The Ultimate Lululemon Size Guide: How Does Lululemon Activewear Fit?

If you're big on your activewear, chances are you've heard of Lululemon (or Lululemon Athletica). The cremé de la cremé of gymwear, Lulu is renowned for its quality, fit and cult following. Hailing from Vancouver, Canada, the brand makes clothing for a huge variety of sports, including yoga, running and general training. Rooted in community, Lululemon is a company that takes both social responsibility and sustainability seriously, whilst making great activewear at the same time.

Aside from the usual activewear and athleisure styles, Lulu also makes a huge range of accessories, swimwear, sweatshirts and outerwear, but for the purposes of this Lululemon sizing guide, we'll be focussing on their workout wear.

To understand Lululemon sizing, it's important to get familiar with their fabrics, as these dictate the level of compression and stretch within their bras and leggings. Whether you should size up or down in a Lululemon product depends on the fabric.

Everlux™ is a technical fabric that features a double-knit construction to keep you cool and dry during intense workouts. It's designed for sweaty studio sessions, so needs to be compressive (read: tighter) to be able to perform properly. We recommend you size up in Everlux™.

Luon® is breathable and soft, and designed with a 4-way stretch for a more comfortable fit. This material is better for yoga and light workout activities. It has a light compression for a body-hugging feel. We recommend you buy your true size in their Luon® fabric.

Luxstreme® is a high-performance fabric that fits like a second skin. Designed for HIIT and running, Luxstreme® has a more compressive fit to help support the muscles. Your true size is normally fine in Luxstreme®.

Nulux™ is a super-soft fabric that feels silky and contours to the body. It's very lightweight and only offers light compression. Because of its lightweight fabric, it might not be the most squat proof of styles. We recommend buying a smaller size in Nulux™, but if you're buying a lighter pair stick to your true size as a bigger size will make them less see-through.

Nulu™ has a second-skin fit and a buttery soft finish. It's not compressive but it's very lightweight, making it ideal for light exercises like yoga and casual wear. Either a size down or your true size is normally fine in Nulu™.

As a general rule, consider sizing up in more compressive styles, stick to your true size in styles with medium compression, and consider sizing down in styles with little compression.

Lululemon leggings are a must-have if you're serious about your activewear. Some of their most popular styles are the Align leggings and the Wunder Under leggings. In Lululemon stores, the leggings are normally displayed from tightest compression to least compressive fit, and follow US sizing. If the conversions are confusing you can check the size chart on the site, but as a rule of thumb, add 4 to get your UK size (as in a US0 = UK4, or an XXS). But whatever leggings you're going for, there are a couple of ground rules to follow when buying workout leggings, so here's a quick way to get Lululemon sizing right.

Being able to tell if your leggings are fitting right will save you loads of trouble when shopping for workout wear. An easy way to tell if your leggings are too small is by checking that they don't roll over or cinch at the waist, or give you an (ahem) unflattering shape in the front area. Similarily, leggings that are too big will cause the fabric to bunch up by your hip flexors and behind your knees, and you might notice the waistband slipping.

The Align Pants come in a number of different inseam lengths, so cater for everyone. They are made from Lulu's Nulu™ fabric, so they're buttery soft and extra stretchy. As mentioned, your true size is normally fine unless you're going for a lighter colour. The Align Pants are always praised for their incredible softness and fit, so if it's a light exercise or athleisure-type legging you're after, this is the pair for you.

The Wunder Under tights also come in a variety of inseam lengths, from 25" to 31" in full-length, but also a cropped version at 23". They feature a high-rise, no-dig waistband for added support and comfort, and are made from the brand's Luxtreme® fabric. As mentioned earlier, this fabric helps the leggings fit pretty true to size. The Wunder Under leggings are suitable for everyday training, or anything else the day throws at you.

So, you've got your Lulu leggings down, now you'll need a sports bra to match. When it comes to buying sports bras, getting the right fit and support is crucial. Lulu offers bras in light, medium and high support, so they'll offer you support through any sport or activity.

Like most sports brands, Lulemon's sports bras don't follow a band and cup size sizing structure, and again follow US sizing, although the size chart does compare this to standard bra sizes. In general, Lululemon sports bras tend to run a little small, and we recommend that you buy a larger size for a more comfortable fit, even if you have a small band size and bigger cup size. If you prefer a more compressive fit, you could stick with your true Lululemon size.

The Free to Be Sports Bra is designed for yoga, so comes in with light support. It has a strappy open back to allow for more fluid movement and is made from the Luxstreme® fabric. Because of the thin straps, this style can dig in a bit if you don't get the fit right. The general consensus is that it fits a little small.

So there are a couple of bras in the Align range, but Lulu's Align tank is the real scene-stealer. Not only is it a super-comfortable sports bra, but also it's the most flattering tank you will ever wear, and crosses over from activewear to athleisure territory. It's made from Lulu's super-smooth Nulu™ fabric and even features a built-in shelf bra, although if your bust is a little bigger we'd recommend you size up for the right amount of support here.

Much like their leggings, Lulu's shorts are next level. And again, like the leggings, a lot of the same fit tests apply- just this time you'll feel anything that's too tight digging in around your thighs instead of your ankles. Chances are you're feeling pretty familiar with the fabrics by now, so let's look at a yoga short and training short to see the differences.

Much like the Align Leggings, the Align shorts are buttery soft and stretchy, made from Nulu™ and generally fine in your true size. They do come in a number of lengths, from tiny 4" styles for the super-confident, to 6" and 8" inch styles with pockets if you're in need of something more practical.

Lululemon's Wunder training shorts are made for serious sessions, and designed to keep you cool whilst you get a sweat on. Again, they come in a number of different lengths, and are powered by Everlux™ fabric for a sweat-wicking finish. The fabric choice does mean they come up a little small though, so consider sizing up if you're set on building those glutes.

So, there you have it. Stick to these fit tips and make sure you check the fabrics and you'll definitely be able to come away with the right size Lululemon bras and leggings!

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