Lululemon UVillage

ululemon is sweeping the country. The company calls its lines of fitness clothing “luxury athletic wear”. There’s no diamond dust woven into the fabric of the designs, but for athletes, how the jackets, shorts, pants and everything else are designed are luxurious in the way they perform, fit and function.

Lululemon’s newest shop In Washington is near Seattle’s University of Washington, just a few doors down from one of the busiest Starbucks cafes in North America, at the University Village Mall. This store opened its doors on December 3rd of 2007. Within seconds of opening its doors, shoppers flooded in for their fresh fix of fashion and fun.

One of Lululemon’s leaders in the Northwest, Sarah Kaler, described Lululemon’s value: “We have athletes designing for athletes. It’s based on design feedback and the reason they feel and fit so good. They want to look good in their workout wear, so after they can go to coffee. Looking good, feeling good, being healthy. They spend a lot because it’s so much more than just clothes. And – it’s quality gear.”

True, the price point for each fitness piece can be double or more than the average workout gear. But Kaler couldn’t stop gushing about why that’s worth it for people who are serious about both fitness and fashion.

“Flat seams on our clothing. It costs a lot to manufacture those things. These things prevent chafing…are moisture-wicking. They’re all color fast so nothing fades. Everything’s pre-shrunk. We have clothing to fit every body - pregnant bodies, tall people, big and small chests. Complimentary hemming in five days. Every single moment, we’re adding value. I spoke with a runner this morning about doing hot yoga for her joints. She walked out of here with four studio schedules.”

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