http://www.dailycamera.com/lifestyles/ci_26003928/yoga-pants-clothing-made-boulder- county

Sometimes, the best things come when you're not focusing on them.

At least, that's the birth story of one of my favorite lines of locally made yoga pants.

Hilary Heath, of Boulder, started an activewear company called Sturdy Girl several years ago, specializing in high-impact sports bras in bigger sizes.

This topic interests me zero percent, for genetic reasons I'd rather deny.

While preparing for her first retail trade show and designing product displays, Heath realized she had nothing to put on the bottom half of her manikin. As an almost side note, she designed a pair of yoga pants.

She made a list of the features she loved and hated about different styles of athletic bottoms. Hates: the drawstring; shiny, see-through fabric; inner thigh pilling; awkwardly placed, too- shallow pockets. Loves: compression fabric that holds all your body parts in place; waistbands that stay put; a cut that lays flat against the body.

She pieced together all her favorite traits and created Sturdy Girl's yoga pants.

The response was surprisingly remarkable, she says — and it attracted athletes who might otherwise have no need for a, uh, Sturdy bra.

The La Jolla Pants are just as flattering as the more expensive and controversial lululemon line, and they're designed here in Boulder. The pants feature two strategically located pockets: one on the side hip, so it won't press into your back or belly when you're stretching or lying down, and another on the lower leg.

Sturdy Girl's La Jolla Pant with Las Vegas Tank-style bra. (Sturdy Girl / Courtesy photo)

But the waistband is my favorite feature. I call it the "muffin eater." Heath installed a few rows of tiny, light, soft, silicone gripper beads, which hold the edge flat against your body and in place (no sagging — even if you wear them for several days without washing; not that I've ever done that, every week). They actually hold your muffin top in and down, and then the compression fabric keeps your bumps smooth and concealed.

With yoga pants this flattering, who needs to do yoga?

Find the La Jolla Pants for $74 atsturdygirlsports.com.

Fortunately for Boulder, which is into locally grown food, there's no need to be sending money out of town for your yoga attire, either.

Here are a few of my other favorite local yoga pants companies, with products that rival even the biggest international names.