Spotted in a US store just now, Angel Blue and Split Pea Cool Racerback. Angel Blue is definitely on my need list. They are heathered and super soft like Pow Pink!!
Pedal Power LS in Dense Purple
Pedal Power LS Currant with Tea Lounge Crops
Pedal Power LS Black
Tea Lounge Crops in the Commuter Denim Print
Coco Softshell in Currant
Coco Softshell beautifully contrasted with Deepest Cranberry Deja Vu Scarf
Really like this jacket for the mens line.
The photos from Banff are always really beautiful but I posted these specifically because most of the items are featured in colors that other stores haven’t posted yet.
Pedal Power LS in Dense Purple $108
This top is really gorgeous but I feel it’s priced incorrectly. It lacks the features that a run pullover has (pockets, good amount of reflectivity) to justify that price point, and I feel this one is more of a casual cycling item so should be priced like the Ride on Henley which was $88. The Ride on Henley was recent enough and quickly went to markdown so it’s still fresh in our minds so I suspect this may get repriced or go to markdown. I’m liking some of these cycling pieces but I think we should play the ‘wait till markdown’ on the capsule items.
Ride On Anorak, Pedal Power Tights
Pull Me Over Hoodie
This pullover is cropped and its wide. If you are larger busted the hemline will end up just bellow your bust.
This was the hot seller of the week. It didn’t quite go quickly online but once people started trying them on in store they are loving the fit. Or loving it but wishing it was longer. I got this in Cranberry and really love it a lot so unless the upcoming Sing, Floss, Travel Jackets are in super appealing colors I’m thinking I will keep this one. The commuter denim print really gives it a lot of depth and texture and the pockets add a lot of visual interest. Plus, it’s soft and cozy and we’ve been starved for summer weight hoodies.
This jacket is so weird to me. Despite the very bad fit on me (super snug in the arms), the bulky fabric causes the sides to flare out like wings and a tail. It just doesn’t drape nicely and for such a cozy jacket the zippers at the wrist are pretty hard and noticeable
I’ve studied pictures of when this jacket looks really flattering to the shoulders and I think the trick is to leave the top two buttons undone. A reader pointed out that the red version of this jacket feels substantially softer and more flexible (higher polyester on the outer fabric) than the Black and Cream version which have more Nylon in the fabric.
Petal Power Jacket
I love these and look forward to getting them on markdown. I’m really cheap when it comes to lulu pants and crops and just have one or two pairs. My last *excitement* for lulu pants were the Ebb and Flows.
Australia and New Zealand have received the Run: Catch Me Tank in Currant. I’d purchased the Power Purple version which I love but ended up returning it due to the flipping of the fabric at the cleavage. The material just didn’t lay flat on me. If the power purple ever gets marked down though I’m definitely giving it another chance.
Presence of Mind Jacket, Milky Way Multi Wunder Unders
Really not liking this wrap. I forgot to mention there is a snap button on one of the shoulders so you can snap the excess fabric in place as a closure.
And the collar is split in the back
Angel Blue Swiftly LS with Power Purple Speed Shorts (naked seam)
Love this color combination!
Run: Nothin’ But Run Jacket Power Purple
I’m so tempted by this jacket. It’s buttery soft and if you paint anything soft Power Purple I’m going to want it. No need for a run jacket though so I resist.
This release of items is so strange to me (and some of you have also mentioned it) as far as color palette. There seems to be no set palette or color theme this month and we have Currant, Deepest Cranberry, Angel Blue, Light Flare, Power Purple, Deep Purple, Neutral Blush, Cashew, Polar Cream, Pigment Blue, zig zag, milky way. And now there is a rumor that there will be a huge product drop this week in addition to this one we had on Monday. I’ll make sure to keep tags on everything for the full two weeks.
Presence of Mind Jacket, Milky WayMulti Power Y and Carry and Go Hoodie
No Limit Tank in Split Pea (Currant Energy Bra underneath)
Coco Softshell
Pedal Power Pant
Gosh I’m loving these Pedal Power Pants.
Swiftly Tech LS in Angel Blue
Scoop Me Up Tank in Tonka Split Pea and I think Verve Pants
Ride On Anorak and Pedal Pusher Pants
Pedal Power Blazer and Pedal Power Tights
Reader Yuki tried this one on and said it was a very snug fit. I had a quick look at it yesterday and I thought it might be based on the tailoring and that it’s a stuffy
Coco Softshell
One thing I noticed in my picture yesterday is that this jacket made my shoulders look really slope downwards and narrow which they are not. I’ll have to try it on again and play around with the color to see if I can balance that out a bit. There are two reviews on the lululemon website today for this jacket and the second one made the same observation about the shoulder fit.
Pedal Power Blazer
Split Pea No Limit Tank
Swiftly Tech SS with armwarmers in Power Purple Zig Zag print
Dense Purple and Power Purple In Stride Jacket and Dense Purple Turbo Shorts. And the Seawheeze Medal. I want to wear mine all the time and everywhere I love it so much. Love how the green shoe laces all runners got contrasts with the Dense Purple.
In Stride Jacket in Dense Purple/Power Purple and Yoga Moto Messenger Bag
Swiftly Tech LS Angel Blue
Swooooning over this one. I’m obsessed about Swiftly LS’s lately
Pedal Power Puffy Blazer
Milky Way Multi Power Y and Pigment Blue Wunder Unders
Pigment Blue Scoop Me Up Tank and Milky Way Multi Wunder Unders
Keep On Running Duffel.
I kind of love it in Power Purple. The Seawheeze version but the seawheeze one has the inner lining with the seawheeze 2012 all over the print as well as illustrations of the race and burrard street bridge so I’m a bit too sentimental about that to part with it.
Now you know how much I love my High Brow/Low Brow Faux Lululemon finds and a couple of months ago some of you let me know that Winners was selling ‘Astro Pants’ made by Calvin Klein for about $12. I didn’t get a chance to check them out personally but I’d read that they were pretty well made. Lululemon has taken the bold move to come down on designers that are copying their styles and selling them for substantially less by suing them for copying patents. In this case, the grounds for the lawsuit was that Calvin Klein actually named these pants ‘Astro Pants’ on pants that look remarkably like lululemon Astro Pants. They are claiming unspecified damages, lost profits and royalties. The problem for lululemon with these low brow finds is that they water down the brand appeal for us consumers and really highlights the disparity between value and cost. Lululemon used to have the market corner on quality which was what made them stand out for us. Now that the quality has declined so significantly these past several months, these faux lululemon low brow finds become much more appealing to us, especially when Lululemon is increasing their prices continually and increasing margins. So many companies have been able to copy the designs and in many cases at high quality for just a fraction of the price. Joe Fresh (my personal favorite), Old Navy, Zellers, Target have all come out with athletic lifestyle clothing ‘inspired’ by lululemon. My best find was the recent Joe Fresh version of Lululemon’s $48 Perfect Layer Tee, priced at $12 at Joe Fresh. I would never have purchased the Perfect Layer Tee at lululemon because I find the quality of their burnout material much too delicate and prone to rips. I think the market for these retailers selling ‘low brow’ knock offs is as robust as the market is for pricey workout wear and so I think the most effective strategy for lululemon would be to remarry the elements of the brand that made them so special. Highly Creative Designs + High Quality Garments. There will always be a Calvin Klein out there that will better their prices, what will retain customer loyalty is the knowledge that we are paying the extra for higher quality and not just a brand name. Nobody wants to be a ‘poser’ after all.
Articles:
Lululemon Sues Calvin Klein over Yoga Pants
Story: Lululemon Sues Calvin Klein
Milky Way Multi/Black Power Y and Verve Pant
Ride On Anorak and Pedal Power Tight
Dense Purple/Power Purple In Stride Jacket and Tea Lounge Pants
Pull Me Over Hoodie
Pedal Power Blazer
Pedal Power LS
Pedal Power Jacket
Pedal Power Pant and Carry and Go Hoodie
Carry and Go Hoodie with Pedal Power Pant
Presence of Mind Jacket
Coco Softshell Jacket
Lots of goodies were in store today, some items that weren’t uploaded too. I found this Ride On Anorak as well as the Special Edition (zig zag print) Power Purple Swiftly LS. Lots of items that were uploaded I just didn’t have time to try on but would still like to. I did see the milky way Power Y and it is in fact high polyester. The print didn’t grab me in person. I also saw the Scoop Me Ups in Split Pea Tonka Stripe and Pigment Blue and the Run: Nothin’ But Run in Power Purple was so beautiful.
Ride On Anorak
This jacket fit me huge but I sort of really like it for the purpose that it’s intended. I almost wish I had a job I could cycle too because this capsule is about 1000x nicer then the last cycling capsule. I don’t have a need for this type of jacket and it’s a little too big to look good as casual wear so I wasn’t tempted but I did like it none the less. This was a M/L and I would have gone with the S/M instead. It’s long, the sleeves are really wide and it’s a long boxy fit but there is something really cute about it and it can easily be layered over whatever outfit you are wearing to work.
Turtle back though. I didn’t like that back turtle shell.
Oh man I love this jacket. Admittedly it doesn’t look as great on me with my pear shape as it does on a lot of the other people I’ve seen wear it but I still really like it. This is a size 10 and it’s very loose in places but I wouldn’t size down in this. The inside is mictrofleece lined (similar to the Audrey Jacket and the Bomber Jacket, but the outside is softer and more flexible) and so it can be a little stiff so for ease of layering I’d stick to TTS. I ordered this one this morning after much stressing about it and I’m going to think about it. It’s too gorgeous to pass up and it’s the perfect weight for Vancouver winters.
I tried on the Pedal Power Pant on a whim and I really liked them a lot. I think on slimmer figures the darting at the front panel/hip area bags out too much, but on me with my wider hips and higher rise it laid flat and provided a really comfortable fit. They were tight coming up over my hips but once in place they fit really well and the waist hugged me without causing muffin top. TTS, size 10 and I could have sized up to the 12 for a baggier fit but I like the skinny jean look in these and they were quite comfortable. I liked that it’s a slim leg that doesn’t bag out at the waist which is an issue with skinny jeans on pear shapes sometimes. They are very skinny jean like with a woven material that feels like a soft stretchy denim. If they ever reach mark down I will strongly consider getting them but for now I’m passing a) because I have to and b) because if I want the ‘jeans’ look I have a lot of jeans that sort of fit like this. If I want sporty casual pants I have DSP’s. Really, they just don’t fit my lifestyle at the moment and it’d be a bit poserish for me to get them. Although again, if I commuted to work I would definitely get these. And I’m really wishing I had a job now that I could cycle to. And I’d have a basket on my bike to bring baguettes and a bottle of wine home after work. Or a Vespa. I’d love to wear this while riding a Vespa.
This wrap thing was AWFUL on me. This was the size 10 and it fit super, super snug in my arms and was cutting off the circulation in my brachial artery. The material was really bulky and just didn’t drape nicely. There was also this stiff zipper at each wrist. I know a lot of you were intrigued by this based on the online picture but it’s really not a well designed wrap. Sure the fleece was really soft and nice but it’s just not a good use of it this kind of material.
