lululemon
athletica
“Creating components for people to live
longer, healthier, and more fun lives”
In a world saturated with apparel geared towards
the sports-minded, a new contender has risen
to the forefront of yoga-inspired athletic wear.
lululemon athletica, a Vancouver,
B.C. based company, is devoted to designing
fitted, comfortable athletic clothing with a
stylish flair for both men and women.
Founded by Chip Wilson in
1998, the company’s brand has a playful
yet earnest message. The lululemon manifesto
reads like a conglomerate of “Life’s
Little Instruction Book,” and consists
of messages and phrases like “Friends
are more important than money,” and “Coke,
Pepsi, and all other pops will be known as the
cigarettes of the future. Colas are NOT a substitute
for water. They are just a cheap drug made to
look great by advertising.”
With a lighthearted yet serious spirit in mind,
lululemon carries a wide variety of athletic
clothing that will last forever and function
best for those focusing on yoga, dance, and
running. What’s more, lululemon locations
offer free Sunday morning yoga classes…they
just roll all the clothing racks up and teach
a class in the middle of the store, and rotate
between several different guest instructors.
lululemon’s designs focus on a great
fit as well as function, combined with an array
of innovative fabrics. The company uses at least
eight entirely natural and organic fibers; including
organic cotton, bamboo, soybeans, and beech
wood.
One of these unique fabrics, referred to as
“Vitasea,” contains marine vitamins
from seaweed, which create a soothing effect
on the skin, hydrate, detoxify, and serve as
an antibacterial agent. The fabric releases
these properties when you sweat; the heat from
your skin triggers the inherent properties of
the fabric.
One of the synthetic fabrics used by lululemons
is called “Silverescent,” a fabric
made with silver that has anti-microbial and
anti-bacterial properties. In layman’s
terms, it keeps your shorts or shirts from becoming
excessively stinky.
Boulder store manager and Community
Coordinator Elaine Waterman told me
she had met a girl that did an experiment with
her regular running shorts and her silver-infused
lululemon shorts by keeping them in a Ziploc
bag for several weeks. The Silverescent shorts
stayed stink-free, while the other pair did
not fare quite as well. ‘Methinks I could
use a few pairs of Silverescent socks!’
I was fortunate enough to get the chance to
test a couple of the company’s best selling
items. The Reverse Groove Pant
(MSRP $84) is an extremely well-fitted, reversible
yoga pant with flat seams. Everything is pre-shrunk
(genius!), and these pants are reversible as
well, for either a solid black pant or two color
bands at the waist. The nylon/lycra blended
fabric dries very quickly, and is so effin’
comfortable I cooked and ate dinner in them
after I returned from my yoga class. More importantly,
these pants stayed put and moved perfectly with
my body during my practice.
Likewise, the Scuba Lulu Remix Hoodie
(MSRP $78) was extremely cozy and perfect for
getting out the front door and into the yoga
studio; the sleeves are a bit longer than normal
for those chilly Colorado winters, and the damn
thing is even reversible. Hot diggity! A good
quality hoodie is pretty much necessary no matter
who you are and where you live, and this one
fits the bill as it is available in tons of
different colors and prints.
lululemon’s products are definitely on
the spendy side, but it is worth it for you
to have great-fitting, long-lasting athletic
gear that is made by a company that supports
eco-friendly fiber alternatives as well as donates
regularly to charities, then get out there and
support them.
lululemon currently resides in Boulder’s
29th Street Mall, but is opening a
new location in Cherry Creek North, in Denver,
on November 19th.
There will be a Grand Opening Celebration
the weekend of Nov. 30th - Dec. 2nd,
complete with a Hawaiian-style luau including
Hula dancers, fire-eaters, and a fashion show.
Polynesian food and drinks will be served as
well. The big “lulu Luau” begins
at 6pm at 3000 East 3rd Ave, #111. Call 303-775-2289
for more details.
- Anne Vickman, November 15, 2007
