By Suzanne Kapner
When Lululemon Athletica had a sheerness problem years ago, founder Chip Wilson blamed its customers. Now, in yet another see-through dust-up, he's blaming the company's board.
"This is a new low for Lululemon," Wilson wrote in a LinkedIn post days after customer complaints pushed the athleisure company to pause online sales of a new line of active wear. Some said the material of the Get Low leggings was too sheer to do much bending or squatting.
"Despite any finger pointing internally following this mishap, this is not the fault of any hard-working employees," he continued. "This is the fault of the Board." A Lululemon spokesman declined to comment on Wilson's post.
It isn't the first time the company famous for its yoga wear has run into issues with the sheerness of its materials. Back in 2013, when Wilson was still on Lululemon's board, he suggested in a TV interview that sheerness and pilling problems with yet another style of Lululemon pants were the fault of its customers.
"Quite frankly some women's bodies just actually don't work for it," he said. Later that year, he apologized and stepped down as chairman. He left the board entirely in 2015.
This week's tongue-lashing is the latest salvo in Wilson's campaign to remake Lululemon's board. Wilson, who is the company's largest individual shareholder, has been critical of Lululemon's management and board for months, blaming them for the retailer having lost its "cool" and "its way as a leader in technical apparel."
In December, he launched a proxy fight to replace several board members while the company looks for a new chief executive. Its now-former CEO Calvin McDonald stepped down from the role earlier that month.
Lululemon paused online sales of the Get Low line of activewear just days after launching the collection. It pulled the products from its website "to review early guest feedback and insights," it said in a statement, though they were still available in North American stores.
It restored the Get Low collection to its website Wednesday evening after adding more guidance on sizing and how to use the garments on its website.
"We take our guests' feedback seriously and value their input in shaping the products and experiences we create," the company said.
In 2024, Lululemon stopped selling its Breezethrough leggings after customers complained that the fabric was too thin and the V-shaped seam lines were asymmetrical and unflattering.
Lululemon got its start as an innovator in athletic apparel, designing leggings that were so flattering and comfortable that women wore them to the gym and just about everywhere else. It helped create the athletic apparel category and dominated it for years. But more recently, it has stumbled with quality issues and a lack of new styles while rivals are gaining steam.
"For years, Lululemon's results (particularly in North America) have shown how the Company has struggled to deliver products that are compelling and beloved; now it is unable to simply deliver products that work," Wilson wrote in his post.
"It is clear that persistent failures like this are born out of this Board's lack of experience in creative businesses, disinterest in product development and quality, and focus on short-term, self-interested priorities," he continued.
One solution, according to Wilson's post, would be for the board to have a Brand Product Committee with oversight of the product pipeline and quality testing.
Wilson doesn't want a board seat for himself. But as part of his proxy fight, he nominated three directors to Lululemon's board. He also wants David Mussafer, who is a managing partner of private-equity firm Advent International, to relinquish his board seat. Mussafer joined the board in 2005, when Wilson sold 48% of Lululemon to Advent and stepped down as CEO.
Semafor first reported Wilson's intentions toward the Advent director.
This month, Lululemon said its sales and earnings for the year-end quarter would likely come in at the high-end of its previously guided range. The move comes after several challenging quarters in which North American sales fell.
Lululemon shares are down about 49% over the past year.
Write to Suzanne Kapner at suzanne.kapner@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
January 22, 2026 13:25 ET (18:25 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Comments