Yoga’s appeal continues to grow in the male population. According to surveys, their numbers shot up dramatically since 2012, when they made up only 18% of yogis in the U.S. By 2016, male yoga practitioners had increased by 150%, as men have caught on to its immense benefits.
The science has shown that yogis enjoy better balance, flexibility, strength, sleep, and heart health. Yoga also boosts mood and energy while helping to relieve joint pains from arthritis and backaches.
Depending on the type of yoga you practice, you will be stretching, twisting, and inverting. If you take hot yoga classes, you will also sweat copiously. Therefore, not all men’s clothes provide the comfort to make the required moves.
What do men wear to yoga? Traditionally, men wore a “dhoti,” a sarong fastened between the legs. Going shirtless is fine if you practice yoga at home, but you will want some comfortable and stylish clothing when practicing in a yoga studio with others.
If you think the industry only provides comfortable and stylish clothes for women, you are mistaken. With the rise of yoga’s popularity among guys, the selection of men’s clothing continues to improve with lots of easy, comfortable, and stylish apparel choices.
Yoga Attire for Men
As you start embracing yoga’s physical and mental benefits, you may have asked yourself, “What do men wear to yoga?”
The basic items you need include shorts, tops, and footwear based on your yoga environment. You will also need accessories like a yoga mat, a bag to transport your clothing, and various meditation aids.
Although comfort is critical when selecting suitable fabrics for yoga, men should also consider the breathability and stretchability of the fabrics used for manufacturing the yoga attire. Additionally, it’s best to avoid clothes that are too tight or loose.
Look for athletic wear because their design provides comfort. However, if you plan to do intense workouts, you will want to keep the moisture from sweating away from your body, so look for moisture-wicking fabrics like Nike’s Dri-FIT or Lulumelon’s Everlux fast-drying fabric.
Generally, look for fabrics that contain polyester, nylon, spandex, and polypropylene mixed with natural fibers like bamboo. Remember that cotton on its own is not moisture-wicking because it doesn’t draw moisture to the fabric’s exterior but absorbs it, making it heavier. However, you can use it for less intense yoga classes because it’s a breathable fabric.
Depending on the type of yoga, footwear might not be necessary. However, bare feet provide a natural sensation but don’t have the best traction. Using non-slip socks, yoga sandals, or breathable and lightweight shoes will work when you need to feel rooted to the mat.
Finally, look for stretchability in your yoga attire because you will want to feel comfortable as you practice and transition between poses, ensuring a satisfactory session.
Comfortable Outfits for Guys
Here are some ideas for comfortable outfits for guys:
Yoga Pants
Yoga pants or shorts are more expensive than other sports pants. However, their design and fabrics make you feel comfortable moving into complicated poses and prevent you from feeling sweat against your skin. They have a better grip because they provide friction.
The best yoga pants contain lightweight, moisture-wicking fabrics with plenty of stretchability. These fabrics usually contain spandex or another synthetic stretchy fabric with cotton, bamboo, or hemp in a ratio that makes them stretchable and less slippery.
Drawstring waists tend to make pants or shorts uncomfortable in poses where you must lie facedown, but several brands have a thin elasticized waistband for comfort. If you want to wear long pants, ensure they have a cuff, or you can see your feet to avoid tripping.
Popular brands for pants or shorts include prAna, lululemon, 4-rth, Manduka, and Nike. You can also buy other comfortable but cheaper pants from other clothing or sports brands if you feel these are too expensive.
Yoga Shirts
There are several popular brands of men’s yoga shirts, but these can often feel overpriced when any T-shirt or tank top will do.
Whatever you choose, the same principles apply when choosing tops as those for pants. Look for lightweight, sweat-wicking fabric to ensure you are comfortable. Additionally, the shirt should not be too baggy, so it doesn’t ride up during inversions.
Most guys prefer sleeveless shirts to ensure their shoulders can perform the full range of movements, but t-shirts are also popular.
Popular yoga wear brands include prAna, Gaiam, and 4-rth, but you can also find quality shirts from several sports brands.
What to Wear for Yoga as a Man
When considering what men wear to yoga, you must keep several things in mind. These include the type of yoga and the weather to help you determine if you must wear shorts or longer pants.
Generally, you will want to wear a comfortable workout top to complete your look. In colder weather, you may opt for a long-sleeved top, but with more intense yoga, you may prefer a tank top, no matter the weather.
Look for a top with split seams at the sides for extra flexibility. You will want a slightly tighter top to avoid it riding up during practice, and a longer back hem can provide better cover while you bend and stretch. Some features men look for are a seam down the middle of the back to help with pose alignment and grip tape inside the top’s hem to hold it in place.
It is recommended to opt for sweat-wicking fabrics for both your yoga pants and top to help keep sweat away from your body. These types of fabrics have quicker evaporation rates, making them more convenient for yoga sessions. Moreover, it is practical to have a zippered pocket in either the pants or the top to securely store smaller items.
Men’s Yoga Clothing Guide
The four main factors to consider when buying yoga clothes are sizing, material, comfort, and price.
Sizing
When buying gym or sports clothes, most men prefer looser fitting ones. However, yoga movements require snugger clothes to stop them from sliding up.
They should also have the elasticity to allow more unrestrained movement in some poses.
Additionally, more form-fitting clothes make it easier for you to ensure the correct body angles. However, make sure your clothes are not too tight. Otherwise, they will hamper your practice and make you feel uncomfortable.
Material
We discussed materials earlier, but here’s a recap. Choose clothing that is lightweight, super absorbent, stretchable, and durable.
Most types of yoga entail working up a sweat while lying, standing, or sitting on your mat. If you are sweating a lot on the mat, it can become slippery, so choose materials like cotton that absorb sweat.
Clothing made of stretchable materials allows the most comprehensive range of movement in your yoga practice.
Avoid cotton for Birkam yoga because it absorbs sweat and weighs you down. Yoga clothes made from lightweight synthetic blends are best.
Comfort
Comfort is essential when considering which yoga clothes men should choose. Feeling comfortable and unrestricted during practice will allow you to focus on your poses instead of constantly adjusting ill-fitting clothes. For example, a too big blouse will keep sliding down during inverted poses.
Price
Price is another critical factor for most people investing in yoga apparel. Don’t skimp, but there’s no need to go over the top price-wise. Choose durable clothes that will withstand movement and plenty of washing so you don’t need to buy replacements constantly.
Dressing Tips for Men in Yoga Classes
What do men wear to yoga to feel and look good? Here are some choices in the various categories:
Yoga Tops
T-shirts and tank tops are the most practical for yoga practice. Your choices include cotton, other natural fibers, synthetic fibers, and natural/synthetic mixes.
Cotton is comfortable and excellent at keeping you warmer when the weather is colder, but it tends to soak up quite a bit of sweat, making you uncomfortable during practice. They will keep sweat away from your mat, something synthetic fabrics don’t do.
Tops made with synthetic fabrics are sweat-wicking, moving sweat away from the skin. These tops are lighter, wash easier, dry faster, and are more durable.
Keeping the above information in mind, choose your tops according to the weather and the type of yoga you practice. Wear a cotton top on a cooler day or when using your mat during a yoga session; otherwise, use a synthetic top for hot yoga or go shirtless.
You don’t need to buy specialist yoga tops since you can find excellent quality t-shirts and tank tops from most sports brands like Nike and men’s retailers. However, if you prefer a specialist brand, Vuori, prAna, REI, Manduka, and Lulumelon are some of your choices.
Whatever top you choose, ensure it’s not too tight, restricting your arm and body movements during poses or rise when you lift your arms. It should also not be too loose if you don’t want to pull it down constantly during inverted poses.
Yoga Bottoms
Choosing long or short, loose or fitted yoga bottoms depends on your comfort and mobility. Usually, people prefer long pants when the weather is cooler, shorts when it’s warm, or for hot yoga.
All yoga brands sell long and short yoga pants for men, but if you prefer, you can also buy other sportswear. However, if you don’t want to accidentally flash anything, ensure these have a supportive lining or wear them with briefs underneath.
When buying long pants, you can choose a looser fit from a company manufacturing yoga attire or your favorite joggers or track pants. Some yoga styles, like Vinyasa, require more movement, and you may prefer yoga leggings. These come in shorter and longer lengths.
The right fit is always crucial when choosing pants. You can always wear cycling shorts underneath your tight yoga pants if you prefer not to bulge in the wrong places.
Finally, you may prefer wearing Dharma pants, the yoga version of track pants. They have a looser fit that tapers toward the cuff and are very comfortable. See these two suggestions from Yogigoals.
Stylish Yoga Outfits for Guys
What do men wear to yoga? Of course, they should wear stylish outfits. While there are no specific rules for how a guy should dress in a yoga class, remember that etiquette and body image standards should apply to all.
Therefore, dress in comfortable, breathable yoga clothes for flexibility of movement. Avoid overly baggy or tight items, and choose clothing that lets you confidently practice yoga.
The Yoganomads provide some ideas for tops and bottoms to create stylish outfits for guys that can take them from yoga class to meeting a friend for a snack or coffee.
Once you leave your yoga class, you may feel more comfortable covering up with a zippered hoodie in a sweat-wicking fiber to help you stay dry. If you are wearing tight yoga pants, you might need to change into something more fitting to leave your class, but these pants have gained popularity outside the yoga studio.
What Men Should Wear to Yoga
We have examined the right pants and tops men should wear to yoga, but what about footwear and other accessories?
Yogis have various footwear preferences. Some like to go barefoot, and others prefer lightweight, breathable shoes. Yet again, some wear socks, and others prefer sandals.
If you want more support, then a lightweight shoe is best. Yoga sandals have a natural feel, but they can get slippery.
Going barefoot is more calming for some, but try non-slip socks if your mat gets too slippery.
The choice of footwear is up to you. Consider your comfort, connection to the mat, and stability when flawlessly finishing off your yoga outfit with the perfect footwear.
Accessories like headbands, wristbands, necklaces, bracelets, mala beads, etc., can provide the necessary tools for a comfortable session and more profound meditation. Not all men feel comfortable wearing accessories, so the choice depends on you.
Yoga Fashion Tips for Men
When choosing your yoga attire, consider what you feel more comfortable in based on your body image, but don’t ignore yoga trends. Aim to feel confident and comfortable so that you give 100% to your yoga practice.
Here are the most essential yoga fashion tips for men if you want to know what men wear to yoga:
- Choose breathable, stretchy fabrics for tops and pants in your preferred styles and colors.
- Ensure your clothes fit snugly but not tight and feel soft and comfortable.
- Wear layers to adjust your clothing to the temperature. For example, you can take off a hoodie worn over a tank top once you have warmed up.
- Etiquette and body image are essential when choosing yoga clothes so that you can move freely and not cause distractions to yourself and others while practicing.
These tips and ideas will help make your yoga experience more enjoyable. Choosing the perfect outfit means you will feel comfortable and able to perform your poses while feeling stylish and confident.