The physical and spiritual practice of yoga dates back a few thousand years in the Eastern world, but its boom in popularity in the Western world over the last quarter-century has prompted sports-apparel manufacturers to offer clothes geared specifically toward its practitioners. You can find a great selection of asana-friendly clothing at sporting-goods stores and department stores, as well as specialty stores and your local yoga studio. If yoga clothes had a theme, it would be "comfort and movement," so you will want to keep a few things in mind while shopping.
Step 1
Find a retailer that sells yoga apparel. Some places to start are Lululemon Athletica, which offers "yoga-inspired apparel for healthy living" through a website and locations in the United States, Canada, Australia and China; Prana, a yoga clothing and gear maker that sells through a website, a retail store in Boulder, Colo., and third-party retailers; and makers like Hard Tail, Omgirl and Marika, available at department stores and sports-gear chains like Lucy and Sport Chalet or online. General sports-apparel companies, like Adidas and Nike, also have yoga-inspired clothing lines.
Step 2
Pick out some clothes in your size to try on and head to the dressing room.
If you are shopping online, you will need to take your measurements (chest, waist, hip and inseam, among others) and consult the retailer's provided size charts. Remember to check the return policy before you purchase online; if the clothes are not comfortable, you will want a refund or exchange.
Step 3
Check the general fit. Clothes should be comfortable, snug but not too tight, and they should not ride up or down when you move. Clothing that is too loose will not cover you during inversion poses. For pants, check the length; if they are too long, you will find yourself stepping on them during a practice.
Ask yourself: Are the armholes too tight? Will the clothes chafe under the armpits or between the legs? Will I be comfortable going upside down in this? Are there any seams, ties or other details that may be uncomfortable when I am lying down on my back or belly?
Step 4
Move around in the clothes. They should allow you full range of movement. If you have space in the dressing room, do a few basic yoga poses: downward dog, standing and seated forward bends, happy baby pose, tree pose and chair pose. Do you notice any areas that pull or ride up?
Step 5
Consider the fabric. You want the clothes to be breathable and preferably moisture-wicking, especially for hot-yoga styles (like Bikram) and flow or power classes where you will work up a sweat. Cotton and polyester blends are good, and many companies have developed proprietary wicking materials such as Coolmax. Large or heavy silkscreen prints may cause concentrated sweating underneath.
Some retailers are moving toward more ecologically friendly apparel. If it is important to you, choose organic or fair trade. Prana, for example, is a member of the Organic Trade Association and the Organic Exchange, and says it is continually increasing its use of organic cotton; approximately 50 percent of its products are sewn in the United States.
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