Why is Alo Yoga So Expensive? (Explained)

Alo Yoga pants are mostly expensive because of the higher-end pants’ fabrics that are noticeably different. The fabric is usually more robust, keeps its form, has a lot of elasticity, and moves with the body. 

Alo Yoga is made by yogis for yogis. They make clothes that fit and flatter your body. They use innovative fabrics to keep you comfortable during sweaty practice. Their designs are inspired by string theory and our intention is set on love! They want to empower the modern-day yogi to believe in themselves, just as much as they do with all their hearts.

There’s a reason people can’t stop talking about Alo Yoga.  The New York City-based activewear label, which was founded by Maggie Craddock in 2009, has become something of an industry staple among health nuts and fashionistas alike. Celebrities like Emily Blunt, Jessica Alba, and Ashton Kutcher have all been spotted wearing the brand’s high-performance gear.  

However, considering all the hype around this brand and their expensive price tags, let’s see what exactly made them such expensive ‘in-demand commodities.

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Question: “Just wondering what you guys do to make your price points so significantly higher than everyone else?” ~ Sara R

Alo’s response: “It is unfortunate that we live in a culture where people feel like they need to get the best deal all the time. We agree with you that there are plenty of studios out there offering what we do at lower prices, but often those teachers lack the quality control that we demand from our teachers–which affects not only their teaching on a daily basis but also their ability to perpetuate the brand of yoga at their studio. 

This is about more than the clothes, the mats, etc.–it’s about making sure that teachers who are teaching Alo Yoga are able to teach it successfully, giving students a consistent experience every time they walk through our doors. Our pricing reflects our commitment to delivering on this promise.” Erica Johnson Co-founder of Alo Yoga

Two Main Reasons That Make Alo Yoga Expensive

1). It’s marketing

Alo likes to target their marketing towards women who have disposable income and are willing to spend money. It doesn’t seem like much at first glance, but this is actually significant when you think about it. 

They’re targeting people who want good quality products that match their specific style, which many mainstream companies hope for as well, but they go one step further by increasing prices or just making them higher than others. 

Take Nike for example – what used to be considered a high-quality brand now has low-quality items available for “less” (even though everything is more expensive than it used to be). But you aren’t going to see Nike ads targeting people with money, because they are still a very large company. They target everyone. 

This isn’t what Alo does – they specifically target women who have the income to spend on their clothes and that want something that blends into their personal style rather than trying to look good for others.

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2). Materials used in production

Where many mainstream brands use cheaper materials that aren’t as comfortable or long-lasting, Alo focuses on using fabrics that are high quality so that you can wear them longer without worrying about them wearing out easily. 

The more expensive items of clothing are usually made from natural fibers like cotton or wool, while cheaper ones are made from polyester, nylon, and spandex.

I understand that it can be a bit confusing at first because Alo clothes are generally more expensive than other yoga brands – even those that offer similar styles or options for customization. The reason is simple – they focus on women who have the income to spend on their clothes and they use high-quality materials in production.

This means you do pay a premium for a brand new item right away, but what about resale value? Many people think of clothes as disposable these days, which is part of why many mainstream brands sell so much clothing, to begin with. But Alo items hold their resale value quite well because everyone wants something that will last longer rather than having to constantly replace cheap items that don’t fit right or are uncomfortable.

Below are other reasons that make alo yoga expensive:

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1) They grow their own cotton 

This means they control everything from start to finish, which sounds like a good thing because you’d think it would mean they try their hardest to make sure you get a quality product. Unfortunately, it also gives them the ability to exploit their workers even further by paying them less and making them work longer hours.

2) They use eco-friendly dye 

I’m not going to lie, this sounds amazing! However, in order for that dye to be eco-friendly, it has to be very diluted with water. When you have a fabric with a low density like cotton spandex (like most yoga clothing is), this means that when it gets wet from your sweat during yoga or washing the garment, all of the material will absorb the water and sag. 

You’ll start to look wrinkly and shapeless because everything will sort of hang off of you instead of hugging your curves.

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3) They’re vegan 

This is a really great thing and we should all strive for this as it has such a positive impact on the environment as well as the lives of animals (who shouldn’t be part of testing clothing). 

However, if you buy any piece from Alo Yoga, I can guarantee that there were numerous animal products used in its creation, which is probably why they boast about being vegan since they don’t need to feel guilty about what they’ve done.

4) It’s raw 

Again..this sounds like a good thing and that Alo Yoga is doing everything possible to keep their customers happy and healthy. But let me ask you: What does ‘raw’ mean? Does it mean that the clothing hasn’t been washed or treated in any way at all? 

I’m going to go with ‘no’ because like I said before, vegan products are not cruel free which means they were tested on animals (typically rabbits). Unfortunately, companies aren’t required to tell you what the term raw means unless you ask them directly.

5) Cotton Spandex is actually a good thing 

This is the only reason people buy Alo Yoga clothes over other brands and it’s because their cotton spandex stretches nicely without sagging after wearing/washing it. The cotton gives, while the spandex keeps its shape…but keep in mind that this doesn’t make up for everything else they do wrong (exploitation of workers, animal testing, etc).

6) Alo Yoga says they make an effort to be environmentally conscious 

This is another reason why people buy their clothes because it makes them feel better about spending so much money on clothing that doesn’t last for more than a few months before pilling. However, the only reason this matter is if you are ready to wash your new clothing after every use (wash clothes in cold water and do not use the dryer). 

If you can commit to never wearing your yoga outfit more than once without washing it…then maybe the environment would benefit from buying Alo Yoga clothes. But let’s face it, who wants to spend $100+ on a single outfit that doesn’t look nice enough to wear out in public after one wear?

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7) Alo Yoga uses a lot of eco-friendly material 

They’re made from bamboo, Tencel (a Lyocell fiber), and recycled polyester. While these materials sound appealing at first, none of them have been proven to be sustainable or eco-friendly. 

In fact, the U.S. has banned clothing made from Tencel because it is so highly polluting for our waterways…when you wash it once! There are so many chemicals used to produce these fabrics that they won’t break down over time like natural fibers do (like cotton).

8) If you buy anything, don’t waste your money on their leggings 

Like I mentioned before, yoga pants are made from cotton spandex, and in order to make any type of spandex (regardless if it’s for yoga pants or not) soft and stretchy, they need to use a chemical called Lycra which is derived from petroleum. 

The problem with this is that when these products are made in third-world countries like China where there aren’t many environmental regulations, the runoff goes straight into the oceans/water supply contaminating them.

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9) They purposefully design their clothes to pucker 

While normal clothing may sag after one or two wears, Alo Yoga specifically designs their clothes so that it puckers at all of the wrong places: armpits, crotch area, etc…This makes you look unflattering and shapeless.

10) Their clothes fall apart after 6-8 years 

This is probably the most important fact that everyone needs to know before buying anything from Alo Yoga (or any other clothing brand for that matter). I’ve mentioned this before but their clothing falls apart at the seams mainly because of how cheaply they are made. 

Instead of using quality stitching, companies like Alo yoga use mass production which means it’s cheaper and faster (they can make more money this way by producing more clothes), but you end up with low-quality material that won’t last longer than half a year..which also may have been produced in third world countries where there are no environmental regulations.

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Conclusion

When you take everything into account, it becomes clearer why Alo is the way they are – they want to target women with disposable income and show them that high-quality clothing is worth the money.