It’s not every day that Lululemon, purveyors of buttery-soft, high-performance workout clothes, makes room for an entirely new chapter in their already-comprehensive œuvre; but as we’ve waxed poetic before, Lululemon isn’t just any brand.
World, meet Instill, Lululemon’s newest yoga franchise. Think of it as Align’s cool half-sister, the Zoya Lott to Align’s Julien Calloway. The first member of the crew is the Instill Tight, a high-rise yoga legging that has all the soft stretchiness you would expect from a garment suitable for downward-facing dog but with extra support. Ahead of the groundbreaking debut, I took the Instill Tight for a test run — keep reading for my breakdown.
First Impressions
I’ve tried almost every Lululemon legging that exists — both to review it for my job and because I’ve bought several pairs as a genuine fan of the brand. So how do these compare to my tried-and-true favs? Lululemon gifted me a pair of Instills to review, and I was immediately into the SmoothCover fabric. It had the same buttery softness of my precious Align Pant, but felt a bit thicker and more supportive. I wouldn’t say they felt constrictive in any way and for that reason and found they fit true to size. (For reference, in Lululemon’s more compressive leggings, I usually size up.)
I can’t twist myself into a pretzel — yet — but I do yoga pretty regularly and consider it one of my favorite workouts. Pre-pandemic, I was a regular at my favorite aerial yoga studio, and I’m a big fan of Obe Fitness’s vinyasa classes (shoutout to my fave instructor, Lulu — no relation to this review, but a cute coincidence, amirite?). Anyway, what I look for in yoga clothes: Comfort is key, as is ease of mobility. Instill passed with flying colors. I felt really limber (LOL) in them, and the extra high-rise gave me that held-in feeling that I really appreciate in a legging.
Final Thoughts
This is far less important, but these leggings also worked some sort of magic because I looked and felt ridiculously cute in them. The fabric has a very flattering smoothing effect, and I loved how the seams and stitching curved around my hips. (You can’t really see this on the black pair, but it’s more apparent with other colorways.) I also performed a highly specific squat test (complete with an iPhone flashlight and the brightest
Also not so much an issue with black leggings is the concern over opacity; a highly scientific squat test with me wearing the brightest underwear I own and shining my iPhone flashlight directly onto my butt gave me the confidence that this fabric has understood the assignment.
I will say, these are a bit thicker than I probably needed them to be for yoga and workout purposes; as an everyday lounge legging, they’re sublime. However, at $118 a pair, they’re undoubtedly a luxurious splurge! If you’re Lulu-obsessed and pride yourself on being a true legging connoisseur, then these will likely be a no-brainer purchase. If you’re a more casual legging consumer — or already have an existing favorite style you’re happy to splurge on — then these may be a pass for you. That said, these have definitely emerged as one of my most prized pairs of black leggings, and should they ever make to the brand’s secret sale section, I’ll consider buying a second pair.
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