After Linh and Allie's reviews transformed me into a closet luluhead, I'm coming out of the closet. Probably because I can't fit in there anymore with all the lululemon clothes. Grab a bag of popcorn because I might have too much to say here.
A year ago, I bought my first lululemon piece- a Gather V tank that was a little too tight for me but it was on the sale rack so I bought it anyways. I always do things like that. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I was raised to be really cheap.
But that stinginess went out the window. I stepped in the store for a free Piyolet class, and suddenly I was shelling out big bucks for flattering workout gear. I've always loved finding ways to make an outfit flexible enough to take me from work, to play, to going out, to working out. For a girl working in the corporate world who also teaches dance who also likes yoga and also likes to get a workout in, the versatility of lululemon gear is perfect. Yes, now I'm buying lululemon at full price. Which is really, really steep. So ridiculously steep that I think something's wrong with me. Oh, strict Asian upbringing, where did you go? For that, I dock one star. Otherwise, for the good, read on.
STORE
The store is clean, relatively spacious, and usually well-organized. I LOVE how many "hooks" they have in the dressing rooms, so you can easily arrange and access the clothes you are about to try on.
Like the Yelpers who reviewed this before me, I think the salespeople are really friendly - sometimes scarily so. (Can you really be that happy all the time?) But they are helpful and fun, and not too pushy. They do give good fit advice, but sometimes I feel like they are telling me "that tank looks so good on you!" to make sure I buy it. But I guess that's the nature of sales! Nonetheless, they are all very knowledgeable and really fun to be around. They are all active in different ways, so they are fun to chat to about different activities around town.
CLOTHES
Like Allie and Linh, I'm obsessed with wearing this stuff for working out, for work, for stuff unrelated to work. It's cult-ish, yes, but when your boyfriend is like, "wait... you look really good in those tights... really good... better than usual..."
"...are those new tights...?
You realize you have to half feel bad that he thinks it's the tights that make you look good, and half feel really awesome about how great the tights are!
They have a "Run" line and also a "Dance" line, to complement all of their signature yoga gear. A note- many of their tanks run small. I usually wear a "small" in tops and I am a size 6 in their tanks.
The colors are flattering, and the variety of tops/bottoms is designed so that any body type can find something that makes 'em look fantastic (boobs and butt both).
If you throw a cardi over their cute, anti-wrinkle/anti-stink tanks and pull a pair of slacks over their Wunder Unders, you can be ready to go to the gym or Memorial Park in 2 minutes flat.
Many of the tanks and tights have hidden or zippered stash pockets. They also have great, wear-with-anything jackets and hoodies. Lots of thumbholes in the pullovers so you can go running in cold weather.
And of course the catchy names of EVERYTHING.
Okay one more thing. I'm REALLY REALLY SHORT and they hem for FREE. I think when I read this in Allie's review, I thought I had died and gone to heaven.
BAGS
The lululemon gym bags are great because many of them fit a laptop AND your workout clothes AND your shoes AND they have a reusable, washable bag to put sweaty stuff in. AND they look classy and cute. All the bags have a bunch of interior pockets (I love bags with lots of pockets) and usually an exterior one for your water bottle.
YOGA
From slipless headbands to skidless towels to stainless water bottles to stretch-n-go straps, everything in the store is about "fit and function" and you don't sacrifice style either. I love that their yoga tanks do not ride up or flip up when you're in a downward-facing pose.
ONLINE STORE
Check out the "loot" section. You won't be sorry. Free shipping whether you buy $2 worth or $200 worth. Ingeniously and annoyingly, they have "limited" quantities of everything (in color, style, and size), so it forces you to make a snap decision- to buy, to buy, to buy.
FREE WORKOUTS
Out of both guilt and pure genius for making you spend all of your money on their clothes, lululemon offers free workouts at their store locations. Sundays at 11AM, the lululemon at Highland doles out these free workouts of a great variety. Currently it's Fit Bootcamp by Elite FX. They've had Piyolet, Krav Maga, Cardio Kickboxing, etc. The instructors are usually excellent. I love workouts on the smooth wood floor. Everyone is very friendly, and there are both guys and gals who participate, moms and dads, some kids who play on the sidelines, water, sometimes food, lots of smiles. It's pretty awesome.
Okay. I'm going to go comfort my empty wallet. read more