Courtney Maum
Five Places You Might Not Expect to Find Stylish Yoga Wear:
As environmentalism enters into the collective conscious, designers and retailers alike are looking to the healing arts for inspiration and guidelines as they embrace a greener lifestyle. Here is a list of the top five places to find affordable, well-designed yoga wear near you:
1. Banana Republic
Even the brand names are jumping on the bandwagon of sustainability. In honor of earth day, Banana Republic unfolded an eco-fashion line of 50 summer staples in April of 2007. For the duration of Earth Week, the retailer pledged 1% of all its in-store sales to the not-for-profit Trust for Public Lands. This eco-friendly initiative is part of the company’s quest to reduce their environmental impact in the coming years.
2. J.Crew
Inspired by the enthusiasm of its customers for the practice of yoga and the parallel ease and simplicity of this ancient art, J.Crew launched a line of yoga wear for its 2008 fall collection. In an article from Women’s Wear Daily, J.Crew CEO Millard Drexler explains, “We kept hearing from our associates about yoga, hearing from our customers about yoga, and hearing from people who do yoga. We always want to be where our customers are, and where they are going. That’s our mission. Today, any retailer’s job is always looking to the road that has to be traveled.” [social_buttons]
3. Victoria’s Secret
Proving that beauty exists outside of the bedroom, Victoria’s Secret has one of the most extensive selections of yoga wear online. Indeed, a handful of their designs are a bit more flattering than some other options out there, but there’s nothing wrong with looking magical on the mat.
4. American Apparel
With its massive stock of leggings, unitards and onesies, it’s no surprise that the king of sweatshop-free clothing is the perfect destination for yoginis. What is surprising is the way their timely designs travel seamlessly from downward dog to uptown girl. The eighties are back, so break out those leotards, ladies!
5. Ebay
Don’t cringe. I’m not suggesting that you purchase someone’s pre-used, stinky yoga mat. But proper yoga wear (read: breathable) can be expensive, and in case you haven’t heard, times are pretty hard. You can find all of the above designers on Ebay for up to 50% off their listed prices. Simply search for “yoga wear”, and bid away! Good luck and much metta on your search for enlightened clothing! Photo credit: J/F Photos under a Creative Commons License
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