"The leggings are all see-through. It's so embarrassing to look at," complaints prompt Lululemon to fire development staff.

Lululemon Faces Repeated Fabric Sheerness Controversies
Overhauls Fabric Development Team, Lays Off Seven

Lululemon, dubbed the “Chanel of leggings” and a leader in the premium athleisure market, has reorganized its fabric development team and laid off seven employees following a series of product quality controversies. The company said, however, that the reorganization was aimed at improving work efficiency with its suppliers.

Lululemon leggings. This photo is for illustrative purposes only; the product shown is not directly related to the article. Lululemon Instagram.

According to Bloomberg News on October 14, local time, Lululemon said in a recent statement that it had reorganized the structure of its raw materials development team and laid off seven employees. The Vancouver-based company adjusted its organization to position some of its development capabilities closer to its suppliers.

In its statement, the company said, “We restructured the raw materials development team to position certain capabilities closer to our suppliers,” adding that the changes “reflect where work can be performed and supported most effectively.” It added that the adjustment was part of a global effort to redeploy roles.

The reorganization took place last August, before CEO Heidi O’Neill took office. The company’s website has job postings for raw materials development positions in Taipei, Taiwan, and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

The staffing changes appear to be an effort to support work by locating fabric development functions closer to suppliers. The company did not explicitly say, however, that the reorganization was a direct response to recent quality controversies.

Two see-through controversies this year... even sales suspended

Lululemon has faced repeated consumer complaints this year that its leggings fabric is too sheer. Early this year, the company temporarily halted online sales after customers complained that tights from its Get Low collection were see-through. About a month later, similar concerns were raised about heart-patterned leggings.

Lululemon's Get Low collection products embroiled in a "see-through controversy." Lululemon online store.

This is not the first controversy over product quality. In 2024, consumers complained that the Breezethrough leggings, in certain ways of wearing them, created what is known as a “whale tail” look, appearing to reveal the upper part of a thong. Lululemon subsequently stopped selling the product. Quality issues also arose in 2013, when the company withdrew about 20% of its women’s bottoms from stores.

Repeated quality controversies pose a challenge to restoring brand trust

As a brand that has grown by emphasizing its fabrics, fit and functionality, repeated product controversies could undermine Lululemon’s quality competitiveness and consumer trust. The industry is watching to see whether the latest measures will effectively reduce product defects and protect the brand’s reputation and profitability.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.