Lotus position in a pair of jeans? No problem.

When was the last time you tried to do downward-facing dog in a pair of jeans?  Never?

Eric Wazana would like that to change. In fact, Wazana – owner and designer of Montreal’s Second Denim – has just the pair for you. The company’s Yoga Jeans, engineered to stretch and hold as you breathe and bend, have just hit the shops.

The secret, Wazana claims, is in the fibre and cut: a blend of 97 per cent cotton and three per cent Elasthane; a diagonal weave, six-part waistband to hug you, and forward side seams that help mobility. It all adds up to comfort and “shape memory” of 92 per cent, Wazana said, as opposed to an industry standard of 64 per cent.

That means when you bend forward in Yoga Jeans, the inevitable indecent exposure should not occur. You’ll get only eight per cent slippage down your hips, not the whopping 36 per cent plunge.

The average jean, Wazana explained, stretches more than four centimetres (or an inch and a half) over eight hours of wear.

Now, jeans today promise many things: There are the tummy tuckers, designs moulded for every shape, ones that promise the butt of J. Lo or Gisele.

But comfort worthy of yoga? Is this a gimmick? I asked Wazana.

Not at all, he responded. And you actually expect folks to wear them to yoga?

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“Absolutely.”

A test was in order.

I donned a pair and headed to stretch class. They were comfy, indeed, with a moderate rise and good stretch. They were flattering, too, lengthening the leg and not all that bad on the butt. The dark, clean colour was another bonus: The darker the jean, the slimmer you appear. And I had tried a boot cut, which was slim through the thigh and knee, with a moderate flare to the ankle.

I have even done sun salutations, lotus and plow positions on the floor at home. But I have not worn them again to the gym for two reasons: a) I am lazy; and b) jeans are heavy and hot, however you cut them.

It’s still a jean, acknowledged Wazana, who formed his company in 2000, manufactures the jeans in Montreal, and sells to around 300 shops in North America.

“I wanted to create a tight jean that doesn’t impede blood flow and feels like a legging,” he said, adding his wife wears them all the time, even to yoga.

People love jeans because the fabric is alive, he said. “One of the properties of denim is that it evolves with you.”

The bottom line: a flattering, comfortable jean.

Would I wear them to yoga or stretch class in a pinch? Without doubt.

Do these jeans hold their shape? Well, compared with Sevens and J Brands and the like, they stay up pretty well. But at the end of the day, I was still doing the old hike-’em-up jump when I hoped no one was looking.

Second Denim Yoga Jeans are available at Simons, the Bay and specialty shops. They come in two dark blue rinses; boot, straight or skinny cuts; and seven- or eight-inch rises. They cost $120.”

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