I luckily have the best "job" in the world and that means I get to wear my favorite, most comfy yoga clothes every day to work. I have always been known to throw on a pair of yoga pants and dress them up or down but now it's reached new heights. I wanted to share with each of you what is filling my closet nowadays and give you an honest breakdown of what I think works and more importantly what doesn't work. My goal is to keep filling our blog with information that you can actually use. Since Instagram and Facebook are filled with our schedule and videos of my practice, this is an opportunity to share for those who want to, well, read more.
Are you ready for my completely unpaid, not an ambassador, not asked for suggestions? Good, let's go!
Right now my closet is filled with 3 brands of yoga pants (worth mentioning) Alo Yoga, lululemon and Teeki. Each of them have their positives and negatives for sure. In case you are a skimmer, I will tell you, there is one brand in my closet I just simply don't like.
Alo Yoga is slowly filling my closet with their pants/capri choices. A few things I love about them? They have great coverage. If you aren't doing the forward fold test on your pants after the see-through pants scandal (sense the sarcasm) then you aren't doing yourself or anyone around you any favors. Also, Alo's pants also hold up really well. I am speaking specifically to the styles that I have bought - Moto (pictured to the right), Goddess, Airbrush Capri & Legging (left).
Something special to note... Alo's High Waisted game SLAYS the competition. They have every best selling legging in an high-waisted option and multiple colors. Sometimes you just want your waistband to tow the line above your bellybutton, I happen to be one of those in favor of it! I've never been a size two and while the majority of their ambassadors fit this mark, I will say, they have the stretch and don't compromise the quality. They have done an excellent job building their brand and my Marketing brain can appreciate a good started from the bottom, now we here, story.
Last but not least, these pants wash up really well. I turn them inside out, wash them with all of my other clothes and hang them to dry to prevent pilling of any kind. They colors don't fade (black ones are two years in) enough for me to have to replace them and while they are a bit expensive, plan to spend about $100+, I love the product.
Next up, the infamous lululemon Yoga Pants. It's easy to find these pants on any women whether you are in a spin class, running with a local group or of course, in yoga. There is a reason why, these pants are consistent. The great thing to note about Lululemon yoga pants is that they come in all different lengths. Their color game has stepped up over the last year and they have even added some prints. I appreciate the consistency of the fit as well. I can now go into a store and simply pick out what I need based on what I have bought before. They offer different lengths and FREE tailoring if you need it!
My closet is filled with the go-to's for Yoga which include the Align Pant 7/8 (but they now have FULL Length, which is exciting) and Wunder-Unders. While I have always appreciated a good WU, my heart is now with the Align pants, specifically naked. I now have 6 pairs and can't imagine my closet without them. These pants are perfect for practice but also for going out and dressing up or down your wardrobe with some functionality. I haven't had any issues with coverage and while they do pill more than I would like, we are still working through the best way to reasonably wash them to prevent that. I don't dry my pants and I refuse to hand wash so maybe this is my own fault. Lululemon experts, any suggestions?
They have good high-waisted options, however, I wish that there was a bit more variety in some of the other pants. While sticking with the teeter-totter that I am now leading you on, I will say that once you find a good pant there, it's hard to fill those shoes anywhere else. I just wish I could fill my closet with a bit more variety to expand on my love affair of the Align Pants & Crops. All in all, lululemon knows what they are doing. They started the game as far as I am concerned and they aren't going anywhere anytime soon.
I recently got back into Hot Yoga on a one-time-a-week basis and while I am enjoying the heat simply because it is cooling down outside and I feel that my inflexible yogi restraints need that extra boost thanks to a hot room, I find that my go to yoga pants #1 & 2 above don't quite cut it in the hot room. Insert Teeki pants here. I hate being hot. I'm way to Irish and pale to be in the sun, I overheat after 10 minutes in 85 degree weather and I am just not built to last in the heat so with that in mind, I need a pant that isn't going to suffocate me and my practice. If I wear my lulu or Alo pants, I just might drop and give you savasana 15 minutes into my practice. It's a blessing and a curse depending on how you look at it.
After I did an Advanced Teacher Training with some new gal pals of mine, we were talking about the different leggings that were available and Teeki was one that was mentioned. I found a sale, as they usually host a lot of good ones, and bought 2 pairs. Basically I jumped in feet first. I have to say, their prints are adorable. I love the creativity and the overall rebel yogi approach and they have a good foundation to which they built their brand. The quick dry leggings are a dream in hot yoga. I hadn't even made it to my car yet after a 60 minute sweat and I'm pretty sure they were almost bone dry- hell yeah, Teeki! Here is the brass tax, I just don't think my body is meant for this brand and I'm pretty bummed about it. The pants are high waisted and while that is usually delightful, the seams are almost thicker than the pant themselves and it cuts into my skin. They are so stretchy that if I size up I am constantly pulling on them and if I size down I basically have lovely lady lumps that no one wants to see. This doesn't even get to my most bothering opinion. THEY ARE SO DAMN SEE THROUGH. Ain't nobody needing to see that business, not even my husband in the setting these pant provide. Teeki, make it work you guys! You have a great pant that has so much potential but NOPE, not today, not any day do I want to have my ass crack showing the way your pants highlight. So close. If you are a tiny little yogi, this brand might just work for you. But for me, I'd rather soak in my pool of sweat in one of the two brands above.
Overall, it's a toss up for me with Alo & lululemon. I love the options and coverage with Alo. I love the consistency with lululemon and that I have found my favorite pant with them. Those are my BEST picks so I hope you found this helpful. If you want to hear more from me on brands you are considering, let me know.
Zozo,
Ashley