REVIEW: Lululemon Contender Jacket

Our female readers, especially those of you who do yoga and appreciate fashionable technical clothing, probably already know Lululemon. The Canadian company's line of stretchy (and sexy) workout gear has caught the eye of Southern California's women, and is showing up in more and more yoga classes, gyms and workouts all over the southland.

But here's a news flash the guys might not have gotten: they also have a men's line. I learned this after accompanying a girl friend into one of their stores last year, and was impressed by the designs, fabric and cut of their guy's pants, shorts and jackets. I made a mental note to try their clothes at some point, and was happy to receive a dark gray Contender Jacket ($108) to try out.

The jacket is a great platform for Lululemon's fabric story for both the men and women, as it's made from Luon - one of their nearly dozen featured fabrics that feature Lycra and other stretchy & breathable threads. Luon is a preshrunk breathable fabric that stretches four ways and is also used in their ladies' yoga pants. Other fabrics run the gamut from their lightweight Luxtreme to the even lighter Swift.

The Contender jacket is soft and comfortable - I never wanted to take it off. The fabric strikes a welcome balance of weight and breathability, so that I never overheated in it yet was always warm - similar to a merino wool sweater but with better shape memory. The jacket features some cool Lululemon bonuses like a cord retainer for your headphones, a zippered chest pocket so you can hear your cellphone, and mesh panels under the arms for even more breathability.

While the guys can also choose several other items (I like the Endeavor pant myself), it is the women with the lion's share of selection at Lululemon - they literally have you covered from head to toe in great technical fabrics, bright colors and flattering cuts. And that's something both the guys and girls can be thankful for.

Stores in Fashion Island and Irvine Spectrum. Tons of product and information at www.lululemon.com