Spoiler alert: this article discusses plot points from the final episode of Mad Men.
With yoga’s increasing popularity among men has come some confusion overthe correct attire for aligning one’s chakras in style. Now, in the hope of conquering this market, Canadian yoga-inspired clothing company Lululemon has invented for itself an imaginary muse, “Duke”.
As Yves Saint Laurent had his Loulou de la Falaise, so Lululemon has its Duke. Duke, 35, enjoys surfing in summertime, snowboarding in winter, earns more than $100,000 and is happy to spend much of it on expensive yogi clothing in shades of grey. In a somewhat sinister turn, he has been described by his own inventors as an “athletic opportunist”. His lady counterpart, Ocean (I think they’re lovers, or perhaps their love is unconsummated; an eternal will-they-won’t-they romance between two corporate muses) has, in the words of Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, “her own condo, is travelling, fashionable, has an hour and a half to work out a day”.
Of course Duke and Ocean are a strange construct – an oatmeal Orpheus and Eurydice for the exercise-obsessed yuppie class – but then Lululemon is a strange concept. The Canadian leisurewear company (huge in LA, with a growing fanbase in London) has become something of a status brand among serious yoga types, but has also courted controversy by blaming overweight people for ruining its gear. This week it reported better than expected profits, with menswear growth outperforming the company as a whole, thanks, in part, to the famed anti-ball crushing pants. It calls those working on its shop floors “educators”. It has them handing out shopping bags printed with its positive-thinking manifesto that includes such musings as “children are the orgasm of life” and “do not use cleaning chemicals on your kitchen counters” and “visualise your eventual demise.” There was a time when its shopping bags featured the phrase “Who is John Galt?”, the opening line of Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand’s divisive celebration of capitalism and the individual.
So it appears that in Duke the company has divined its own Randian hero, one who visualises his own demise in a comfortable blend of lycra and nylon. “He’s style-conscious, works hard, has a sense of humour and is witty,” explains spokesman Felix del Toro. “He’s a multidimensional man, someone you’d want to be friends with and someone you’d want your sister to marry.” But then, what if you don’t wish for Duke to become your best mate and eventually brother-in-law? What if you think he sounds like an absolute tosser? Well no matter, here are five muses of the modern yogi and how to dress like them.
Duke
You’ve already met.
Duke likes… yoga pants, £88 from Lululemon.
Sohrab
Sohrab is a traditional yogi, the sort that appears in Mughal paintings from 16th-century Asia with unruly, knotted hair down to his shoulders, sipping on an intoxicating brew of cannabis leaves. He wears only a little ochre-coloured cloth and small hooped earrings, and smears his body in ashes. He has no interest in possessions.
Sohrab likes ... nine-carat gold earrings, £24.99, H.Samuel.
Mountain
Lululemon’s intricate mythology also mentions Ocean’s triathlete ex-boyfriend, Mountain. We’re told nothing more about him but I think of Mountain as a flagrant exhibitionist, forever undressing for tantric workouts in the sunshine. If not naked, he would be wearing these baggy trousers with the waist pulled down way too low; which appears to be the accepted fashion.
Mountain likes … yoga pants, £43.99, from Yoga Bliss.
Don
At the conclusion of Mad Men we found Don Draper meditating at a Californian retreat, dressed down in pale chinos and white shirt. Impractical, but a great look nonetheless. Apparently wearing white will reflect your aura – if you believe in that sort of thing.
Don likes … shirt, £25, from M&S.
Edward
Lastly, Edward is just an ordinary yoga bro, adopting the wounded warrior pose in T-shirt and shorts. He watches Ryan Giggs’s yoga DVD for inspiration, and wears whatever old clothing he can find in his wardrobe.
Edward likes … yoga bag, around £20, from Brogamats.
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