Though it continues to be one of the fastest growing spaces in the fashion industry, the athletic apparel market is dominated by a handful of reigning champions.
While a younger audience may be experimenting with new, up and coming brands, the biggest brands in the sportswear space are:
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And while plenty of smaller players attempt to steal market share and nip at the heels of giants, they remain giants for a reason.
In a recent post on the fitness enthusiast subreddit Gym Snark, one poster asked what users' favorite and most reliable brands were.
"I see so many influencers pushing different brands these days... curious to hear what y’all think is worth the money," the original poster asked.
The answers were relatively unanimous.
"I’ve always had luck with Lululemon," one user wrote, receiving the most upvotes. "Most of my pieces last 4+ years, so I feel like it’s pretty cost-effective in the long run."
"Lululemon and Nike are the only fitness brands that haven’t let me down," another top commenter wrote.
"Lululemon and crzyoga on Amazon," another wrote.
It doesn't matter if you're on Reddit, at a boutique yoga studio, or a local chain gym. If you asked people – young and old, upper class or just starting out – who their favorite brands are, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone who doesn't mention Lululemon.
Lululemon rolls out new product
And there are a couple reasons behind this. First is Lululemon's "science of feel," approach, which prizes the texture of clothing above almost everything else. Many wearers describe their Align yoga leggings as buttery soft, and that material is difficult to replicate, try as competitors might.
Lululemon also has a generous customer-first approach, whereby it offers hemming and other sizing services complimentary. It even runs promotional events whereby it takes in dupes customers have previously purchased and exchanges them for real, bona fide Lululemon products, all free of charge.
It's also been listening to its customers who care about sustainability, many of whom skew younger and are more apt to voting with their dollar. In February, Lululemon announced the arrival of a new material, Nylon 6,6, which is made from recycled nylon.
Nylon is notoriously difficult to recycle or up-cycle thanks to its synthetic nature, but is one of the most commonly used fabrics in sportswear thanks to its sweat-wicking properties. It's also the material Lululemon uses to make many of its most popular products, including the Align and Wunder Train leggings.
And on Wednesday, Lululemon dropped its first-ever product made with enzymatically recycled polyester, made in partnership with Samsara Eco, an Australian company that also helped Lulu develop Nylon 6,6.
The first product made with its enzymatically recycled polyester is the men's Packable Anorak, available in a Lunar Rock color, and retails for $188.
"The new material process behind the high-performance jacket delivers the same feel and quality as the lightweight, quick-drying material Lululemon guests love," Lululemon wrote of the parka.
It packs into its own left pocket for easy storage and features zippered hand pockets, a cinch-able hood, ventilated slats at the back, and a side zipper.
Lululemon has given itself the lofty goal of having a completely circular ecosystem – which means it will produce, recycle, and reuse its materials – by 2030. By 2025, just one year away, Lululemon hopes to source 75% of its polyester from recycled materials.
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