Lululemon Athletica Founder Blames Women's Bodies for Clothing Defects
Lululemon is again facing criticism after its founder blamed women's bodies for defects in their popular yoga pants.
On Tuesday, Chip Wilson, Lululemon co-founder and current chairman, appeared on Bloomberg TV's "Street Smart." During the interview, Chip was asked about complaints that Lululemon's yoga pants are too sheer, exposing more skin than wearers would like, and fall victim to pilling.
"There's always been pilling. Women will wear a seat belt that doesn't work, or a purse that doesn't work, and quite frankly some women's bodies just don't actually work for it," Chip said.
Host Trish Regan asked Chip, who used to be Lululemon's CEO, to elaborate.
"They don't work for some women's bodies," Chip said. "It's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time, how much they use it."
Chip's wife and Lululemon co-founder and chief designer Shannon Wilson jumped in to offer a different point of view.
"[What people need to consider is] what's the use and what it's being up against," Shannon said. "Are you sitting on a cement ground?"
When Regan asked if not every woman could wear Lululemon yoga pants, Chip said this was not the case.
"No, I think they can," Chip said. "I just think it's how you use it."
The comments have outraged many Lululemon patrons, some of which have taken to social media to express their rage.
"Hey Chip! My lululemon running gloves burst a seam last night - are you trying to tell me that my hands are fat too?!," Melissa Malcolm said via Facebook.
"I used to be a huge fan of Lulu. 3 years ago I started telling the girls at my local store 'they've changed the fabric'. As a seamstress and a consumer, I know fabric. My pants that I purchased in 2007 lasted far longer than my pants from just last year. Why don't you just own up to the fact that it's a quality control issue, as well as your company wanting to make more money and you went with a cheaper product. Telling women they don't have the correct body type to wear your clothing. I'm pretty sure there is something about honesty in that manifesto of yours," Catherine Abalone Water-Tiger Saxton said via Facebook.
It looks like that Lululemon isn't sitting well with patrons... just like its yoga pants.