Fashion

Lululemon's New Collection is About Safety

by Erin Mayer

There are many reasons I can think of, as a woman especially, not to go running at night (not least of which that you couldn't pay me to go running ever). According to Racked, Lululemon's new collection of reflective workout gear seeks to make late-night exercise a bit safer — at least from oncoming traffic.

The line-up features jackets, vests, tights, shorts, a running skirt, and a headband, all made of a special reflective fabric called "iLUminate" designed to make the wearer visible in darkness. All the pieces are pretty streamlined and come with traditionally hefty Lululemon price tags, which may be worth it if you don't want to outfit your regular exercise gear with reflective tape when you want to take an eight p.m. jog.

Racked is reporting that the goods are going to hit Lululemon stores and lululemon.com sometime this week, but after a round of heavy-duty sleuthing (i.e. combing through the online offerings) I've determined that nothing is available just yet. This collection is definitely a cool idea, and I'm glad to see Lululemon promoting safety rather than thinness. That said, I don't think some reflective fabric is going to make me feel safe enough to go jogging alone in an NYC park after dark.

The athletic wear brand is really going the distance to try and clean up its image after a series of controversies over the past year. However, not all the efforts have been looked upon fondly: the brand's plan to donate money to the Dalai Lama has been met with significant ire. Lululemon should probably just stick to what they're best at: yoga pants, reflective or not.

Images: Lululemon