Lululemon Is A Pants Machine

The telltale sign of athleisure’s rise in countries such as the US is the very visible spread of yoga pants and other stretchy leg coverings, which have migrated out of workout studios and into the streets (and sometimes offices). Lululemon, the Canadian purveyor of yoga and other fitness gear, is one of the companies driving the phenomenon—and benefiting from it. Women’s yoga pants are its core product, and the foundation from which it has successfully expanded into numerous other categories, including menswear, outerwear, accessories, and more. It’s becoming a global activewear empire built on pants, and the business of bottoms continues to fuel its growth. The secret to Lululemon’s success with pants, it says, is how they feel. It has a research-and-development lab called Whitespace that devotes a good deal of time and energy to examining the human sense of touch. Dr. Tom Waller, the head and founder of Whitespace, is a little obsessed with the subject, and believes it has a significant effect on athletic performance. Read more at Quartz.