Would You Customize Your Yoga Apparel?

There’s a new trend sweeping across yoga studios everywhere. It’s become an interesting blend of the preppy styles seen in fashion magazines meeting athleisure apparel. Many yogis are trying to decide how they feel about the new custom apparel that is popping up around town and in their yoga studios.

It may come in the form of a scripted first name stitched on a yoga bag or an elegant monogram on a jacket. You may even start to see yogis with customized yoga leggings sporting their initials or full names on the front. How would you feel about wearing this custom apparel for yoga practice?

On the one hand, customized yoga apparel can be a great tool to help build a community in yoga classes across the country. Seeing someone’s initials on his/her bag or their shirt can help you to remember the name when you see them or when you return home. It’s a small reminder that stops just shy of wearing a physical name tag to your yoga class.

The community is an important aspect of having a full and well-developed yoga practice. These customized materials could give your classmates the confidence they need to strike up a conversation with you, now that they have been subtly reminded of your name.

It also allows yogis to connect with one another about where their clothing came from. Few people have the tools or the skills required to customize their own apparel at home without some help. Asking someone where they purchased their customized gear can open the door to further conversations and potential friendships. Of course, you will have to be committed to following the conversation past this basic point to strike up a lasting relationship with someone.

Customizing your yoga apparel is also a great way to keep track of what belongs to you in the classroom. Throughout the practice, you may find yourself shedding layers or loaning props to a friend. When the end of the class arrives, you can’t quickly identify which sweater, props, or accessories belong to you instead of your nearby classmates.

Having your initials or name sewn onto the fabric makes this identification much simpler. It can help you to avoid confrontations and arguments from a classmate who believes your sweater may belong to him/her.

It could be a unique and wonderful way for you to express your creativity and individuality during your yoga practice. The combinations of styles and colors you can choose from to customize your apparel is seemingly infinite. You only need to find someone who is qualified and talented enough to perform the work you imagined when you purchased the item. This a great time to get creative with fonts and introduce small splashes of color onto neutral items.

In the end, there are very few inherent disadvantages to customizing your yoga apparel beyond the cost of doing so. Adding anything custom to your clothing is bound to come with a cost, so you will have to weigh whether you believe these relatively minor benefits are worth the price.