Lululemon: One Size Doesn’t Fit All
Posted At: November 11, 2013 2:15 p.m.
by Jessica Smith
Yoga pants are a staple in a lot of women’s closets. Whether they use the pants for actually doing yoga or not is up to them.
Lululemon Athletica was recently under fire for accidentally producing “sheer” yoga pants in March. During a Nov. 5 interview with Bloomberg TV’s Street Smart, Lululemon co-founder Chip Wilson said the company was trying new technology and understandably had problems with it. He explained since Lululemon is producing a tangible product, the problems with the pants cannot be solved as simply as a “computer software” error.
He went on to say that while the pants did have problems, women with certain body types can’t wear yoga pants.
Wilson said, “Frankly, some women’s bodies actually don’t work for it . . . It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, and how they much they use it.”
His wife, Shannon Wilson, a former designer for Lululemon, tried to save her husband during the interview by saying women’s thighs rubbing together or the surfaces women sit on, such as concrete, can rub the pants and make them sheer or bumpy.
While that may be true, I wear my yoga pants pretty much every day. Lululemon’s basic yoga pants cost around $80. If I’m going to pay $80 for yoga pants, and not even use them for yoga, I want them to not only fit my body, but last for a long time.
Lululemon is also trying to hire a new CEO, but the company might need to find a new PR person. After the interview aired, an angry customer commented saying, “Really, your pants are not made for all women? Well, [the] average size of an American woman is 12, so good luck! I will never buy your product again.”
Lululemon doesn’t seem concerned with fixing its relationship with customers, but more concerned with proving there is nothing wrong with its product.
Lululemon has a lot of damage control to do and should focus on rebuilding its relationship with its current customers and work on gaining new customers, maybe by making a yoga pant “every woman” can wear?
P.S. This “meaningful” apology video isn’t the right answer.
