Lululemon – look like you work out even when you don’t

The first time I ever heard about “Lululemon“, it was described as “the exercise wear that makes you look like you work out even when you don’t”. It sounded too good to be true, but I was intrigued enough to look it up. And then I saw the price. I could buy an entire sports outfit for the price of one pair of leggings. Yes. I’m that cheap. Besides, it’s called “working out” not a “catwalk”. That put an end to the nonsense. Or so I thought.

I must have mentioned Lululemon in the passing with DH who decided he would surprise me with a Lulu shopping experience. The ladies in the shop were very helpful. The size you’re supposed to wear is two sizes smaller than your usual size in other stores. So if you’re a 10 elsewhere, you’re a Lulu 6; if you’re wearing 12, then you’re a Lulu 8. Yeah. It’s a snug fit but I guess that’s the idea – hold all the jiggly bits firmly in place and maybe it’ll pass for muscle. Still, I had my skepticism.

Until I was doing a pilates workout and I clapped eyes on a pair of fine looking legs that were attached to my body. Wait a minute. Are those my legs? They couldn’t possibly be my legs. They don’t look half bad. Maybe there was some truth to “the exercise wear that makes you look like you work out even when you don’t”.

The next time I was at Lululemon searching through the leggings rack, the salesgirl asked, “What sort of workouts do you do? Maybe I can recommend something to you.”

I look at her a little flustered and muttered the first two activities that came to mind. She beamed right back at me and suggested a couple of styles that looked rather plain and unimaginative. Rather abashed to admit that function was the last thing on my mind, I took them and politely thanked her. When she wasn’t looking, I surreptitiously slipped them back onto the shelf. All I care about is how it looks. So what if it’s for the wrong workout? Seriously? Had I become that shallow? Yes, apparently so.

A workout is 50% about how good you feel and part of that confidence lies in how good you think you look. What? Did I say working out is not a “catwalk”? Surely you’ve mistaken me for someone else. That couldn’t possibly have been me.