It's true you can wear just about anything when you do your yoga practice. But the right clothing can actually help your practice by providing comfort and freedom of motion. And it doesn't hurt to be a bit fashionable in, or on the way to, your favorite yoga class. In particular, yoga shorts are made especially for yoga. They are designed to allow greater movement without showing off a little too much, as many standard workout or running shorts can. They are an especially good choice if you practice Bikram or hot yoga, because the room is heated to such a high temperature and you'll be sweating a lot! Shorts in yoga class also offer the benefit of allowing your instructor a better view of your hip, knee and ankle alignment, which can be obstructed by longer, looser yoga pants.
Styles
Yoga shorts are rapidly replacing old-fashioned gym shorts in public yoga classes. These specially designed shorts come in a variety of lengths and fit, from clingy micro-shorts to looser fitting and longer styles. They are more stylish than gym shorts and are designed for good coverage of important body parts throughout the range of yoga poses - even during inversions. In a class most of us are anyway a little more discriminating about what we wear. Yoga shorts are often made of microfibers or a Lycra blend to provide a stretch fit. They should not be too tight, or so long that they grab at your thighs as your knees and hip. These purpose-made shorts come in a great variety of colors, material, sizes, and features from a number of designers and manufacturers to fit suit anyone's taste.
Comfort
All yoga clothing should be very durable, breathe well, wick moisture away and offer great comfort. It should permit great freedom of motion so as not to hinder your practice. Yoga shorts aim to give good coverage and be snug enough not to "flash." They may be made of cotton blends, with varying amounts of cotton and spandex or some other stretchy material. Some makers of yoga clothing, such as PrAna yoga clothing use organic cotton, hemp, and even bamboo fabric. These are typically looser-fitting, and thus tend to be longer to provide good coverage (though sometimes elastic will be used at the bottom of the legs. Many people find microfiber clothing to be exceptionally comfortable, both because of their texture and because of their exceptional ability to wick perspiration from the skin to the air. Ideally, your short will fit in a way that stay close to the skin while being loose (or stretchy) enough to allow full movement of the body. For example, the Momentum Yoga Short is a loose-fitting, 3/4-thigh length short is made from a 4-way stretch cotton-lycra. Pillar Men's Yoga Short features an inside bathing suit liner made of coolmax, which provides support and keeps you dry. Shatki Wear makes some shorts that tie on the sides.
Designs in yoga shorts have become so stylish and comfortable that you really shouldn't be without a couple of pair. They are becoming a standard part of any yoga wardrobe. And besides, before long, you're going to find yourself wearing them outside of class! To help you choose from the myriad possibilities, you can look for reviews of different makes and styles at one of the yoga review websites. In fact, you should take the time to include a review of your favorite yoga articles while you are there, and help out future yogis who are looking for some shopping help. There is enough selection these days, that there is surely a pair of yoga shorts for everyone... maybe two or three pairs. Try some out and have fun in class.
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