Here’s a great article and video from Yahoo! Finance on Lululemon’s “Man Problem”. Lululemon’s brand is so tied up with yoga, and yoga is so strongly associated with women, that any yoga-centric brand is going to have a really difficult time connecting with men. So this is not really Lululemon’s problem, per se, but a larger problem facing commercial yoga in America. Sure, the “gendering” of yoga has been very lucrative for a lot of companies, but it also ignores almost half the marketplace — i.e., all those people out there with Y chromosomes.
I’ve said a lot on this topic in the past, so instead of repeating myself, I’m including links to some older posts:
Related articles
- Lululemon Needs To Make One Change To Massively Improve Business (businessinsider.com)
- Yoga for Men Video on Yahoo! (yogaisforlovers.wordpress.com)
- Yoga for Real Men (yogaisforlovers.wordpress.com)
- Yoga for Men (yogaisforlovers.wordpress.com)
Om Shanti: A Yoga Blog 
Part of the problem here is that they may have priced themselves out of the general market.
Plus they may have wives, daughters and mothers who don’t exactly fit a size 8 down to a size 2.
It gratifies me, as a woman, to know they have to develop a reputation for “harder physical pastimes”, because, frankly, they’ve painted themselves into multiple corners.
Their Ayn Rand politics don’t help Lulu much, either …
I had a teacher from India who taught at a Hindu Temple in Peoria. He said in India almost all practioners are male unlike here. I think that is something to explore the reasons of.
As a male I feel lost in this world. Helping men look within and find their true identity and power within that is probably the place to start. Personal power, poise and confidence can come from that. Making wise good choices that work for themselves and the world can also sell. Helping people move through this world is what yoga can help best with.
For a DVD that kept this male hooked for years, I like the old Shadowyoga prelude DVD the best for a quick 45 minute practice at home. Their new prelude form while impressive has some harder physical requirements for a “prelude practice”
I would like a dvd that makes you wise, strong and healthy. Maybe bring out some yoga development with exercises similiar to those found in the Overcoming Gravity gymnastics functional strength book. Have a daily practice DVD(s) that you can tie in with real instructor classes that help people along the way. Make yoga something you can do and develop in over your life in an affordable functional fashion.
Just had time to read this one. Personally, I don’t buy brand name products simply because I don’t wish to pay the prices for clothing I am going to sweat in. Why would I pay $70 for stretchy pants…. I don’t mind paying that for a dress that will be in style for a long time or for other business attire or a great pair of high heels!. Why does it NEED to cost that much to be quality??? I shop at Academy, JC Penny and Target and have been more than happy with the quality of exercise attire there.
There is a definite lack of a male presence in the Yoga industry. I don’t know why. The ratio of men to women is small but, maybe if magazines like Yoga Journal or clothing lines started including men, no matter how small their market share, maybe more men would consider yoga. Or at least know that their minority share is being given “air time” so to speak. More men need to be in yoga, there are so many demands on the male in our society. So many pressures to excel and most men associate who they are with what they do for a living . But we know in yoga that is the opposite of how we should think. Anywho – I am all for a stronger representation of men in the media and in stores. And, not all men want to wear “stretchy pants” we need attractive but modest yoga wear – wouldn’t hurt to be a little sexy, like the UnderArmour shirts… but that is just my personal opinion.