Clothes Call
by Molly Phillips and Francine Phillips

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in.

January is the time of year to take stock, assess your long-term goals, and take that long, hard look in the mirror that you’ve avoided since Thanksgiving’s second piece of pumpkin pie.

These days, it’s not enough to like what we see on the outside, we’re also expected to examine the strength and balance of our inner lives with regularity. Forget the fast-paced jog at dawn in your old ’80s leggings and your son’s college sweatshirt. We’re talking yoga. And the good news is that in our search for inner beauty we can start on the outside and work our way in.

Designers from New York, from photojournalist and part-time yoga instructor Heather Lea Garrick to powerhouses like Donna Karan and Tommy Hilfiger, are going to the mat to provide comfy and casual outfits that make the odd poses and awkward stances of yoga look chic. Garrick started the International Boutique line for her students that features tie-dyed shirts and coral-colored velvet “hoodies,” like the one Jennifer Lopez first made famous from Juicy Couture.

Tommy Hilfiger featured a zipped hoodie in his spring 2004 collection with silky tops and short pleated skirts. DKNY offers a hoodie for $135. Both designers have outlets at the Carlsbad Company Stores. Athena, assistant manager at the Donna Karan store noted that the DKNY active wear styles are running off the shelves. “They create a casual, yet put-together look because they are outfits, not separates,” she says. IZOD, also represented at the Company Stores mall, has its own yoga line using fleece and cotton in block colors that emphasize the structure of the body.

DKNY active wear is also available at Saks Fifth Avenue in La Jolla. Saks, in fact, features Danskin specialized yoga clothing, Zen Spirit outfits, and their own Saks Fifth Avenue brand of yoga clothing that features drawstring pants, zip jackets, and stretchable fabrics.

Omgirl is the junior market’s inspiration to achieve the yoga look without the yoga workout. The very popular line with soft lines and India-inspired colors is available at Chantal Lapoint’s Heaven on Earth, a yoga haven at The Lumberyard shopping center in Encinitas, at prices from $20 to $40. The store sells a wide selection of Omgirl cotton tops and pants with cute little yoga icons, as well as yoga-inspired Satori clothing.

French designer Michelle Bohbot, who started the Bisou Bisou line, has come forward with a line of yoga clothing that is, she insists, a “labor of love.” She has suppressed promotion of her regular fashions in conjunction with the yoga line. The labor of love yoga wear is only sold in limited quantities through specialty boutiques and online shopping at www.bisoubisou.com.

Prana is another very available yoga line with tie-dyed tanks, hooded pullovers and yoga pants — those loose, cotton-knit, flared-legged pants that hug perfect hips perfectly. Prana sells everywhere in San Diego from REI to Ginseng Yoga on Beech Street downtown, or at the Rancho Valencia Resort Boutique in Rancho Santa Fe. Prana has also introduced plus sizes for the yoga line, which makes symmetrical sense.

Breathe out.

Molly Phillips has a degree in fashion design and specializes in fabric research and fashion trends. Francine Phillips is an editor, author, and consummate shopper. They can be reached at fashion@ranchandcoast.com.