For months, maybe even years, I’d been hearing raves about lululemon athletica workout wear. I knew all about the comfort, the fit and the fabric, not to mention the flat-seams and fashion-forward designs. But the phrase that kept being repeated, the one that convinced me to make the trek to Manhattan’s Lincoln Square store on Broadway and 64th Street, was, “The pants make your butt look so good.” Comfort or not, this was one claim I wanted to investigate.

Long story short, I was not disappointed. After trying on a handful of pant styles I finally decided on two: The Training Pant, which features a straight-leg design, a mesh ventilation strip along the back of the waist and a hidden key pocket, and the cropped Wonder Under Tight, a slim legging which I picked in a pin-stripe fabric. A quick spin before the mirror revealed that my rear appeared more lifted, my legs longer and leaner. I’m telling myself that part of this is all the Pilates I’ve been doing, but I have to give some credit to the pants, too. The tailored fit is about more than appearance though—the pants don’t slide or shift so it really is like wearing a second skin.

Finding a top wasn’t quite so easy. My pursuit actually took a second trip to the store and trying on a variety of styles. Apparently some designs work better on different body types (this is unlike some workout wear styles, which attempt to fit all shapes and sizes into the same compression garment), but I eventually found my perfect fit. The Wrap Tank offers the support of a bra without sacrificing shape. The top was higher cut in front than some, which made me comfortable enough to do some exercises on an incline, like Tendon Stretch, and the wide straps never impaired my range of motion. Most importantly, when wearing the combo while standing before a class, I felt like a professional. I guess it’s time to ditch those ill-fitting sweats, once and for all.