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includes the spandex/polyester blends
common to yoga Capri’s, as well as fab-
rics that wick away moisture, dry quickly,
breathe, but also cling enough to stay in
place during an actual yoga workout.
In many ways, the use of perfor-
mance fibers is a departure from the
organic cotton and hemp fabrics
found in some of the traditional
yoga attire lines.
No Stink
With more and more yoga
enthusiasts taking up hot yoga or
athletic yoga, some well-known
yoga lines have started adding
antimicrobials to their products
to reduce issues such as perma-
stink. Wicking and breathability
can help mitigate body odor after a
strenuous workout, but increasingly
yoga lines are looking for ways to
incorporate antimicrobial capabilities
into their apparel. Lululemon Athletica,
for example, was one of the first do this,
and even built a “No Stink” marketing
campaign around its use now of Noble
Biomaterial’s silver X-Static antimi-
crobial technology in its yoga apparel
for men and women. Companies such as
Sanitized, which a sells a Pyrithione zinc
antimicrobial, are also venturing into the
yoga sector.
Meanwhile, companies such as
Thinksport, which developed PVC-free
baby products, have introduced a new
line of yoga mats that do not contain
PVC, formaldehyde or phthalates.
Thinksport yoga mats are made from
a closed cell construction the company
says reduces odor by increasing resis-
tance to the water, sweat and bacteria
that cause issues like perma stink
(where the gym odors become perma-
nent) in the first place.
For additional evidence that yoga
is growing in popularity, look at
the magazine stand at stores such
as Whole Foods, Earthfare or any
similar health food-focused specialty
market where the lineup of consum-
er facing yoga magazines has begun
to explode. For years,
Yoga Journal
was the only one, but now there are
easily half a dozen national consumer-
facing yoga magazines on the racks, and
e-zines and blogs dedicated to all facets
of yoga are beginning to crowd the
World Wide Web.
It’s all an indication that yoga is
evolving into serious, mainstream sec-
tors of the performance industry, and it’s
not just your mom’s yoga anymore.
L.L.Bean’s performance-inspired Spruce Cove
Sweater cardigan typifies the pre- and
post-workout apparel trend
Inside
Outdoor
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Summer 2015
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