Is Lululemon turning its attention to barre workouts?

Is Lululemon, the fashion empire known for its stylish clothes for yoga and running, turning its attention to the barre?

Right now, amid the Cool Racerback tanks and Wunderunder pants, Lululemon is displaying its first capsule collection designed specifically for barre workouts. (After a notable stumble last year with a rather ridiculous tulle tutu “practice skirt.”)

A barre collection makes sense considering there are nearly 10 prominent barre studio brands around the country, competing for the opportunity to give us a long, lean dancer’s body.

“It’s fun for our designers to learn about new sports and what the needs are of those athletes, and create new, fun pieces that perform for those activities,” says Amanda Casgar, Lululemon’s community manager for the eastern U.S.

Of course, the performance requirements of barre clothing are barely different from what you’ll need in yoga, so Lulu has added small details to set the collection apart. The gorgeous Pulse Pants ($98) look like they have enough texture to help hold a ball between your thighs and the Elongate Tank ($59) has symmetrical seams so you can “perfect your posture in the mirror and keep your lines straight.”

But the raison d’etre for this collection may hinge on the $18 nubby-bottom barre socks. The Method Socks are unusually long, “long enough to be leg warmers,” and say “Nice Shaking” on the soles, so you can complement your barre comrades on having reached muscle fatigue.

You can also avoid the in-studio faux pas committed by even the most seasoned barre flies: realizing you’ve worn grippy socks emblazoned on the bottom with the logo of another studio. —Melisse Gelula