It’s time to talk about Aligns.
Aligns were released around September, 2015. They were released with a few other pant types when Lululemon was re-vamping their pant-wall. The released pants were the Align Pant, Zone In Tight, All the Right Places Pant, and Tight Stuff 7/8 Tight.
And honestly, at first, I wasn’t all that interested. I prefered the “hugged” feeling of my Wunder Unders and the fabric seemed a little delicate… even moreso than normal! The other thing is that sometimes when Lululemon comes out with a new item, they phase something else out (Speed Ups replacing Speed Shorts) and then bring back the old favorite, at a higher price. So, I was biding my time, waiting to see what the Aligns were replacing, only to be phased out and to have the beloved classic item return for a higher price. But this has not happened and I am now convinced that the Aligns are here to stay. As an aside, What happened to the Zone-In tights? I’m not able to find them on Lululemon’s site and they were released at the same time.
Anyways, I’ve never talked about Aligns before on my blog, but I think now is a good time to start.
Fabric: Nulu: aka: softest Nylon/ Supplex blend ever.
Fit: Form-fitting, not forgiving. If you have flaws, you’re not getting any assistance from these, unlike the way one might with Luxtreme or even the traditional Wunder Under Luon. That said, they fit pretty much like Wunder Unders, the fabric is just less thick and less tight than the WUs.
Feel: These are the softest things I have ever felt from Lululemon. They really do feel like nothing at all on and I love this fabric!
Issues: The reviews say it all. People LOVE the softness, but HATE the pilling. This is one of the reasons why I have stayed away from these. I can’t bring myself to pay $100 for pants that are destined to pill after only a few wears. In addition, people are complaining about loose threads/snagging.
My opinion: Buy if you are not concerned about pilling. Let’s be honest, we all love silky leggings that are super comfortable to wear. Like a good lipstick, legging that feel like nothing at all are amazing. However, we also like our things to last, and based on the 2.5* average review on Lululemon’s website and given the extensive list of comments regarding pilling, I think it’s safe to assume that these do not last, for most people. And, while a depiller can help with this, the question becomes, should this really be necessary when I’ve only worn these a couple of times?
At the end of the day, the answer to “should I buy?” is up to you, but so far, I’ve said ‘No thanks.’
UPDATE! I recently wrote a new post where I address the Aligns again. It’s been 2 years and I have caved and bought a couple of pairs. Read about my experience here: https://lululemonexpert.com/2020/06/08/lululemon-aligns/
