In 2015 Lululemon introduced Align as a single pair of stretchy yoga tights. The company says it spent 18 months developing Nulu, the four-way stretch fabric behind them, made to feel weightless and completely free to move without distraction. Antonia Iamartino, who joined the brand in 2005 after training as a fashion designer in Vancouver, designed the pant. Her inspiration, she has said, was the texture of a rose petal.

That is the story behind every search for Lululemon dupes, and I want to respect it. The soft surface comes from napping, a process that gives the fabric a fuzzy, velvet-like feel, and the matte finish stood apart from the shiny sportswear of the day. It had just enough compression to feel gently hugged, not tightly restricted. This edit is pieces from other labels that share that feel and that high-rise shape: look-alikes, alternatives, the same idea in a different label.

For the first five, I would start with the Real Me XTRA legging from OFFLINE By Aerie in black, then the Splits59 Emerson in black with pale mint side stripes. The Varley FreeSoft in brown has a 25-inch inseam and a brushed feel, and I would wear it in October under an oversized knit with tall boots. Beyond Yoga's Spacedye midi in nocturnal navy is the one for a longer line, and the Splits59 Airweight 7/8 adds side pockets. A sculpting 7/8 in black and a dark olive ultra high-rise pair round out the row.

Here is my fitting-room test: bend forward in daylight and look at the seams and the waistband. Flat seams and a band that sits high and stays put are what make a soft legging read the way you want it to.

Fabric weight decides everything with a cropped tank. Iamartino's team wanted a matte, lightly compressive feel, and that is the thing to look for here: a close, smooth knit that stays where you put it. The tanks below share that fitted, cropped shape, which is what makes them sit well over a high-rise legging.

The Real Me Low Key tank from OFFLINE By Aerie is cropped and fitted with thin straps, and The Hugger tank in black is slimmer, with a scooped neckline. Zella's Renew crop in dark gray heather is a soft knit with the same scoop. If you want detail, the strappy-back black tank has a square neckline and contrast piping, and Beyond Yoga's Make it Strappy crop in light gray heather has its own back straps. The Splits59 Airweight Crop is the lightweight option, and the ultra-cropped square-neck in navy is the shortest of the group.

Reviewers who test tanks like these talk about the same things: one said a good one gives "great bust support and coverage, keeping everything secure." Try raising your arms in the fitting room and see whether the hem rides up. Pair the black ones with a high-rise legging in a matching tone, and in October I would add a zip jacket on top.

What I would skip: a crop with a hem so short it rides up the second you reach overhead.

A good zip jacket does one job: it sits close and closes cleanly. The brand behind the original describes its work as the meeting of form and feeling, and that is a fair test here. The jacket should follow the body, skim the waist and move with your arms.

The Hugger full-zip from OFFLINE By Aerie has a close, cropped-feel cut in smooth stretch fabric. Beyond Yoga's Zip Front is a slim black knit with thumbholes, and Vuori's All The Form is the more streamlined of the two, with seamed lines and side zip pockets. Vuori's AllTheFeels is a soft, close-fitting jacket in a buttery stretch knit, and Beyond Yoga's Spacedye Trails jacket in darkest night has a heathered look. The Softsculpt zip jacket from Sisterly Tribe is a sculpting stretch fabric with a smooth finish, the ruched-side knit has a cropped shape, and Nike's Zenvy Dri-FIT in black and cool gray is soft and fitted.

Zip it all the way up and then raise both arms. If the hem lifts above your waistband, it is cut too short for the high-rise leggings above. I would wear the Beyond Yoga zip front over a cropped tank on an October morning walk, with the zipper open an inch or two.

What I would skip: a jacket with a boxy shoulder, since the whole point is a close line.

Align stopped being only a legging. Iamartino and her team went on to develop new products, like shorts and wide-leg pants, which is why this row belongs in a conversation about Lululemon dupes at all. The shared idea is a high waist and soft, stretchy fabric that moves with you.

For wide-leg pants, I would look at Zella's Zen high-waist pair in black, Vuori's Villa in black with its smocked waist, and Beyond Yoga's Spacedye Laid Back in nocturnal navy. The OFFLINE By Aerie Weekend Away trouser is a long, flowing leg in soft stretch fabric, and the Active Light high-rise wide-leg in black is lighter. For joggers, there is the Cloud Fleece baggy jogger in navy with a cuffed ankle, the Spacedye Go Pocket jogger with a tapered leg, and the Airy Sleek jogger in black.

Check the hem and the waistband. A wide leg should skim the top of a shoe without dragging, and a jogger cuff should sit at the ankle rather than bunch. I would pair the black Villa with a knit and a sleek sneaker for an October travel day.

What I would skip: a wide leg with a drawstring and a heavy waistband if you plan to tuck in a bodysuit.

Shorts and skirts are where the original line meets running. What decides a good alternative is the lining. One reviewer of a pair like these noted the fabric "is a bit sheer," and liked that it came with "an interior lining." That is the detail I would check first.

For the shortest lines, the 2-inch Hot Stuff short from OFFLINE By Aerie is a lightweight, high-waisted black short, and Nike's Swift Dri-FIT has a brief liner and reflective detail. Spanx's cinched running shorts have a cinched waistband and a smooth, lightweight fit. Rhone's Mirage is a 3-inch lined pair in red that is quick-drying, and Beyond Yoga's Solemate Run short has a high waist and built-in lining. For skirts, I would reach for the Under Armour Motion skort or The Hugger drawcord mini skort, both with built-in shorts and a flat front. The woven high-rise run short in black is the lightest of all.

Turn the waistband over and confirm the liner is stitched flat. In October I would wear a lined short over black tights and under a longer zip jacket from the row above.

What I would skip: an unlined short in a light color if you want to move freely.

I would start with the fabric. Iamartino said the secret was the purity of the intention, so I would look for the item that is made to feel good first and styled second.

Then I would work through the list in order: legging, tank, zip jacket, wide leg, and a short for the warm days. Pick one from each row in black and a single color, like the navy or the dark olive.

Ten years after a rose petal became a legging, the best thing about this category is that the feeling spread. I would let it.