Introduction

With everything evolving, the world of fashion isn’t left out, hence the welcome invention of Athleisure. The hybrid clothing allows the wearing of casual sportswear for very many occasions. These combinations, made of loose-fitting, comfortable clothes, are worn by anyone wherever they choose to go. These athleisure items range from tank tops to shorts, jumpsuits, sneakers, etc. All of which can be used to carry out sporting activities and are fashionable enough to wear to work, casual gatherings, or school. They are all carefully produced items by renowned trademarked companies and are now commonly adopted by fashion enthusiasts and celebrities alike.

In the world of athleisure, there’s no denying the ever-growing giants in the field that are becoming household names. These brands have continued to deliver quality, comfort, and, most importantly, a style you cannot help but want to own. These brands can pride themselves on being in the athleisure business over time. They have continuously delivered comfort and style to a vast range of communities. These communities are aware of their capabilities and trust them to deliver.

This article discusses two of these brands, Nike and Lululemon. It is aimed to analyze Nike vs Lululemon in the athleisure industry. However, it further addresses an important point: which is a better buy between them.

• A Brief Overview of The Nike Brand
• A Brief Overview of The Lulemon Brand
• Solving The Dilemma – Which Is The Better Buy?

A Brief Overview of The Nike Brand

Nike Inc. is a multinational fashion corporation. Being an American corporation, its control quarters is in Beaverton in Oregon. The corporation is engaged in designing, developing, marketing, and distributing clothing, footwear, and accessory tools. Its logo is referred to as the swoosh. It is a slant curved checkmark and a renowned symbol globally. An athletic constructor who worked at the University of Oregon founded it. He created the Nike brand with the support of an old student, Phil Knight. After opening in the mid-60s, they established their first sales shop within 24 months and launched their debut shoe line in the early 70s. Their establishment maintained the name Blue Ribbon till the late 70s. Nike went public about three years after its name change. 

The fashion firm continued to grow over time so well that in the 2000s, it had established in over 169 countries and owned several retail shops and dealers. While the brand has continually gained ground since its inception, one of its effective strategies has been acquiring other establishments. Some of the acquired brands include shoemaking firms like Cole Haan and Converse, Inc. Like every other innovative brand, the company did not miss out on ensuring endorsements from well-known figures in society. It can be said that through its endorsements with sportspeople like golf legend Tiger Woods and basketball icon Micheal Jordan, it has made a lot of achievements.

A Brief Overview Of The Lululemon Brand

In the late 90s, Chip Wilson established Lululemon. The athleisure wear firm, which is quite outstanding for its leggings, has a plethora of products attached to itself, such as yoga wear, knickers, hair accessories, sweaters, coats, yoga accessories, bags, and even skincare products. The Canadian athletic apparel brand is recorded to have over 491 retail stores internationally, including online stores with free shipping services. With its unique and attractive name, there has been no back story about why it bears the name. Although, the founder noted that one of the reasons it takes that name is how humorous it was when the Japanese tried to pronounce it.

The goal of this athleisure establishment has always been around comfort, and so its first products were yoga outfits and clothing for only women. After Wilson’s company trademarked its first original fabric called Luon, it produced other materials such as its compression-styled clothing and moisture-wicking techniques. When Lululemon saw how good it was faring in the industry, it picked its growth as a sign to diversify into other products. The brand increased the spectrum of its products and the available size ranges for its existing products. In the same bid to expand, the firm decided to begin a masculine collection in 2014.

Still, in that year, the available shops in Europe had a unique package for fitness instructors to obtain about 26% of their purchases. The fashion house uses different social media channels such as Twitter and Instagram to achieve its marketing goals, among other methods.

Solving The Dilemma – Which Is The Better Buy?

Nike and Lululemon are renowned establishments that have delivered quality over the decades. They have been able to sustain their customers for so long because they have been consistently in the market. Choosing from these athleisure brands may be tricky, especially for first-time buyers. It is essential to note that the thriving fashion trends favor both brands. The athleisure trend is being adopted by both the old and young alike, especially since the pandemic. Like every other company, they both have gone through downtimes and challenges, so it is only normal to ask the question of which is a better buy.

In making this decision, here are some factors you might want to consider between Nike vs Lululemon; considerable enough for a good decision between both brands.

Nike vs Lulemon – Brand Name

In the Athleisure industry, like every other industry, a brand name is something that people want to be associated with. When it comes to a trusted brand, marketing is almost entirely done by loyal customers since they trust the brand, which is something Nike undoubtedly has.

The brand’s long-time existence in the Athleisure industry has become a household name. With a reputation like this, there cannot be any doubts about the quality of its deliveries. On the other hand, Lululemon has been in the market for quite a long time; however, not long enough like Nike. Thus, it cannot beat the years of experience the Athleisure giant, Nike, has garnered.

It is easier to patronize a well-known brand due to positive remarks from users all around the globe. In essence, when speaking of Nike vs Lululemon, Nike still has all the name and fame.

Nike vs Lulemon – Comfortability in Workout Wears

Both brands have a reputation for good quality. The two athleisure brands have gained prestige in their workout collections regarding construction and functionality. They both are said to be the leading brands in the leggings industry.

Starting with Nike’s Yoga Luxe leggings ($71.62). It is created from infinalon and is pretty comfortable. Its elastic nature makes it more of a running attire; hence, not very suitable for yoga or other forms of exercise. The high-rise waistband is also a feature to look out for, but sometimes it tends to be unnecessarily stretchy.

Speaking of Lululemon, its Align pant ($97.02) is a style that stands out. The outfit is designed from Lululemon’s signature material, Nulu. It delivers its assurance of supreme flexibility. It also allows for absolute movement without unnecessarily stretching.  

However, they both have impressive quality outfits with slight variations in some areas like stretchiness.

Nike vs Lulemon – Size Variations

The sizing of athleisure outfits is as significant as quality and comfort. When it comes to getting a flawless fit, Nike has been on the top of its game with its sizes. While improving every day, Lululemon may not be there yet for perfect sizing.

In addition to its already impressive wide-ranged size availability, it recently launched a collection of leggings for pregnant women in all stages of pregnancy. Although Nike sizes are generally average, they may run a bit small only for small sizes.

Lululemon’s product sizes tend to be smaller than usual throughout every size range. Hence, it is advised that you buy wears that are at least 1.5 times bigger than your actual size for proper fits.

Nike vs Lulemon – Cost

Whether they are worth it or not, Lululemon wears are undoubtedly expensive. The brand is known widely for its quite comfortable but pricey collections. So if you are looking to buy on a budget, then Lululemon may not be your first choice.

On the contrary, Nike has more affordable prices. Its swoosh leggings for females span from about $24.20 as the introductory price to about $121.23. On the other hand, Lululemon has its lowest price for Wunder Under Crop High Rise, going for $54.03. Its LAB Varsa tight goes for as high as $163.20.

Their yoga outfits can be another place to compare prices as Nike launched its new yoga collection after Lululemon had dominated for quite a while in that area. The sports bra collection costs $35, while Lululemon’s collection goes for $58. Nike’s yoga pants are sold at $45 and Lululemon’s at $88.

There are no complaints if you choose Nike over Lululemon due to cost. Know that you are not settling for less as they both have outstanding quality; instead, you are only being budget-conscious.

Nike vs Lulemon – Style and Fashion Taste

Despite the collections being associated with exercise and how they are now styled for different occasions, it is only normal to want to look fashionable. In every sense of its comfort and durability, Nike wears tend to appear more in monotone colors (black and white).

On the other hand, Lululemon has been able to create a blend of various shades of colors that help you look classy and fashionable at the same time. Regarding Nike vs Lululemon in terms of style, Lululemon is the better buy. It offers an opportunity for uniqueness, fashion dynamicity, and trend-setting.

Conclusion

Both Nike and Lululemon have continued to soar in the Athleisure industry over time. They can be quickly passed off as rivals. Whether this rivalry is healthy or not, considering the lawsuits between them have in no way affected the overall quality of their products. It has, on the contrary, made both parties continue to improve their products in all ramifications, which is even better for their customers.

The above analysis shows that Lululemon is not the brand you go for when looking for a purse-friendly brand. Both brands have continued to make their brands better and serve their clients more excellently. That doesn’t, however, mean that they are not worth it.

While all the categories mentioned earlier are meaningful, personal choices and tastes might vary. Hence some factors are more important than others. Your personal preference will further influence which factors you apply to choose the brand to get your next Athleisure wear.