Does wearing Lululemon make you workout better?
Most days when I go to the gym, I look kinda frumpy. My leggings are $12 from Rue 21 and I pair them with a sports bra and T-shirt. My theory is, “Why wear nice clothes that are going to get sweaty and stinky?”
But according to a 2012 study by Northwestern researchers Hajo Adam and Adam Galinsky, I might have a better workout if I wear something more fashionable, like $98 pants from Lululemon that make my butt look cute. 
The researchers were inspired by an episode of The Simpsons, where all the kids had to wear gray uniforms after Bart wore some snarky tee to school, and the kids acted like drones until it rained and the tees turned into tie-dye shirts, and everyone was happy again. Adam and Galinsky wondered if clothing affected people similarly in real life.
The answer was yes. Apparently we experience “enclothed cognition,” which means that we experience mental changes when we wear certain clothes. For their experiment they had two groups of people perform attention-related tasks. One group wore whatever/nothing special and the other group wore lab coats. The group wearing lab coats performed significantly better.
In an interview with The Atlantic, Adam said, “It’s all about the symbolic meaning that you associate with a particular item of clothing,” And he thinks the study’s results can be applied to many more fields, including activewear and fitness. “I think it would make sense that when you wear athletic clothing, you become more active and more likely to go to the gym and work out.” (Psychology of Lululemon: How Fashion Affects Fitness.)
Yes! The scientists said I should buy expensive workout clothes!!! Well, even if I don’t go shopping, I think I’ll dress a little more fashionably tomorrow. I do feel better when I’m dressed in all black like a Ninja.
How about you? Do your clothes affect your workout?
Lisa 
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I bring it just as hard in my $11 old navy workout pants as the girl next to me wearing lululemon. 🙂
True dat!
Absolutely and totally. When I’m wearing my favorite workout outfit, I definitely project more swagger in the gym and tend to have better workouts. That’s not to say that you have to spend a fortune…Old Navy yoga pants will make cute butts even
cuter!
I think I need some swagger in my workouts. OK, everyone plus the scientists are making me want to shop now.
I now like nice gym attire. I won’t spend Lululemon money though.
I think I may have to break down and buy a pair of their yoga pants. The price tag is killing me, but THE SCIENTISTS TOLD ME TO!
Hi Lisa,
I’ve heard or read somewhere that looking good, wearing lipstick, cute clothes, fashionable shoes during a work does lead to a better work out. I must admit that when I go to the gym looking drab, I find myself wanting to “hide” which means I’m kind of doing a “wall flower” workout. However, when I feel like I look cute, I want to take it to the next level. The problem with all of this is that when one gets up at 4:45 am to work out, the last thing one wants to do is primp.
Love your blog.
Merry Christmas,
Julie Rees
Hi Julie! I’m in the same camp as you – I like looking cute, but it’s tough enough just getting out of bed some mornings!