A yoga-apparel brand founded by Canadian entrepreneur Chip Wilson in 1998. started making butt-flattering yoga pants in an effort to capitalize on what he saw as women’s desire to look good while working out. Lululemon’s apparel was an instant hit and soon had a fanatical following in the U.S. Women took to wearing the stuff to coffee shops, on the subway, even at work, spurring a larger athletic-wear-as-style movement.
Though Lululemon has experienced a handful of PR setbacks—including ,which Wilson initially blamed on women’s inner thighs rubbing against the material—its growth has continued. The brand has added men’s apparel and an outdoor line, and now has a market cap of almost $10 billion. Wilson resigned from the board this past February to launch a technical cashmere brand called .
A Brief History of Dudes Doing Yoga
400 A.D.Patanjali compiles the Yoga Sutras, a foundational text.
1849Henry David Thoreau becomes an intermittent practitioner.
1998Lululemon launches; offerings include a small menswear collection.
2012Events company pairs yoga with beer.
2014 designs a mat bag that looks like a burrito.