Best yoga brands 2022: Lululemon to Warrior Addict - British GQ
It's hard to believe that within our lifetimes, yoga was considered a pursuit solely for hippies and women, so much so that any participation from men was confined to that most cringe-inducing subset of "broga". Thankfully, the fitness trend cycle is fast-moving, and the ever-growing allure of a warrior pose for men has meant that a) we take pride in cohabiting the yoga studio and b) brands and studios have increasingly tailored to the demand with stylish, high-quality men's yoga clothes and accessories.
Adrienne Everett is a yoga teacher whose passion for the pursuit has neatly aligned with this seismic shift. Starting her practice almost a decade ago as a means of seeking purpose, she quickly grew her skills on the mat to the point where she has now taken the leap from her corporate job in sales to commercialise her passion.
Here, we tap into her expertise on the many benefits of regular yoga practice, along with her own curated edit of the yoga accessories to elevate your practice, before getting into GQ Recommends' own pick of the very best yoga brands out there.
What are some of the physical benefits of yoga?
Used as a means to get fit and to supplement other fitness pursuits, yoga has been adopted by everyone from footballers to weightlifters as a means to gain transferrable skills to elevate their sport. "Yoga is my main source of physical exercise," says Everett. "Through my commitment to my practice, I have experienced incredible benefits including increased flexibility, muscle toning and improved strength."
What are the mental benefits of regular yoga practice?
Different types of yoga focus on different things, and while practices such as power yoga emphasise its physical upshots, those such as Hatha and Vinyasa place equal weight on mental wellbeing.
"Yoga is my mind gym – it keeps my mental health in check, and through my practice in hard times, I've been able to regain the emotional strength to pick up the pieces, re-affirm my inner strength and move forward with my life in a positive and life-affirming way," says Everett. "Yoga offers a space to forge a deep connection with myself, and the mental benefits have been so impactful that I want to share them with the world. I am incredibly committed to making yoga more inviting to all people, irrespective of race, age, body type, or cultural background."
Adrienne Everett's eight yoga essentials…
How can the setting of your yoga practice play a role?
"I feel so blessed to have practised yoga in so many amazing spaces around the world, whether on the beach in Brazil, at a temple in Bali or amongst amazing digital backdrops at 180 Health Club in London," says Everett. "I am grateful for the ability to connect with my practice in a variety of settings, and have been able to teach in some unbelievably cool settings including London's Saatchi Gallery, The One & Only Palm Hotel in Dubai, Four Seasons Bali and Iguazu Falls in Argentina, to name a few. That being said, the beauty of yoga is that all you really need is your body, so you can practice anywhere you like."
Shop GQ Recommends' pick of the best yoga brands…
Though relatively speaking, there's something of an imbalance between the yoga clothes brands catering for men and women, recent times have seen most major activewear brands place much more emphasis on a well-rounded range for every yogi. Beyond essential accessories such as a mat, towel and yoga block, men only really need to invest in flow-friendly yoga T-shirts and yoga pants offering a lightweight construction, full range of movement and, like your regular gym gear, sweat-wicking capabilities. From Lululemon to Gymshark, below we've outlined some of the best brands to turn to.
Lululemon
To call Lululemon a yoga brand in 2022 is to do it a bit of a disservice. Headquartered in Canada's famous wellbeing hub, British Columbia, Lululemon has established itself as something of a lifestyle that transcends its patterned yoga leggings and trademarked sweat-wicking fabrics. Since being founded in 1998, Lululemon has extended its product range far beyond that which you'd wear on the mat to incorporate apparel that's appropriate for lifting, running, swimming and more. All the while, it has refined its yogi offering for all, but especially in the men's department, where its stretchy sweatpants and well-fitting tops are a fixture in any boutique studio worth its salt.
Nike
As with pretty much every fitness discipline known to man, Nike's yoga clothes get a big tick from us, incorporating the sports giant's signature DRI-Fit tech into all its free-moving, Swoosh-laden garms. As with all its ranges, Nike Yoga is always evolving to incorporate the newest performance-optimising and sustainable materials, with both clothes and accessories incorporating recycled fabrics in regularly-updated on-trend colourways. And, going the extra mile to make sure you have all the gear and some idea, the Nike Training Club app incorporates yoga practice for all levels.
Bam
Bamboo is a sustainable alternative to fashion's more traditional fabrics that's often used in activewear for its natural softness and sweat-wicking capabilities. While you'll see some major activewear brands incorporate bamboo into their product lines, no label is showing quite the same commitment as Bam, for whom the material is the star of the show in all its collections. Addressing fashion's impact on the planet with every new release, Bam has sights on zero waste to landfill, zero pollution and zero wasted water by 2030. Given that yogi's fitness ambitions tend to align with a connection to the earth we're downward dogging in, we'd say that's quite a compelling case to incorporate Bam into your workout wardrobe.
Gymshark
Gymshark is the activewear brand fast taking over the world with its snappy logo having become a mainstay of gym floors. Founded by entrepreneurial talent Ben Francis, in only eight years of business the Solihul-founded label was valued at over £1 billion. While in its early days it had more of a rep among the kind of heavy lifters who really go to town on their deadlift grunting, Gymshark has evolved to take in many other disciplines including yoga, for which its ultra-lightweight Studio line is best suited. Our favourites in the collection are its flattering joggers – an activewear staple the brand has become known for nailing – as well as seamless tank tops that encourage enough range of motion to transition from Warrior II to Crow at a moment's notice.
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