Dive Brief:

• As the athletics space pushes toward greater inclusivity, Lululemon last week debuted two hijabs on its e-commerce site, according to details emailed to Retail Dive. A third style is expected to launch later this year.
• The Performance Hijab, which sells for $42, is a lightweight hijab and features a pinless, over-the-head design that is intended to stay secure during workouts. The OTM Scarf Hijab, which is $38, is made of soft performance fabric and extra length “to transform it into whatever shape suits you best,” the company said.
• The OTM Pull On Hijab is priced at $38 and is made with soft performance fabric and slips on over the head. It has not yet launched. The OTM Pull On Hijab and the Performance Hijab are available in small/medium and medium/large sizes, while the OTM Scarf Hijab is one size fits all. 

Dive Insight:

With its latest product launch, Lululemon is catering to an underserved market in athletics. Muslim women who wear hijabs face the challenge of participating in sports or other physical exercise while maintaining modest apparel, which can be difficult to find in the performance space.

Lululemon’s three hijab styles were developed thanks to conversations with hijab-wearing members of its global collective of influencers and ambassadors. Like the rest of Lululemon’s product assortment, all three hijabs are focused on both performance and versatility.

“Lululemon hijabs are constructed with lightweight, breathable, sweat-wicking fabrics and offer adjustable fits and distraction free features to support guests during their activities of choice and as they move throughout their day,” the company said via email.

As an athletics brand that has always emphasized women, offering hijabs feels particularly aligned with Lululemon’s brand vision. The retailer has big goals to grow its business, including doubling its revenue to reach $12.5 billion by 2026 and creating more products geared at specific sports or activities.

Athletics giant Nike has also invested in this area. Nike in 2017 made waves when it released the “Pro Hijab” to support Muslim women athletes. Two years later, the retailer debuted the Swim Hijab, alongside several other swim products aimed at providing broader coverage for athletes. Innovating for Muslim athletes is still top of mind at Nike. Executives at a recent event in Los Angeles discussed their work with Nike athlete Ibtihaj Muhammad, who said the retailer wasn’t addressing the need for breathable, modest activewear for the summer months.

“Racerbacks, tank tops, short sleeves, those sorts of things — that’s typically how we would address the funnel regulation conditions at that time of year,” Tania Flynn, vice president of women’s apparel product design at Nike, said in May. “But talking to her really led us to believe, ‘Oh, wait, we’re missing this market. We’re missing this consumer.’ If Ibtihaj needs this, we know there’s a lot of people out there that need this.”