10 Signs You Need New Yoga Clothes

While the purpose of yoga is essentially to find your truest, most authentic self, decent apparel that supports you in all the right ways helps you deal with the many struggles you’ll meet on your sweat-covered, mantra-filled, incense-scented journey.

Here are ten things that may make you want to replace your too worn, too loose, or too tight yoga clothes, or at least repurpose them for your home practice.

1. “Nylon/Spandex Blend” has become more of a friendly suggestion than an active description for your yoga clothes.

The stretchiness has long left your top or pants, leaving you with droopy duds and arm and leg holes that gape noticeably during balancing postures.

2. No matter how many times you wash them, your pants smell funky.

When the stench on your yoga clothes keeps your classmates from balancing their chakras, you might have a problem.

3. You find yourself pulling and tugging on loose threads during seated poses.

You want to be serene and not disheveled, so you tug on loose threads on your shirt or pants whenever you spot them during yoga class.

4. You inadvertently flash or moon your classmates in inversions and Forward Folds.

If your yoga clothes have caused your classmates to become familiar with your reproductive anatomy, you might need to go shopping.

5. You need to hold your pants up when engaging your core and activating your abdominal bandha.

Your pants are so old, they fall down whenever your yoga teacher asks you to suck your belly inward and upward.

6. On the flipside, your pants have gotten so tight that you have constant camel toe.

To be fair, though, camel toe can happen even when your yoga pants are brand new and fit perfectly fine. So choose your pants wisely.

7. Or, “filling up your lungs” during Pranayama makes you want to pass out because of your too-snug bra top.

If your sports bra feels like it’s crushing your ribs during yogic deep breathing exercises, it’s time to consider replacing it.

8. You’ve started looking up tie dye tutorials to camouflage permanent pit stains on your yoga top or bra.

Dyeing is actually a genius way to keep using your stained yoga garments, but pit stains usually come with a certain "fragrance." See #2 above.

9. For some inexplicable reason, your male classmates just love taking their place behind you in class…

You’re not even the type to flirt, but guys mysteriously flock to the row behind you in yoga class.

10. …Oh yeah that’s right—it’s because they can see through much more than *just* your soul in Down Dog.

When your threadbare yoga pants reveal much more of you than you’re willing to show, sensations of inadequacy, shame, and embarrassment may result, and can block the flow of your prana. To this, we say, get thee some new yoga clothes.

 

Whether it's Lululemons, Shakti shorts, or some off-brand pair of stirrup leggings, make sure your yoga clothes can do their job—to help you practice asana and make you feel awesome in your body, mind, and spirit!