What To Wear To A Yoga Class: Simple Rules That Help

What to wear to a yoga class: the short version

You do not need special clothes for yoga, but one thing about your clothes does matter: whether your teacher can see your knees. What to wear to a yoga class comes down to three simple rules. Wear clothes you can move in, clothes that stay put when you bend and turn, and clothes that let your teacher see your legs. A comfortable top and shorts or leggings is fine. Chris, who teaches at Flametree, explains why the legs matter below.

Iyengar yoga is the style developed by Mr BKS Iyengar. In the 20th century he did more than anyone to set down traditional Indian yoga, through his books and his teaching, and he pioneered the use of props. It is sometimes called modern classical yoga, and it’s the style we teach at Flametree. This page sits in our Beginners notes.

What to wear to a yoga class, in short

• Short answer: comfortable clothes you can move in, that stay put and show your legs.
• Knees: your teacher helps most when your knees and legs are easy to see.
• Bottoms: stretchy, a highish waist that stays up, seams that hold, and not too thick.
• Tops: any comfortable top. Chris likes non-cotton, anti-sweat tops.
• Men: close-fitting shorts or tights that do not get in the way of a lunge.
• Feet: bare in the studio, which helps grip.
• Next step: come as you are to a first class, in the studio or LIVE online.

Why does your teacher need to see your knees?

Your teacher can only correct what they can see, and the knees are the key joint in many poses. Chris explains that with thin, close-fitting pants she can see whether your knees are aligned, straight and engaged (working). When you use your legs and knees that way, with feedback, you get more from the pose.

Most of her instructions go to the whole class rather than to one person, because she does not like to single anyone out. But they are driven by what she sees, minute to minute. Baggy pants hide the knee, so the teacher has less to go on. You do not have to wear anything in particular, and many people choose comfort first. If you like getting feedback, shorts or thinner, closer-fitting pants make it easier.

What to wear to a yoga class on the bottom half

Choose stretchy pants or shorts that stay up, do not slip and are not too thick. These are the features Chris looks for, from her own experience of what works.

• A highish, supportive waist that still stretches when you bend backwards. Some waists barely stretch at all.
• Fabric that stretches but stays put, so you do not keep pulling the pants up in forward bends.
• A gusset (an extra panel in the inner leg seam). Chris finds pants with one comfortable and less likely to roll down.
• Seams and stitching that do not tear.
• Thinner fabric. Chris finds very thick yoga pants unwearable in Darwin, even in an air-conditioned studio.

Try this at home before you buy: squat, bend forward and lift one leg. If you do not have to pull anything up or adjust anything, the pants will be fine in class. You do not need an expensive brand, and we do not recommend one here. The features matter more than the label.

What to wear to a yoga class on top

Any comfortable top that stays put when you bend forward will do. Chris likes non-cotton, anti-sweat tops, which you can buy at most sports shops. They are made to resist sweat and smell. But, as she says, any comfortable clothes are fine for a yoga class.

Shorts and tights for men

Close-fitting knee-length shorts or tights work well, and loose shorts need more care. Shorts that do not stretch can get in the way when you bend a leg, for example in a lunge. Board shorts over the top often need pulling up when you bend the knees. Tidy hems help too, so nothing flops when you bend forward or go upside down. For more on yoga for men in Darwin, see our note on male yoga classes.

What about socks, shoes, layers and bags?

Yoga is done in bare feet, which helps grip. Leave your shoes at the door. A light layer is handy for the rest at the end of class, when the body cools down. In the studio, props and mats are supplied, so you can come with nothing but yourself. For more on what the props do, see our page on yoga props. Turn your phone to silent, arrive a little early and tell your teacher about any injury. If your knees need special care, read our note on yoga for knees.

The Better Health Channel offers similar advice: wear comfortable clothes and take a blanket or mat, because many poses are done sitting or lying down (Better Health Channel).

What should you wear to an online yoga class?

Wear what lets your teacher see your legs, and set your camera so they can. Chris wears bright colours online so students can see her more easily. It works the same way in reverse: if she can see you clearly, she can give you better reminders, even when it seems she is talking to the whole room. Brightly coloured, thinnish pants, not baggy ones, and a camera that shows your whole body all help.

What to wear to a yoga class in Darwin

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin and LIVE online. Come in whatever you already exercise in. If you are unsure, bring your questions to the teacher before class, and have a quiet word about any injury.

What to wear to a yoga class: questions people ask

What should I wear to my first yoga class?

Any comfortable top and shorts or leggings that you can move in. Chris says there are no special clothes needed for yoga. Choose bottoms that stay put when you bend, and that let your teacher see your knees. You will be in bare feet.

Do I need special yoga clothes?

No. Any clothes you normally exercise or relax in will do. Chris suggests a few features that help, such as a stretchy highish waist and thinner fabric, but none of them is required.

Can I wear shorts to yoga?

Yes. Shorts are cool, and they leave your knees easy to see. Pick shorts that stretch and do not ride up or get in the way when you bend a leg, for example in a lunge.

Should I buy expensive yoga gear?

No. Chris’s favourite pants cost a lot, but what she valued were the features: a stretchy supportive waist, a gusset, strong seams and thin fabric. Look for those features in whatever you buy. We do not recommend a brand.

Why do yoga teachers like to see your knees?

Because the knee is a key joint in many poses. With thin, close-fitting pants, a teacher can see if your knees are aligned, straight and engaged, and can give you better reminders. Baggy pants hide this.

Do I need to bring a mat?

Not in the studio, where props and mats are supplied. For an online class, have a mat or non-slip surface ready, and a blanket and firm cushion if you have them. The Better Health Channel advises a blanket or mat, because many poses are done sitting or lying.

What should I wear to a yoga class online?

Wear thinnish, close-fitting clothes in a bright colour if you can, and set your camera so your teacher can see your whole body. If Chris can see you clearly online, she can adjust her directions to give you useful tips.

What should I wear to yoga in Darwin?

Thin, stretchy clothes you can move in. Chris finds very thick fabric unwearable in Darwin, even with the air conditioning on. Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga at Woolner and Coolalinga and LIVE online. Your first class is free if you are new to Flametree: in the studio, if you have lived in the NT for three months or more, and online, for anyone new.

Practise this at Flametree

Flametree Yoga Studio teaches Iyengar yoga in the studio at Woolner and Coolalinga in Darwin, and LIVE online.

• New to Flametree? Your first class is free. In the studio, just come along. Online, go to our online class list, click the class time you want and we email you the link to join.
• Beginners: new students, and anyone who has been away three months or more, can get a half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, to use online, in the studio, or both. See the beginner half price pass.
• Already practising yoga? The same half price 10 class pass with 2 extra classes free, for new students and for anyone away three months or more, is also available as the non-beginner half price pass.
• See every class time, including online classes, on the timetable.

Can’t make a class? Practise at home with our video courses.

This article is general information, not medical advice, and it is not about any one person. If you have an injury or health condition, tell your yoga teacher before class. Flametree Yoga Studio, Darwin and LIVE online.

Sources

• Chris Lalor, Flametree Yoga Studio. Notes on choosing yoga pants and on what a teacher can see, from her Flametree emails (April 2024), and on shorts for men and tops, from posts on the Flametree Facebook page.
• Better Health Channel (Victorian Government). Yoga: health benefits. betterhealth.vic.gov.au