“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.
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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.
