March 20, 2013–By Jen Benepe
The popular yoga and athletic clothing supply company has recalled its all-purpose pant, because it’s see-through.
Representing about 17 percent of its Lulu Lemon’s athletic pant offering, the see-through pant is most often used for Yoga, but just as often for street wear.
That has turned into some awkward moments for those who wear them in public.
The line is also heavily used by cyclists and other athletes who cross-train, or use the clothing for every day wear.
The collection was manufactured by one of the company’s Taiwanese suppliers, who claims that the product follows specifications.
Lulu Lemon is offering a full return on the pants that are advertised on its online store as pants that “show and tell,” a slogan that was developed for the color ways of the pants, and not their mistaken see-through quality.
The pants range in price from $72 to over $100. Lulu Lemon’s website however makes no mention of the see-through snafu.
The best way to tell if you own a pair of these handy pants is to try and buy them online: in every instance, the store will tell you that they are not in stock–in every single color and size.
The Canadian company was founded by surfer Chip Wilson in 1998, and has grown exponentially since its first store opened in Vancouver, BC above a small Yoga studio.
On the company’s investor site, a press release states that a “shortage” of its black Luon pants is “expected.”
“The ingredients, weight and longevity qualities of the pants remain the same but the coverage does not, resulting in a level of sheerness in some of our women’s black Luon bottoms that falls short of our very high standards,” writes the release.
The news could not come at a worse time: the public company’s yearly full-year earnings report will be discussed tomorrow morning at 9 AM.
Lulu Lemon’s financial performance for the first three quarters of 2012 were good, with net revenue growing 41% to $884.9 million from $629.3 million in the same period of fiscal 2011.
Comparable stores sales for the first three quarters increased by 19% on a constant dollar basis, while direct to consumer revenue increased 112% to $119.0 million, or 13.4% of total company revenues, in the first three quarters of fiscal 2012, an increase from 8.9% of total Company revenues in the first three quarters of fiscal 2011.
