Can athletic fashion incite a work out?
You certainly didn’t buy those $90 yoga pants to just sit around in them. But… can they actually help promote fitness? A new study, published by Northwestern researchers, asks the question, “Does what we wear influence how we think and act?”
Short answer: Yes.
Researchers are calling this phenomenon “enclothed cognition,” and one company has embodied this since the year 1998. That company is Lululemon.
No other athletic clothing company so effectively embodies the philosophy that what you wear can actually improve your physical health. Their clothing line is designed to promote physical exercise, and the yoga-lifestyle. Enclothed cognition is alive and well because of Lululemon, but just how did the athletic clothing company become such a rich symbol of physical success?
Lululemon: Built on the Yoga Ideology
Before Lululemon, cotton clothing was the standard in yoga. The company’s founder, Chip Wilson (already renowned for revolutionizing athletic skate, surf, and snowboard fashion) recognized the need for better fabrics for yoga athletes. He started a design studio, and soon after began selling clothing. To perfect the clothing line, Wilson asked actual yoga instructors to provide feedback on the fabrics. Soon, an underground yoga clothing movement began, and Wilson’s designs became synonymous with yoga – the company’s message wasn’t too far off either.
“The idea was to have the store be a community hub where people could learn and discuss the physical aspects of healthy living from yoga and diet to running and cycling as well as the mental aspects of living a powerful life of possibilities.”
Before Lululemon even had a name, yoga teachers and students were wearing the clothing, and thus embodying enclothed cognition. They wore the clothing, the clothing inspired them to participate in yoga, and thus Lululemon became synonymous with health and exercise.
Lululemon: More than Physical Exercise
To better understand Lululemon the company, you must first understand the company’s founder. Chip Wilson is a philanthropist and the founder of Imagine1day, a foundation that serves to better educate the children of Ethiopia. His passion for yoga was the catalyst in creating the Lululemon brand, but it’s his passion for generosity that fuels his vision of a world where all children have access to education.
Because of Wilson’s philanthropic generosity, the people who wear Lululemon clothing aren’t just embodying physical strength, they’re also embodying mental strength and overall goodness. In terms of the enclothed cognition study, this would lend itself to the belief that the people who wear Lululemon clothing feel good about themselves and what they’re wearing, and thus are encouraged to work out.
For proof of this, take a look at what fashion bloggers have to say about the brand:
A blogger over at Eat Breathe Yogini writes: “I gotta say, Lululemon’s designs are so cute. When I look cute, I’m more motivated to work out (I know, so materialistic) but it’s true.”
I Am Style-ish ranks Lululemon among her favourite gym clothes, writing: “I figure if you’re at the gym to make yourself feel better and look better why not start out by already feeling good in the clothes that you wear? I’m a huge Lululemon fan and admittedly spend too much money there but I also get good use out of it so at least for me that justifies the cost.”
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for workout clothes that can inspire you to work out, look no further than Lululemon. Now that it’s been clinically proven that clothing can influence what you do and how you feel, there’s more reason than ever to dress like a yoga pro.
10 May 2014
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