Sheer Disaster: Lululemon Backpedals After Social Media Erupts
The controversy exploded just days after Lululemon’s so-called “Get Low” collection debuted. Almost immediately, customers began flooding Reddit, X, and Instagram with complaints and videos showing the leggings’ embarrassing lack of opacity in all the worst ways. The phrase ‘see-through’ trended in fitness forums, and within 24 hours, the phrase ‘not squat proof’ was practically etched onto every fitness influencer’s story.
The firestorm hit the mainstream this week when Lululemon announced it was temporarily pausing online sales of Get Low leggings in North America after guests reported they were see-through. Yet, curiously, the same collection remained available in stores and online in Europe, exposing a patchwork approach to damage control and raising eyebrows among critics who questioned whether Lululemon was taking North American consumers for a ride. According to BNP Paribas analyst Laurent Vasilescu, customers flooded reviews with notes about poor sizing and unreliable fits-a mess reminiscent of the infamous 2013 ‘black yoga pants’ disaster that stained Lululemon’s brand a decade ago.
Reddit user @SweatyBetty2026 posted, ‘How is it 2026 and we’re back here again? I paid $120 to flash everyone in class.’
The company has tried to play it cool, admitting it is reviewing technical details and will ‘refine product communication’ while promising to prevent similar launch missteps in the future. Yet Lululemon’s shares still closed at $189.15, a 6% drop, as confidence among investors washed out like last year’s failed launches. It’s a body blow to a company still reeling from quality issues that keep coming back-and for average Americans, another warning sign about where corporate priorities seem to sit.
Recurring Blunders: From Black Yoga Pants to Get Low-Why Can’t Lululemon Learn?
Lululemon fans have a long memory, and for longtime followers, this week’s chaos comes with a painful sense of déjà vu. Over a decade ago, the company was pitched into a high-profile scandal for selling black yoga pants so sheer, customers might as well have gone bare. Back then, Lululemon at least offered full refunds, but the black-eye on its brand never truly faded. Now, just as activist shareholders circle and operational missteps mount, Lululemon is making the exact same mistake. How is it possible that a company with billion-dollar revenues and vast technical staff can’t seem to produce workout gear that covers the basics?
The answer, to many outsiders and insiders alike, seems to be a corporate culture distracted by fads and social media trends instead of customer trust. Activist investor Chip Wilson-Lululemon’s own founder and now its feistiest critic-has gone to war with the board in an attempt to restore quality, discipline, and focus. Despite loud messaging about innovation, Lululemon’s senior leadership-currently a duo of interim co-CEOs after the recent CEO exit-is struggling to keep the ship on course, with analysts downgrading prospects just as competition claws at their market share.
Fox Business guest and former Lululemon exec Jill Jenkins remarked, ‘Too much chasing hype, not enough listening to loyal buyers. This has become Lululemon’s blind spot.’
This pattern isn’t new. Lululemon has yanked collections before after customer outcry over basic quality issues: from the Day Drift and Breezethrough lines to recurring gripes about fit and durability. BNP Paribas highlighted stumbles like the Wundermost range and BeCalm apparel, while execution fumbles in footwear and doomed side projects like Mirror only muddy the waters further. In a tough consumer market-where every dollar counts and shoppers want products that perform-not even glitzy branding and activist posturing can make up for poor execution.
Shareholder Revolt, Leadership Turmoil: What’s Next As the Stock Tanks?
Financial markets have not been kind. Following the latest round of embarrassment, Lululemon’s stock took its worst hit since September, slicing billions from its market cap. According to Schaeffers Research, the company has now stretched a year-long pattern of underperformance-just as activist groups pile on pressure and rumors of boardroom shakeups swirl. Founder Chip Wilson, armed with a 9% stake, is pushing aggressively to oust private equity firm Advent’s influence from the board, blasting management for losing touch with the company’s core values. Lululemon, for its part, is treading water, offering up fiscal guidance that suggests stability-even as customers online and in the street are anything but calm.
On X, finance blogger @RealMoneyMasa wrote, ‘Markets don’t care about vibes-just profits and performance. How many brand hits before something breaks?’
Despite its turmoil, Lululemon claims it still expects Q4 net revenue and diluted EPS near the high end of guidance-a stubborn assertion that seems out of step with how consumers feel. One thing is certain: with the 2026 midterm elections heating up and American cultural trust in woke mega-corporations at historic lows, this episode is just one more reminder that flashy marketing won’t replace quality and common sense.
Retail giants used to build trust on reliability and craftsmanship. Now, between social media apologies and CEO musical chairs, Lululemon risks becoming a parable of what happens when a business loses its focus-one disastrous, see-through product at a time.
As activists, politicians, and investors weigh what comes next, conservatives across the nation should take notes. When companies chase hype and don’t listen to the people who keep the lights on, disasters like this are inevitable. Lululemon’s management must decide-will it finally return to basics, or allow the next scandal to stretch its credibility even thinner? For anyone holding shares or shopping the brand, this question matters now more than ever.
