Yoga has its own fashion trends and fashion history to speak of. I spoke to Sunshine Ross, founder of Awake Space (Formation Yoga France). “I have been teaching for over 16 years now. I remember being in one of the first Yoga Alliance registered schools in India. The locals were baffled to see women foreigners in Rishikesh, a very holy, traditional yoga pilgrimage town”. Madame Ross was very happy to share her memories with me, but i wanted to speak with her specifically about yoga fashion.
Jane: What was the yoga fashion like when you started yoga?
Sunshine: Oh, very strict. Just like in some ashrams still today, you had to wear large-legged,straight cut cotton trousers and a baggy T-shirt. I just wore my gym clothes underneath. You couldn’t go to a yoga brand or yoga section back then, you just went to the running section or tennis section or gym section. The leggings were black or blue. Tank tops and bra tops were very simple.
Jane: That’s hilarious. Did you ever want break out and just design your own clothes?
Sunshine: (laughing) Well, yoga is yoga. We didn’t really think about what we wore.
Jane: You have been teaching for a long time now. What fashion trends have you seen in yoga? How has yoga fashion evolved?
Sunshine: Good question. I have has fun over the years watching different groups of students come and go my way and the different fashion trends.
Jane: like what?
Sunshine: There was the strappy sports bra, wide neck tee shirt over criss cross strappy sports bra, the shorts over leggings. Then yoga fashion brands started to emerge and everything shifted to pastels and matching top and bottoms.
Jane: What do you think is the future yoga fashion trend?
Sunshine: (laughs again) I don’t think i am the one to answer but wide-leg trousers could come back. I can already see jogging trousers around in light colours – not too baggy but more close to the skin. I do like wearing the long line yoga tops. It’s nice to wear pinks and reds too sometimes.
Awake Space is a registered school with Yoga Alliance, since 2015 offering multi-style 200hr yoga teacher training which includes foundational teaching, hatha-vinyasa, kundalini and ashtanga. The trainings are held in the beautiful baechside city of Biarritz in France. The school’s owners have recently purchased Chateau de Montcuquet in Lautrec, France. Courses will be offered at the chateau from 2024. Learn more about Awake Space (Formation Prof Yoga France)
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