A lot of first-time students are unsure of what to wear to yoga class.
Any damn thing you want.
Even though certain clothing companies would have you believe otherwise, you really don’t need anything in particular. Wear what you have. Wear what makes you feel good. Comfort is key.
That said, I understand wanting to feel like you’re doing the right thing when you enter a studio, especially for the first time, and the preference to avoid overexposure of certain body parts. With that in mind, some thoughts:
Wear yoga pants, sweat pants or tights instead of shorts.
Your legs end up all over the place in a yoga class, and you’ll probably be happier if you don’t have to wonder about what can be seen and what can’t. Tight shorts like bicycle shorts (or the yoga-specific shorts made by some apparel companies) would work well; just do some practice stretching first to make sure they don’t shift in ways you don’t want them to.
That’s a consideration in some class settings. At home, wear as little as you’d like, of course.
Choose a snug shirt.
A t-shirt is fine, but if it’s too loose it could end up around your armpits when you’re half upside-down, exposing your back and belly and bunching around your neck or falling over your face, making it harder to breathe.
Make sure any straps or waistbands don’t have any hard parts.
I once wore a pair of running tights to a yoga class, and they had a little pocket in the back that closed with a zipper right on my sacrum. I’d forgotten about it. We were lying down, and I rolled right back on that zipper—it hurt like heck and left a bruise. Be aware of the same potential issue if you have adjustable straps on your shirt or bra.
Remove jewelry, especially bracelets or watches.
We bend our wrists a lot in a yoga class, and a watch will consistently fall uncomfortably at that crease. You might be more comfortable without a necklace twisting at your skin or falling in your face, as well.
Go barefoot.
For one thing, you want to be as connected to the earth as possible (I know, in many cases the building is there, but we’re trying). You balance and move your feet differently when you don’t have shoes on, and you want to be able to do that in yoga. You want to spread your toes out. Skip the socks, too, because they get slippery on the yoga mat. If you tend to get cold, you can bring them along to put on for savasana, the final relaxation pose.
Choose light colors.
You won’t usually find white options in your typical sporting goods section; check a yoga-specific shop or go online. Right now, most of my yoga clothes aren’t white; in fact, most of the pants are black. I’m working on changing that. From a yoga point of view, white, orange, and yellow are great choices. It’s said that wearing white expands your aura, plus it’s light and airy and feels good. From there, starting with the lightest colors, pick your favorites, the ones that make you feel the best when you wear them.
Or don’t. But maybe try it a few times and see if and how it makes a difference to you.
What do you wear to yoga class?