Choosing The Right Yoga Pants

Yoga Pants To Flatter Every Body by choicescoach

Choosing the right pair of yoga pants is like choosing the right pair of jeans. The wrong pair will highlight everything you would rather hide.  However, the perfect fit will accentuate your assets and minimize your insecurities.

The first step is choosing high-quality, athletic fabrics that add compression. Compression will hide a world of sins. This doesn't mean buying cheap pants that are too tight and looking like a stuffed sausage. Compression has to do with the quality of the fabric and the placement of the seams so that you get that sucked-in effect.  The second step is making sure the pants pass the butt test. That means that when you bend over in your downward dog you aren't mooning the entire class or showing off your new lacy thong.  It doesn't matter what size you are.  The wrong fabric can become sheer when stretched in downward dog.  If it doesn't pass the butt test, then it shouldn't be worn to the gym. There are lots of brands to choose from, but my go to pick is Athleta.  Their pants have great quality fabrics, excellent compression, and they always pass the butt test.

The final step is choosing the right pants to flatter your body.

Straight pants Athletaathleta.gap.com

Straight pants are the most universally flattering for most body types.  They add length to short legs and minimize hips creating a long straight line.

Revelation Pant | Athletaathleta.gap.com

Flared leg pants are best for long legs.  They create curves and shape for bird legs and boyish figures too.  Stay away from this style if you have large hips.  It will only make them look bigger.

In Fusion Pant | Athletaathleta.gap.com

To minimize the appearance of large thighs choose a straight cut with a loose fit.  This will create a nice long line from the hip to the ankle without accentuating the thighs.  Stay away from large prints.  Choosing details like pockets or prints at the waistline will draw the eye up away from the thighs.

Zebra Chaturanga™ Tight | Athletaathleta.gap.com

To add shape to bird legs you can play with horizontally striped prints on the lower half.  Horizontal stripes make everything look bigger, so women with larger thighs beware.

Flare Chaturanga Tight | Athletaathleta.gap.com

Camouflage the appearance of cellulite by choosing dense, small prints in medium to darker colors. Stay away from lighter colors on bottom, because the light will pick up each dimple like a spotlight.

I hope that simplifies choosing the right yoga pants to flatter your shape.  Questions and comments from readers are always welcome.  I would love to know what your favorite brands are in active wear!

Fit > skinny,

Sara