The PROBLEM With Lululemon 

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Even those lululemon reusable bags were status symbols, all the rich girls brought their lunches in them while the rest of us plebs used green grocery bags 🙃

The reason why LuLuLemon is SO popular - they *stay up*. You can bend down, they stay up. You can squat down, they stay up. You can be fast, move, etc. You can bend, and your butt crack doesn't hang-out. You're not constantly pulling-up your pants. Your pants stay where they're supposed to, and you can focus on what you're supposed to focus on - instead of your pants. They're no think pants.

Not me coming back from the gym in a full Lululemon outfit opening RU-vid and seeing this video. Perfect timing haha

So the problem with Lululemon is that the company managed to understand its clientele's desires so perfectly that it made them uncomfortable to hear it out loud.

I currently work at lululemon and have been there for the last 8 months and I will say a lot has changed. Yes they give use a stipend to workout each month, which is fantastic. But no one cares if you actually work out. I’ve never considered myself that girl but my favorite part of working at lululemon is actually my coworkers. They are just such wonderful kind individuals, I’ve never worked in an environment where I feel so welcomed to be myself which is saying a lot. They give out great benefits if you’re full time. However… 70% of the staff is part time and don’t receive any of that. The company takes a lot less feedback from us which I wasn’t expecting but we have a lot a lot of freedom to address issues which is amazing. I could go into an entire deep dive into my mixed feeling about their sustainability… however, I think it’s absolutely amazing we hem and repair clothes for free. I’ve always gravitated towards the brand bc of how well it fits my body and after 8 years of wearing the brand my feelings haven’t changed. But I started to wear the brand bc that’s what the other rich girls at my school wore. So I was absolutely influenced by them. But the clothes last unbelievable long and look great after so so much wear. But I feel like the brand keeps taking 2 steps forward and 1 step back. So 1) they released a contour line a week ago that’s designed for women with larger hips but a smaller waist. I’ve been looking for something like this for years. However, they didn’t release an extended size range. Only went to size 14 which is a XXL, when most leggings go to size 20 or 5XL. But I do understand… the larger sizes haven’t been selling well in my store but this was a really really big missed opportunity on the brand fault. That is absolutely a major target market they completely ignored which I don’t understand. If it’s not selling well in store just do more of an online exclusive and just carry less in the store. I just don’t get it. 2) They keep styles around for years which really helps with reselling the product and helps to reduce over consumption. But products do sell out extremely fast when in hot demand and while the company does everything it can to meet and exceed demand it definitely struggles. But the way people stalk the 3pm releases on Tuesday and the markdowns Thursday morning is unhealthy. But… the resell market for lulu is fantastic bc the styles stick around which I think is really important. 3) On earth day they are rolling out the like new program across the US which is great. You’ll be able to resell gently used items and recycle items at the end of its life cycle. However… the profits made here (which they will pay you $10 for the leggings and resell it for $79. So that’s a $70 profit right there) is supposed to go to “sustainability initiatives”. However… each item shipped to the store is individually wrapped in plastic in a cardboard box. The cardboard is recycled but the plastic goes into the trash. It’s unbelievable wasteful and I see no sustainability practices being implemented in the store. Or we get items shipped to the store and immediately the next day we are shipping it out to customers across the country if it’s a hot item. But… we do sell returns and only damage items out as a last resort. But a lot of it is show-ative sustainability. But I do appreciate they are trying to use vegan leather made from mushrooms. But that’s only in 2 products as of now and they are extremely expensive. They also have not implemented any recycled polyester into their mostly polyester based clothes. A 48 billion dollar company should be able to use bio plastics in their shipping (or just stick to cardboard) and use more recycled materials. I could go on forever. I’m a psychology and an environmental policy major. I took this job to better understand the fashion industry. I could also write an entire rant on girlfriend collective about the good and the bad. If you do a follow up video I would love to give my input. I’m extremely passionate about this issue and could write a 30 page thesis on it. The most sustainable thing you can do is buy a product that you love, that fits you well, and be repaired and mended to fit your body and you can easily resell if it no longer works for you or recycle when it reaches the end. I love how the brand stands behind their products but there are a lot of positives and negatives about the brand. Many of the problems you mentioned no longer are apart of the company but so many others still stand. My IG is @marymotch11

I don't think Lululemon promotes fitness, so much as a LOOK of fitness. People were exercising and leading healthy lives before everyone started wearing exercise clothes 24/7. People like these clothes because it's comfortable and a " no brainer" way of putting a "look" together. I think things are changing though, as Lululemon is associated with a certain older demographic. I don't see GenZ and younger wanting to wear this label to represent their ethos. editing this comment after 5 months of endless replies: So what I have observed from the endless comments on this matter, is it seems very specific to the crew you are hanging around. While in my tiny little world, it appears only a certain older demographic wear this brand, matching from head to toe, only to walk their dogs in or get groceries or to go to their private Pilates session. It seems from these comments that this brand has an appeal to every age group all over everywhere. So some may be in a group that looks down their noses at this brand for reasons, others of another group seem to love it for their own reasons. I do stand by the idea that they promote a look of fitness, more than fitness itself. But I think that is a product of the current and very lasting craze of athletic wear as everyday wear.

I just remember the scandal where Lululemon yoga pants were deemed "unacceptably see-through," and they claimed "it's not our fault; it's the customer stuffing their fat asses into tights that don't fit." I like see-through yoga pants; I also like horrible public-facing corporate statements.

If you do another video on LuLu Lemon I would love to see a deep dive into their “sustainable” practices. I haven’t bought from them in many years but I was talking to a friend at the gym the other day and they talked about how you can take your items from lululemon into the store for free repairs. I am curious about this and if they really are encouraging long-lasting items that can be repaired instead of replaced (something I know you believe in!!)

Lululemon fits my build perfectly. I have no problem with spending more money on a product that fits me so well and is so comfortable and has a great product return policy if its defected. You also have to understand there's people who do not workout that will buy Lululemon because it's trendy/popular within their friend groups... not their problem as a business. I have Lululemon clothing from 2015 that I still wear and held up like it's brand new to this day. Also, the men's ABC pants are a game changer!

I used to go to school with Chips son and they really infiltrated our school with lulu-girls. His son even gave free lulu's out to his friends and girlfriends. It was very culty and if you didn't wear Lululemon, Aritzia, or TNA you didn't matter.

Your lighting setup has fried my brain, you spent 13 minutes taking about tightpants while I spent 13 minutes trying to figure out all the light sources. You literally made it so subtle, its perfect

Surprised that this video and the comments don’t mention Wilson’s reason why he named the company Lululemon. He was inspired by a Japanese brand called “Homeless” and thought that the success of this brand derived from the “exotic” nature of the brand name containing a sound that didn’t exist in the Japanese language (the letter L). As a challenge, he created a name for his brand with as many L’s as he could fit in & thought it was funny watching Japanese people try to pronounce it.

Congrats on the sponsorship! And it is a great one!

I don't know if it would make sense for this channell but I'd love even a low key review on Levi&Leah abour Girlfriend Collective, which is a sustainable brand born in hindsight of the athleisure craze seeded in Lululemon

Having also heard the origins of the name of the company, it seems that the founder has many issues, not just sexism but racism too

Recently found this channel and absolutely love the format and well thought out videos!

Watching this in public with earbuds in im sure led to a lot of people wondering why I watching videos of people working out in sportswear. great video nonetheless

I own Lululemon clothing and I love it... but I keep in mind the fact that a good percentage of what you pay for their insane prices is the little logo attached to the garments. Honestly, there are brands far cheaper and have great quality, design and fit.

I have always had a fairly basic rule of thumb when it comes to whether or not I should trust a corporation or not. The answer is NOT.

This was really interesting. I just saw lululemon as another company with stupidly overpriced clothing, so I ignored it. The thatgirl trend also wasn't on my radar. I wonder if it was more people looking to get fit or more people looking to brag they had a Brand name product who were buying it??

yay on getting a sponsor!! sooo deserved! cant wait to see what other companies choose to show their support!

This view is probably only relavent in certain areas around the world where Lululemon has broken the market. We definitely don't perceive the brand this way in Australia. There is a wide variance of sportswear in the yoga and gyms I go to.

Editor has missed a stellar opportunity in this video... Every time that Levi would say "But", there should've been a quick flash of a butt in yoga pants! This is unacceptable 🤣

I love the mean girls reference, and it’s also Wednesday, and I’m also wearing pink 😌😌😌 We love the vibes 💕✨

Alright. I’m definitely picking up that book so I can start my own cult to push my agendas. Nice.

Here’s a fun fact: Luon and other Lululemon “fabrics” are trademarked - but they’re not really any different than fabrics from the next company. They didn’t create any new elements and slap their name on them: they made a character mark trademark and slapped it on average clothing.

Oh wow, Landmark Forum. I had a friend who was really into that in the 2000s. Yes, it seemed very cult-like. I’ve never seen the appeal of LuLuLemon. I do yoga every evening in my pyjamas- no special leggings required.

Got the Lululemon ad at the beginning of this video😅😅😅

If laser targeted marketing is a crime, then almost all companies are guilty whether for trying or succeeding. These reasons are ridiculous

As a male I bought two workout pants and after 5 washes the heated pressed seams near the zipper started peeling off. They look good when its brand new but after a few washing they really go down hill. Even hockey players were complaining about the underwear tearing easily and they were charging at the time $35 for one pair and every player stopped buying them and guys stopped buying them too because they don't last when playing aggressive sports. So I'm still with Nike for the most part their quality is good even after years of washing and drying.

Future Proof’s best episode yet. You nailed this!!!

I don’t really see the negatives. So they advocate fitness and self improvement… it is just a completely baseless subjective assertion to say they go too far with promoting fitness… also yoga isn’t exactly going to kill someone or promote being too fit which is their main thing. I don’t see lululemon promoting bodybuilding or something else that takes things to the extreme. It’s hard to imagine someone is going to take yoga to the extreme is all I’m saying.

Lululemon is the only athletic / leisure wear that I wear. I don't know about a cult or that girl stuff, I just love the way the clothing fits and looks. I may be a bit obsessed, I buy a lot of new things, but have a lot of yoga pants, tops and jackets, vests etc for around 7 years and they are in perfect condition. It's worth the price. My opinion.

I bought into Lulu a couple years ago when Nike and UnderArmour switched to being more lifestyle brands and predatory lifestyle companies like Fabletics came to be. Lulu was the most functional fitness wear available to me at the time with the best quality materials for a price similar to Nike,UA and Fabletics.

Really interesting video! I worked for lulu for over a year, after chip stepped down, and most of the employees laughed about how culty the job was but at the same time loved it. Yeah for sure toxic positivity - but it was really inspiring and everyone was very supportive of everyone’s individual goals and it was the best work environment ive ever had. I felt really taken care of and respected - something ive never felt since in a workplace. And i worked in vancouver, where chip is from/the first lululemon opened. Im not sure how it was before, but everyone at my work unanimously disagreed with chip and was happy they had new management.

Great video an overall well presented balanced conversation around some of the negitive aspects of Lululemon.

Got a Lululemon ad a minute into the video😂

I feel like this video is just scratching the surface. I hope you do a part 2

I had NO IDEA there was a Lululemon community… I mean, I own a single Lululemon sweatshirt and I like it because it’s pretty and well made, but that’s about it…

Congrats on your first sponsor!! 100k coming in no time 💪🏼💪🏼

Levi's archetype is outdoor flannel guys

My entire closet is Lululemon. From my hat down to my shoes. I’ve been a solid customer for 14 years now. I’m balls deep into this cult and there’s no going back. Send help.

Great video! Were you wearing Allbirds in the b-roll shots? Love to see a video on them.

I love all of your contents. This is exactly what I have been looking for. THANK YOU

I appreciate how you took a lighthearted approach to the creepy side of the brand. There are a lot of reasons why Chip isn't there and I feel carefully touching the surface is better than a full on deep dive. This approach also allows people who enjoy the brand today not feel creepy. I don't own any of their clothing, but do appreciate that those who are super fans shouldn't feel transference of the founder and his oddities when they wear the clothes

Hey man I stumbled on your channel a couple weeks ago, I'm really into it.. way better than most I've seen.. keep it up, good content and very personable. Good content is Appreciated.

As someone who lives in sweden the Lululemon hype/trend is not something im familiar with. Here the trendy sports brand of choice is kari traa. I would love if you made a video of them and their impact.

Absolutely loving the content on this channel !!

I feel like Levi tried on some of Leah’s leggings and felt ashamed of how good it felt.

I had never heard of this brand before but that's super gross marketing

“But the lululemon community isn’t all sunshine and rainbows.” No. It’s a bunch of stuck up, narcissistic, mean junior high girls. ☺️

ive only ever watched you on my phone. This is my first time watching you on a desktop. that crochet pen cup cozy....too cute! who crochets in your life?!

But LLL is so comfy womfy 🥺

lmfaoooo "Chip fnk Wilson" 😂

Yes, yes it would be awesome if you could make another video on them!!

I’m obsessed with this channel!! Love your content!! Keep it coming guys, you are gonna be huge!

What is actually toxic is viewing a strive for perfection as toxic. Can anyone be perfect? No. But should we be striving for it? Absolutely.

I’m scared to watch this… but very happy to see a new upload! Hei from Norway!

More lulu talk please. I started wearing the brand when I was your age. Recently I went into a store; I’m the same size as I was back then but now with my proudly quaffed grey hair. I had an employee come up to me and say, “I’m sorry, we don’t have anything here you’d be looking for!! Whaaa? I went in to buy pants and a top to add to my other lulu brand “go to” pieces that I love, and left DISGUSTED!! Also, as a retired teacher, I had maintained my LinkedIn acct. I get continuous feeds/requests to apply for “education advisor” for the lulu. As far as I can tell, it looked like a glorified name for a salesperson/sales associate. Pe-lease? 😩

I stumbled upon your channel and have thoroughly enjoyed your video on paper straws which i hate and this one which I knew nothing about Im subscribing to your channel and already see loads of videos I want to watch!

Love the video! I think it's important to add to the positive note about them pushing a "healthy" lifestyle: the idea that you can lose weight if you truly set your mind to it is fully proven to be bullshit, and implies people who aren't thin are lazy or unhealthy.

It’s really strange that I dislike a brand, but love its founder so much

During a fitness challenge my male coworker kept saying that I will be funding his new Lulu wardrobe. I was never into Lulu before. Cause he kept talking about it, I bought one pair of leggings and sports bra in August. I have to admit that I love the leggings. I went on a hiking trip and basically wanted to wear those pants everyday. Basically converted because I own a few more pieces now. But I can honestly say I do not look like the “that girl” imagine. However there is an image attached to the brand.

I really loved your videos about brands. But on the new channel there are just videos about brands I (living in europe) have never heard of. 🙈 I hope there will be more "international" videos again soon!

I never thought I’d be watching a video by you talking about butts. LOLOLOL

Speaking of the that girl trend; I think everyone's version of "That girl” should be different and consists of what makes THAT individual feel good. And it should cater to your lifestyle (how much time it takes) so that it's sustainable and the habits are consistent. I 100% feel better when I do some of the typical "that girl" things early in the morning, I just do it my way aka a workout I look forward to, just throwing my comforter over my bed, eating a quick breakfast I like, etc.

LMAO100$ leggins? Is this a joke? As much as I can stand behind the mission to make butts look better (pun intended) those prices are ridiculous.

I'm from the UK and this is the first time I've heard of this company. I usually see people in the gym wearing Under Armour in terms of what brand I see the most. I see they have a UK website and wow is it expensive lol

Not me wearing lulus while watching this😂

So glad I’ve never purchased Lululemon. Gross. The new craze down here in SoCal are the Vuori joggers. Not a day goes by where I don’t see at least 3+ people wearing those joggers… It’s really bizarre..

Morning Brew. Get the money!!

I looked up Chip Wilson, and the "controversy" of his statements, and I like him. Good for him for speaking out in the megaphone what many of us think and say as well.

FutureProof is the one video I look forward to every week. Congrats on the sponsor 👏

literally had a lululemon add before this started lol

I personally love Lululemon and I don’t think I could live without it as I’m a dancer and that’s basically all we wear when we are practicing! :)

As a yoga teacher, I refuse to buy Lululemon. That free yoga class they offer the Lululemon 'community' is free because they DON'T PAY the TEACHERS! Teachers are expected to teach for nothing in exchange for the prestige of working with the company.

Wednesday uploads are becoming my favourite thing🤗

"i guess she hates me" hahahaha

If you've ever played Bio-Shock before that is a critique of Ayn Rands philosophy and how it's utterly awful and inheritanly dystopian. For example Andrew Ryan, Ayn Rand get it. There is also an atlas shrugged statue as you enter the abandoned city. There are other nods to it. But that's what sparked the idea, reading Ayn Rands books and looking at the dystopia her ideology would bring.

Boiling down atlas shrugged to “you should only think about yourself” is very sad that book is so much more

Can you do one on Aloyoga? I get a similar vibe from them, and I remember that they had a controversy in the past about not including plus sizes as it didn't fit their "ideal customer".

I accidentally started the trend of wearing pajamas in public, lol

I remember a really similar video about GymShark and how it went from cool gym clothing to embracing fake "natural" bodybuilders as their affiliate marketing puppet system

Chip is so far removed from lululemon culture right now this is irrelevant

I hear what you're saying in terms of taking it too far, but we live in a country where 70 grams of sugar are allowed in a 20 ounce soda. America is the most obese country, so maybe it's ok for a company trying to push health to another level. Clearly we have a long way to go, unfortunately we are living in a time where people take offence to just about anything people say and do.

Chip Wilson is a hero! He had a vision and went out and accomplished it. He didn't sit around and got lazy. I am super happy for Wilson. I hope he gets richer. He deserves it.

barely 6 months and almost at 100k? way to go team!

I love lululemon, I’ve never felt another material like their align and it always stays up, isn’t see through, they have super small clothing sizes that don’t give me cameltoe (bc I’m tiny and that’s something I used to struggle with throughout middle school and early high school). The design does look great too and the quality is awesome and they will let u trade in too if it wears down, the material grips my skin and feels like I’m wearing nothing but it’s still thick and absorbs sweat , even their shirts I never get sweat stains in the gym ! Yes it’s expensive and I recommend 90 degree leggings if u want a similar material, they’re the only other leggings I’ve liked :) I also feel like it definitely compliments ur body too which is bc of the stitching and design which I LOVE, and u do get a reusable bag when u shop that I use sooo much just to throw stuff in and go , perfect for wet bathing suits for example if I don’t wanna get like one of my nice bags dirty or something. It’s also great that they specifically categorize their clothes to fit certain activities. I think the company was more focused on the “it girl” factor, but now they have curvy sizes and bigger sizes, along with different newer type of fashions, so I think the brand has more morals now or at least focus on things morally (bc it looks better) , like the workers I feel like used to b judgmental and now I love going to the store and talking with the workers.

I really appreciate what you're going for here, but I think you're reporting on some REALLY old stuff for Lululemon. They've not required a number of the things you've called out (landmark, for example) for years, and I think if you were to look at their glassdoor or articles about "what it's like to work there" you'd realize the company has done an incredible job of supporting their team members during the pandemic. All in all, I think you've done a good job of describing the company that existed maybe 5 years ago, but I'd challenge you to look a little deeper and realize they've heavily invested in addressing those issues.

I read somewhere it’s called Lululemon to make fun of folks whose languages don’t feature the letter “L” so instead an “R” sound comes out.

you have to admit though, lululemon makes some really comfortable athletic wear. it had definitely been the most comfortable that i’ve ever bought and it fits in all the right places. if y’all have any other alternatives brands please let me know!! i’ve tried a lot and i do think lulu is lowkey worth the price with the rest of the market.

Can you do a review on Decathlon? Especially their environmental impact? I think we are all are familiar with the quality and pricing. Maybe there's something out there on it, but I want to know from you :3

from Europe and have never heard of this brand before

Not gonna lie I just thought lululemon was for white moms who drive landrovers and live in leggings but my friend recently introduced me to their ABC pants..and I’m hooked

Woah I was not ready for that rollercoaster of a story...

I moved to the US 3 years ago and I had never heard about Lululemon until I found on Reddit that it was a good brand for leggings, so I wasn't aware of all the brand background, hype or social status. I just can say the leggings are very comfortable and they shape the body very nice, but also I feel that they are overpriced because the quality is not that good, I got lint on the crotch only 1 week after using them; however, I tried other brands and so far Lululemon are the most comfortable.

Great energy in this one Levi! :)

Congrats on the sponsor! You and your team are doing a great job with these videos:)

As I've seen this video coming up for some reason in my recommendations, I was wondering "what the hell is a Lululemon?!". I have actually never heard of this brand till now.