When you practice yoga, choose pants that fit comfortably. You want to move easily, breathe freely and not be hindered by tight or loose pants. But also avoid wearing baggy clothes that conceal your shape. Form-fitting pants enable the teacher to check your alignment -- for example, whether your knees are straight or your hips are squared.
Fabrics
Traditional choices include natural fabrics such as cotton, hemp and bamboo. Cotton usually includes a small percentage of Lycra for extra stretch. If you prefer active yoga classes that bring on the sweat, choose fabrics that breathe well and wick moisture away from your body. Some yoga pants manufacturers have created synthetic fabrics especially for that purpose.
Length
Yoga pants come in various lengths: full, capri and shorts. Long pants keep your muscles warm, but if you practice hot yoga, consider wearing capri pants or shorts. If full-length pants tend to run too long or too short for you, capri pants are a good choice. You can also hem or cut pants that are too long.
Colors and Prints
Black seems to be the most popular color, but you can also find yoga pants in a range of colors and prints. Some popular styles include tie-dye and various yoga motifs such as the "aum" symbol.
Style
Long and capri pants can be flared at the bottom, or run a little straighter. You can choose a low-rise waist or one that sits higher. It's all a matter of personal preference. You could even wear your yoga pants outside of class, along with a long sweater, a tunic top or a jacket.
Extras
Look for yoga pants with gussets, which are diamond-shaped seams around the crotch area. These help with ease of movement so the crotch of your pants doesn't ride up as you practice.
Shopping
You can buy yoga pants at most department, specialty or sports stores, from catalogs and online. As of 2011, yoga pants sell for every budget, in a range of less than $20 to more than $100 a pair.
Care
Follow the washing instructions for your yoga pants. Generally, you can throw them in the washing machine and hang them up to dry unless otherwise instructed.
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