It’s not you, it’s the leggings. And even Lululemon knows it.
The athleisure brand made an almost-$100 dollar pair of leggings that allegedly flattened customers’ behinds with an ill-placed back seam. The effect is that the wearer’s backside is elongated. Released on July 9, the “Breezethrough” yoga pants line was unveiled to mixed reviews. Specifically, the V-shape design that stretches to the waistband was deemed as often unflattering.
In response to the design backfire, $31 billion market cap Lululemon has pulled the product.
Issues with thin material, as well as what was called “whale tail placement,” cropped up online soon after it launched. “I tried them on and they literally make [me] look rectangular,” said a customer on a Lululemon Reddit thread. Why is the seam on the back, the wearer pondered?
“We’re excited about the potential of Breezethrough’s fabric innovation, which has been specifically developed for guests who participate in hot studio workouts like hot yoga, Pilates and Barre,” a company spokesperson told Fortune. They add that the company “take[s] guest feedback seriously and we believe there is an opportunity to incorporate what they’ve shared into future designs.” All this listening has led Lululemon to “pause on sales now and plan to make any adjustments necessary to deliver the best possible product experience.”
Another commenter noted that the line was pulled from the online store quicker than they expected but that those who liked the pants would be able to get them in stores. The post was met with mixed reception. Some noted they liked the product and people were just sizing wrong. Others rejoiced. “It was Lululemon! Long live all the cute butts that fell victim to the crooked seam,” a customer joked.
Profits are flattening out, too: CNN noted that the brand’s stock has slipped by 16% this past month and 50% over the course of a year. The outlet spoke to JPMorgan Chase analyst Matthew Boss, who noted that negative customer feedback was the driving factor behind Lululemon rolling back the product. Recently, shares for the company slipped to the lowest level since 2020, to $247.32, but they are currently at $261.
Lululemon CEO Calvin McDonald said in an earnings call last month that “business remains strong,” pointing to international business as a source of potential growth. Even so, the company is making up for some missteps last year.
“When looking at women’s, we did not maximize the business in the U.S., which was the result of several missed opportunities, including a color palette and our core assortment, particularly in leggings that were too narrow,” he added.
The product was marketed initially as a “cool innovation” for hot yoga, according to the Wall Street Journal, which viewed old emails from the company. Reporter Alyssa Lukpat suggested that the design backfire was an attempt to cater to other generations, as she pointed out that the Breezethrough collection looks like other leggings that became popular on TikTok, a Gen Z mainstay.