The encyclopedia · Advertising & PR · Marketing decision · 2013
Lululemon's founder said 'some women's bodies don't work' for his pants
After a recall of sheer yoga pants, founder Chip Wilson blamed 'some women's bodies' for the problem. He resigned as chairman within weeks.
Lululemon Athletica
What happened
In 2013, Lululemon recalled its black Luon yoga pants after customers reported they were too sheer — effectively see-through. The recall covered approximately 17% of all women's pants sold in stores and significantly impacted financial results. Chief product officer Sheree Waterson and CEO Christine Day were forced out in the fallout.
In November 2013, founder Chip Wilson appeared on Bloomberg Television to address the pilling and sheerness complaints. He blamed customers: 'Quite honestly, some women's bodies just actually don't work for [the pants].' He suggested that rubbing thighs caused pilling, implying the problem was the customer's body shape, not the product. Time magazine called it 'fat shaming.'
Wilson posted a video apology — addressed not to customers but to employees and the Lululemon staff, saying he was 'sad' for the impact on them. The non-apology was widely criticised. In December 2013, Wilson announced his resignation as chairman. In February 2015, he resigned from the board entirely.
Why it happened
- The recall exposed the quality: 17% of women's pants pulled from shelves meant the sheerness was a product failure, not a body-type issue.
- Blaming the customer was the trigger: saying 'some women's bodies don't work' shifted responsibility from the product to the wearer — and insulted the core demographic.
- The apology was to the wrong audience: addressing employees rather than customers confirmed Wilson did not understand whom he had offended.
- The resignations cascaded: the CEO, CPO, and chairman all left within months — the recall and the comments together constituted a crisis no single executive could survive.
The lesson
When your product fails, blaming the customer's body is not a defence. It is an advertisement for everything wrong with the brand.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Lululemon Athletica (2013 sheer pants and Chip Wilson controversy)
- CBC News — Lululemon founder Chip Wilson says pants don't work for some bodies
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