jess Barnard (Little Wing is a lifestyle).
- LUX - A very special O fabric. Feels like butter, strong and soft, easy care and lifetime wear. We call it the runner’s cashmere.
- MUSES - A special group of O women whose abilities extend beyond their running practice. Sage women who guide our tribe.
- OISELFIE - A selfie with the wings at the Oiselle Flagship Store in University Village. Add it to your bucket list.
- POWERSUIT - The threads you wear to channel your inner warrior. The ‘fit that gets you feeling the most fierce.
- SPORTS BRA SQUAD - A body positive movement founded by Muse Kelly KK Roberts, helping women find the confidence to run in their sports bras. Own it birds, you are strong and beautiful!
- THE FLYWAY - A series of essays from our community about their experiences navigating change. Named after the flight path birds navigate on long migrations.
- THE NEST - Oiselle HQ! Located in the lovely Greenlake neighborhood in Seattle. We’re actually right above a dive bar called The Little Red Hen…(yep, birds together), which is pretty hysterical… most days.
- VOLÉE - French for flyer, the Volée is our amateur running team for women of all ages, places, and paces.
- WEE BIRDS - The tiny humans of Oiselle.
- WHEELS UP 17 - Our monthly challenges, designed to help our community turn big goals into big action all year long. Want in? Sign up for emails at shopoiselle.us/subscribe.
- WOMAN UP - Why would you man up when you can woman up? Women are strong as hell. Read more about the story behind the story here!
- YETI - A full body suit made for rest-day. These limited-edition O items often show up for the holidays. #GiftWeird
Got a phrase, word, or term you think needs to be added to our glossary? Add it to the comments section of the blog or tweet @oiselle with #OiselleGlossary! We’ll be regularly updating this list so everyone can join in on the fun.
Head Up, Wings Out!
