by Lea Rossignol  

 

Athletic apparel isn’t always the most flattering, and let’s face it, there aren’t a whole lot of us who can say “I love how I look when I’m working out!” Fortunately for us, there are so many more options now than there have been in the past. No more ratty old t-shirts or boyfriends’ sweatpants. It’s time for men and women to look and feel good as they run along the Charles or do 150 situps in 10 seconds.

The most important factor when choosing athletic apparel is the material. There are certain materials that help your body breathe while working out. lululemon athletica, understands this and has recently become a trend, with good reason. A sales associate at their Burlington, Massachusetts Store noted that, “The concept of lululemon was to create clothing that made the wearer feel comfortable if they wore it to the grocery store or out before or after your daily workout routine.”

lululemon’s apparel is outfitted with features and benefits to make the experience of working out more delightful than dreadful. Flat seaming on their clothing makes sure that where the fabrics come together, there is less irritation on your skin; panels in their shorts increase lateral movement and eliminate chaffing and gussets – triangular inserts in the seams of the clothing – help avoid being cut in half by the seams of the material. All of the clothing is pre-shrunk to ensure perfect fit, and zippers are put in after the garments are finished so that they don’t buckle. There are two lengths of pants, regular and long, so everyone has the right length, thumb holes on sleeves for outdoor exercise on frigid days in winter, and credit card and key pockets for convenience. There is taping around the neck and on the backs of all zippers to minimize irritation, locking zippers to stay in place as you move, and reverse-stitched lining for less irritation.

Luon is lululemon’s signature performance fabric. It is made of 86% nylon and 14% lycra. It has a comfortable matte finish and feels like cotton. It is equipped with wicking, which almost literally sucks the sweat from your body, and dries quickly to keep you from looking like you just took a shower in sweat.

Aside from impeccable stitching, fabrics, and concepts in their clothing, lululemon offers quirky colors for their clothing, including scab, earwax, garbage bag, wake-up call and Wimbledon.

It is important for women to think about their two lovely assets on their chest when choosing athletic apparel. Those who have a harder time finding sports bras that actually support will love lululemon for its innovative construction. Their Bounce Breaker bra is a high-impact sports bra with adjustable straps and back closures much like a normal bra, and a low stretch inner bra to stabilize movement. There are many different styles of bras to suite any size chest.

Although lululemon’s clothing line boasts a ton of different styles for both men and women there are a few items whose uniqueness I felt needed some highlighting. This is called the Classy Jacket, aptly named for its shape and seaming, which makes it look like the sort of jacket you could wear over a dress if it were in a different fabric. It’s excellent for going to and from the gym or yoga class and still looking fabulous.

The next item is called the Chill It Dress , the perfect dress for to and from the studio. The length is great for layering over cropped leggings, like workout bottoms, and great for summer over shorts.

The last item is the Manifesto LS tee has great lines and a cool design. Because of the front stitching, it cinches at all the right places, creating the illusion of a smaller waist.