Lululemon Athletica - Workout Clothes for Pilates and Yoga

"Lululemon makes technical clothing for yoga, dancing, running, and most other sweaty pursuits." I love that line from the Lululemon website. To my mind, Lululemon Athletica is a good place to invest in the key pieces of your workout wardrobe. This is is what one wants in slightly high-end, workout clothing: well-made and fashionable, but not too trendy, offering an interesting variety of styles and fresh colors each season.

When talk at the Pilates studio turns to workout clothes, Lululemon is always part of the conversation. I happen to have a Lululemon store near me. But, lots of athletic boutiques near me. So, the fact that Lululemon always gets mentioned as a good one says something.

As some of you may know from reading my other reviews, I am really into finding great workout pants. Well, Lululemon has a one (actually more than one). The one I like is called the groove pant. The groove is black with a wide band of color across the top. Mine actually has two shades of turquoise. I think it's classy and fun at the same time. And, I have the idea that the band of color distracts from the width of my hips below -- just a tip for those of you who think about things like that. Regardless, I feel good in them. And, they are reversible. If the band of color doesn't go with your top, you can turn them inside out and make them all black. Now that's something for your money ($92). Lululemon calls these straight leg pants. But they are not a narrow straight leg, making them flattering. The groove pant is low cut -- not a total hip hugger, but close. Yet they don't ride down when I workout (yay!).

I'm also impressed with the effort Lululemon has put into making pretty, comfortable, well-structured workout tops. They have a variety of styles with differing amounts of coverage and/or built-in support. Many are lightly padded with a breathable fabric that makes working out in a padded top a realistic idea. I thought they were very shapely.

Be forewarned that Lululemon is a "concept" company. They promote more than clothing along with the buying experience. So you might feel like you have to "join the club" to buy. But of course you don't. Besides, some of their ideas, like community building, are really worthwhile.

Related Reading:
Blog: How Barbie are We? A commentary on Lululemon's yoga Barbie ad campaign
Blog: Yoga Pants get Lululemon in Trouble, Again - Lululemon's recall of yoga pants in March 2013 and a review of some of their past difficulties.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.