In the past few months there's been a lot of controversy regarding Lululemon's yoga pants being too sheer, forcing the company to recall 17 percent of the pants and costing the Canadian company over $20 million. At the time, the company said that it was not sure why the pants were so sheer since they hadn't changed the materials used, or changed manufacturers. The pressure has really built up since in June, when CEO Christine Day announced that she would be stepping down after five-and-a-half years. In an attempt to make a comeback, Lululemon Athletics launched the new Full-On Luon pants, a style that claims to have "major support and coverage."
Even in the ad set to promote the new changes within the products, lead yoga designer Antonia delicately touches on the sheerness subject, saying: "We saw that there was an opportunity to take the fabric and evolve it to another place." However, complaints started emerging once again with costumers not only experiencing sheerness again, but also pilling. A lot of the complaints came from the new product, as well as the Groove Pants. A Lululemon spokeswoman said in an email that the problem is not widespread, and that only a very small number of customers has complained.
"We've heard from a very small number of guests that they have experienced some [pilling] on their Groove Pants," spokeswoman Alecia Pulman said. Her email was in response to queries from Reuters and other news organizations. "The information we have tells us that [pilling] is not a widespread concern and this guest feedback is not indicative of a larger issue," she said. She advised customers experiencing what they think to be quality problems to visit their local store or contact the company's customer call center "so we can make it right."
To make matters worse, one of the company's co-founders, Chip Wilson, was giving an interview on Bloomberg TV's "Street Smart" when he was asked about the recent complaints about their product quality. Wilson, who stepped down as CEO a while back and now serves as the company's chairman, said the pants aren't for everyone. "Frankly some women's bodies just don't actually work for it," Wilson said. And if you thought he would stop there, you're wrong. He went on saying, "They don't work for some women's bodies. It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how they much they use it."
Bloomberg's host then commented, "Interesting, not every woman can wear a Lululemon yoga pant." To which Wilson responded, "No I think they can, it's just how you use it." But really, we all know Lululemon is all about skinny bodies with no curves whatsoever. Just a few months ago, Huffington Post posted a story about a former employee who said the largest sizes, 10s and 12s, were relegated to a separate area at the back of the store, left clumped and unfolded under a table. If any of you Latinas out there are anything like me, you'll know that being a size 10 or 12 is not being large, especially when we have a bootie that takes up most of that size.
As we all know, having a "Latina body" means that you've got great curves, a very proportionate waist-hip ratio and most of the time, great boobs. But let's focus only on the lower part, since it's becoming more and more apparent that after all the issues with Lululemon, most of us won't be able to enjoy a pair of the much coveted yoga pants because our thighs might be an issue. Yes, whether we like it or not, most of us with amazing curves, also have "big" thighs, which means, according to Chip Wilson, that after a few hours of wearing the pants, we will experience some pilling. Goodbye to almost 100 dollars.
A common problem for Latinas in general while buying clothes is that it's very hard to find bottoms that will fully accommodate you. Have you ever gone shopping and found yourself with an amazing pair of pants that fit you perfectly around the thighs but are too large for your waist? Imagine you buy a pair of yoga pants that fit your waist perfectly but might be a bit too tight for your thighs. That's the reasonable solution, since you can't wear a belt to hold them up. The fabric will automatically stretch, so what if you bought a pair of pants that were already a bit sheer? It's like going out naked. We are aware of that "issue" (it's really a blessing, because come to think about it and who wouldn't want a Latina body?) with our bodies, but thank you, Lululemon, for letting us know that our curves are not appreciated in your company and for making our choices easier at the moment of choosing clothes to go exercise. It's unfortunate that you will miss a great demographic for your brand though.
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