Why Women Spend so Much Money on Lululemon, Discovered.
I’m not a woman, and don’t buy yoga clothes. So I’ll just skip the profound observations and get to excerpting and linking this article that manages to directly contradict itself:
Introduction:
Every day, women spend hundreds of dollars on clothes they plan to wear only while sweating –- sports bras, yoga pants, skin-tight “breathable” tanks. But why?Business Insider reports that it’s all about the way that retailers like Lululemon market their apparel … to appeal to women’s insecurities.
Conclusion:
…a young woman says: “My boyfriend and I were going on vacation. We talked about getting a diamond, but with all the ThankYou Points I’ve been earning, I flew us to the rock I really had in mind.” The rock she “really had in mind” happens to be a giant rock formation near Moab, Utah. As HuffPost’s Katie Bindley wrote: “The new commercials sell women the cars and financial products they can now afford by presenting those big ticket items as tools for celebrating their independence rather than attracting a husband.” Advertisers are learning that the way to women’s wallets is acknowledging their strengths rather than exploiting their weaknesses, and by focusing on this demographic, Lululemon, intentionally or not, is appealing in part to their awareness of their own power — earning power.
Read the rest over at Huff Post, it’s worth it.
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Interesting. While both arguments are viable, which is it: Insecurity or the female demographic of success? I found the article interesting either way.
I've been practicing yoga and Buddhism for 8 years and I had taken pride in the fact that I've never purchased a yoga or Buddhism product- no spiritual materialism here, right? In fact, I would usually wear to yoga used clothes that I got at the thrift shop. However, there is a major problem: most men's athletic clothes are too baggy. When I'm teaching yoga or taking it with my teacher, it needs to be clear what is happening with my legs. During the winter, I prefer not to wear shorts. The solution?
Sports stores that sell women's yoga pants looked at me like I was crazy when I asked about men's yoga pants. I found a pair of women's athletic pants at the thrift shop, which were tighter, but still flexible. But this introduced a new problem: an awkward bulge resulting from the fact that the pants aren't cut for men. So, the last time I was in Boston, I reluctantly went to the Lululemon shop to try on some custom men's yoga pants. I thought they looked awesome, but I wasn't willing to shell out the cost on the price tag… so I peruse ebay.
Lululemon and money spent on it is directly related to where one practices, IMO. I tend to enjoy yoga more at gyms and community centers due to the LACK of Lululemon and associated attitude. I feel quite at home in my Kohl's, Old Navy, Target, and assorted gym wear. Most of the other people practicing there sport the same. I guess people who practice here put a premium on value. They tend to be older and wiser and less about what is the current yoga fashion trend. Clearly not the target demographic of LL. Don't mistake their lack of concern for lack of commitment. They are deeply committed to their practices. Practices they dictate for themselves and not directed by some marketing agency.
Or some rock-star or rock-star-wannabe yogi … or, even worse, the Yoga Teacher to the Future Yoga Rock Stars …
they may be spiritual as all get-out, but they will bash any attempts at following their flows if they aren't graceful … !
I think that it doesnt matter what you wear to yoga. If you are wearing a paper bag or $1000 pair of pants. If you mind is where it needs to be and you are comfortable and present then thats all that matters. Me personally I wear Nike or similar running pants or my lululemon pants. I also have shirts of both styles. If someone wants to come into the studio or w/e and show of their clothes and get a workout then awesome for them. If you come in to the studio with a spiritual mind set again awesome. Either way it doesnt matter what you wear.
I buy yoga clothes because I can't wear the same outfit every day. I don't buy at lululemon b/c it's too expensive. However, their tops are pretty awesome and actually fit+stay where they are supposed to. And they are long enough. yet, most of my yoga clothes is from Old Navy, a regular sports store and Joe Fresh. No one cares at my studio and most people mix&match.
I teach yoga. I can't breathe in Lulu. I once saw a group of 50yish women wore it at a yoga studio. They looked like a group of high schoolers. Perhaps that was the point. Where is the originality, creativity or maturity?
They left those in the dressing room closet with their tiny miniskirts and their designer heels …
The "Say No To Cameltoe" poster is pretty hilarious…
I'm a 50-year-old guy from Texas. LLL makes the only yoga wear that fits my body. The 3/4 length (Down Dog) pants work to help cushion the tips of my tibias where I suffer from Osgood Schlatters disease. The first LLL I bought four years ago is still in good condition even though I've worn it day in and day out. I'd say it has been a good buy regardless of the higher initial cost. Do you people really think you can judge a person's insides by their outsides – by what they choose to wear to class? If so, you just need to look in a mirror more often.
Lululemon is the only brand that doesnt start to stink after a few weeks. I work in a hot yoga studio and before we received the Lululemon clothes, everyone had a faint BO smell. Even Tide Sport with a cup of vinegar only went so far. It got so bad we wrote an article on "how to keep your clothes smelling fresh" in the monthly newsletter. So…thank you Lululemon. While expensive, the pants I bought two years smell as good as the day I bought them.
And as far as appealing to our insecurities…I agree. Marketers have found a new niche and its working. Women have spent decades trying to look the way society portrays them in magazines and TV. From the curvy size 14 of Monroe to the size 0 of runway models to now "strong is the new skinny." At least this is a healthier fad…
LLL wears, washes, and works out better than any others. I've worked out in cotton, blends, cheap and expensive. LLL moves, looks good and I'm happy in them. Canadian clothes have always been so much better, try 'em.
The days are over, were you just go to the store and buy white fruit of the loom t-shirts for a couple bucks. Then wear them for several years until there are so many holes in them, that you have to go buy another package.
the irony is that most of their pants give me cameltoe! lol
oh well….
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