Sports Luxe, Hot Yoga and Smelly Yoga Clothes

Hot yoga is a smelly endeavour and you will reek like an unwashed hobo who has just pee’d themselves after a 90 minute vinyasa class. Some yogis claim that a healthy person’s sweat shouldn’t smell – I disagree – most yoga rooms smell like moldy blue cheese. It’s gross but you become acclimatized with practice.

So with this in mind I choose to exercise a certain level of pragmatism when it comes to my chosen yoga attire. I’ve ‘invested’ (spent lots of money) in some high-quality, on-trend, sweat wicking yoga pants that gives my butt some extra oomph and lift plus they keep me relatively dry whilst my neighbor flicks bits of their sweat over in my direction.

Crowded vinyasa classes are filled with all sorts of sweaty people wearing ‘functional fabrics’ and technically enhanced workout gear.

Ladies, say goodbye to your skanky cotton tee’s and see-through black leggings. The growing rise and subsequent sales reports of the ‘sports luxe’ trend indicates that luxury workout gear worn as everyday wear is here to stay.

Yoga pants can be worn as jeans, designer hoodies can be paired with stilettos and neon (yes, freaking neon) is acceptable on people over 25.

Fashion and yoga are at an interesting juxtaposition with many high-end fashion designers such as Stella McCartney, Calvin Klein and Alexander Wang all releasing yoga ranges. Nike, Adidas and Puma have also included yoga wear as an important and growing part of their product range and Reebok chose celebrity yoga teacher Tara Stiles to promote a new range for the sportswear giant.

On one hand these companies are capitalising on a 5,000 year old spiritual tradition but on the other they’re promoting yoga, health and active living…but only to the affluent middle class who can afford to spend $100 on a pair of basic leggings.

Yoga wear kingpin Lululemon, are no strangers to criticism and have been enduring plummeting share prices, reduced profits and bad press since Chip – the founder and exiting Chairman – called his customers fat and eluded that their bodies (not his pants) was the problem behind a growing anti-lulu sentiment and a poor quality rating due to sheerness and piling of the product. Whatevs Chip, you’re a dic*head.

Personally I couldn’t give a sh*t about what you wear to yoga. God bless you lycra, spandex and luon. I’m just so glad that this market exists and there are products available that rescues me from my own smell and ensures that my neighbours wobbly bits stay firmly within the seams of his or her own clothing.

You do not need to wear $100 leggings and a neon bra to make you more enlightened, healthier or to bring you closer to god. Go to yoga to move intelligently, to stretch and to find some mental release from the day. Move your body because you love it and it makes you feel good. Go to the gym because you love the endorphins and feeling strong and confident in your own body.

Spend your money wisely and buy clothes and products from the people and brands that encourages you to be the best and healthiest version of yourself. I love that yoga and fashion are having more and more crossovers if it encourages people onto a mat and into a regular practice. Yoga is a challenging and rewarding spiritual discipline, so you might as well shake what your mumma gave you, slip on those magical butt-lifting pants and look hot in a downward dog whilst doing it.