Lululemon Align Leggings: Define Jackets, Scuba Hoodies and More

Lululemon Align Leggings: Define Jackets, Scuba Hoodies and More

lululemon began in a Kitsilano yoga studio in 1998, and this edit sorts Align leggings, Define jackets and Scuba hoodies, then bras, tanks and belt bags. I say when I would reach for each one and what to check in the fitting room.

lululemon says its first retail space opened in 1998 inside a local yoga studio in Kitsilano, Vancouver. Fox Business describes the early company, founded by Chip Wilson, as a design studio by day and a yoga studio by night. A brand with stores on several continents began in a corner where people did downward dog.

 

What I like about lululemon is that the fabric came first. The company says it spent 18 months developing Nulu, a four-way stretch fabric made to feel weightless, after hearing that yogis wanted to feel like they were wearing nothing at all. Align arrived as a single pair of stretchy yoga tights and has grown into a full line of tops, skirts, dresses and bras. Fabric first, then the pant, then everything else.

 

So start with the leggings. The No Line versions have a seamless front rise, and you can see it in the Align No Line High-Rise Pant in Mosaic Geo Burgundy and the one with pockets in Dusty Diamond. I would wear the burgundy geo print with a plain black tee and let it be the only loud thing. The Dreamy Blue No Line crop is the one for warm days and white sneakers.

 

The classic Align High-Rise Pant in True Leopard Multi is a bolder move, and I would keep the top solid. The black pair with pockets is the one I would grab for errands, since a phone has somewhere to go. The Walnut Crunch Twist Tight has a little detail at the front that makes brown feel new. Check the length before you check the color: the 31 inch black pair is made for tall frames, and the 23 inch crops stop mid-calf.

 

The grid also has solid colours: the Align High-Rise Pant 25 inch in True Navy and in Pink Pearl, the Align No Line High-Rise Pant 28 inch in True Navy, and the pocket version in Graphite Grey. The Ribbed Pant, the Mini-Flare Pant and the 17 inch Crop change the shape, and the Pant with Pockets in 31 inches is another one for tall frames.

Collage of high-rise Nulu leggings and crops, fitted jackets and fleece hoodies, and sports bras, tanks and belt bags, and a mood photo of a mirror selfie in a white wrap top and black leggings

Align leggings and pants

Jackets and hoodies, layer by layer

Zip a jacket all the way up and raise both arms before you decide on it. The hem and the collar will tell you more than the sleeve ever does.

 

The Define Jacket Nulu in Beach Ball Blue is the fitted one, with silver zips and thumbholes, and I would wear it over a black tank with the Align Pant. The Define Cropped Jacket Nulu in Moonlight Floral has the same cut in a dark floral print, and the Define Cropped Hooded Jacket in True Navy adds a hood. Both sit right at the waistband of a high-rise legging, which is the point. The Define Oversized Jacket Luon in Dusty Diamond is the roomy option, a slate blue zip-up with curved seam lines and a stand collar that I would pull on over jeans.

 

The Scuba hoodies are the opposite mood. The Scuba Oversized Full-Zip Hoodie Waffle in Heathered Dreamy Blue has a textured surface that photographs better than it sounds. The Scuba Evolve Oversized Half-Zip in True Navy has a big hood and a kangaroo pocket, and the Scuba Evolve Classic Full-Zip in Heathered Core Ultra Light Gray is the one to buy if oversized is not your thing. The Mahogany Muse and Gold Scuba Evolve Oversized Full-Zip has a gold zip, and it is the one I would wear to the airport.

 

Beyond those, the Define Jacket Luon is the original fitted cut, and the Define Hooded Jacket Nulu, the Define Mesh-Back Jacket Nulu and the Define Jacket Herringbone give it a hood, a mesh back and a herringbone pattern. The Define Track Jacket Luon, the Define Hooded Track Jacket Swift and the Define Oversized Jacket Swift are the sportier line, and the Scuba Cropped Funnel-Neck Half Zip Waffle is the cropped Scuba option.

 

What I would skip: stacking an oversized hoodie over an oversized jacket. Choose one big shape and keep the bottom half slim.

Define jackets and Scuba hoodies

Bras, tanks and a small bag

Support level is printed in the name, so read it before you fall for a color. Light, medium and the cup range tell you what the piece is actually built to do.

 

The Flow Y Bra Nulu in Mosaic Geo Burgundy is a strappy light-support bra that matches the burgundy leggings, if you like a set. The Like a Cloud Bra in Toasted Pink has double straps and works under a loose tee. The Energy Bra Evolve in Raspberry Rave is the medium-support racerback, and it is the one I would pick for a longer walk or a class. Hold the straps up to the light in the fitting room and look for even stitching, then lift both arms to see whether the band rides up.

 

For tanks, the Align Tank Top in white has a V neckline and a built-in light-support bra, and it is the simplest thing here under an open jacket. The Swiftly Tech Racerback 2.0 in Icy Taupe is seamless and hip length, so it covers the top of a legging. The Ebb to Street Tank in Smoky Velvet and Dusty Diamond is a dark gray-blue racerback with its own bra.

 

The FlexyFlex Strappy Yoga Bra, the Wunder Train Strappy Racer Bra and the Focuser Scoop-Neck Bra Nulu are light support, the Energy Longline Bra and the Wunder Train Mesh-Back Bra are medium support, and the Run Times Bra is high support, so it is the one to read first if you run. The Scuba Relaxed Half-Zip Colourblock and the Scuba Oversized Half-Zip Hoodie Long sit at the end of the grid as extra layers over a tank.

 

Then the Everywhere Belt Bag. The 1L in Seafoam and Silver fits a phone and keys, and the Large 2L adds a front zip pocket for a little more. Pull the adjustable strap across your chest, then try it at the waist, and notice which one you actually leave on.

Tops, bras and belt bags

Leggings first, then everything else

I would start with one pair of leggings in the length that fits you, since everything else hangs off that. Then choose the layer that matches your day: a Define jacket if you want a clean line, a Scuba hoodie if you want to disappear into something soft.

 

Add the bra or tank last, and check the support level before the color. If you want a hands-free bag, pick the 1L or the 2L based on what you already carry.

 

lululemon began in a room where people did yoga, and the best pieces here still feel like they were made for someone moving around in one. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Lululemon Dupes and Lululemon Backpack Guide.

If you want to start with the basic piece, I sorted the best leggings for women by waistband, length and fit.