Lululemon Blames Women’s Bodies For Problems With Yoga Pants

In a move that has alienated many women in the health and fitness industries – not to mention customers – Lululemon founder Chip Wilson said that problems associated with some of their yoga pants result from user error.

In an interview with Bloomberg TV, Wilson said, “Frankly some women’s bodies just don’t actually work for it. It’s really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how much they use it.”

A conflicting message

The issues in question are sheerness and pilling – customers are finding that the pants wear down too quickly.

After Wilson made the comment, his wife attempted to interject and say that some customers might be “sitting on a cement ground,” which might result in pilling.

As Tyler Atwood wrote on Bustle, Wilson’s statements seem to directly conflict with the brand’s message about positive body image and one of their slogans: “Practice yoga so you can remain active at any age.”

“These words of encouragement are both emblazoned on items of Lululemon clothing and workout gear, and printed on each of their reusable shopping bags,” Atwood wrote. “Lululemon has long been a proponent of healthy living and body image messages, yet Wilson’s comments seem emblematic of gulf between what they preach and what they practice.”

This isn’t the first time Lululemon has shifted the blame for quality control issues onto the customer. In July, the company website made a note that women who were complaining about sheerness issues were probably buying the wrong size pants.

Source: Business Insider