Just two weeks after Lululemon founder and CEO Chip Wilson was roasted worldwide for his "rubbing thighs" insult to women (who complained of fiber pilling on costly yoga pants), the Bethesda Row location took some flak yesterday for a sign referring to... "rubbing thighs."
Many women - even those not directly targeted by Wilson's arguably-bizarre remarks - are still smarting from comments that suggested not all are welcome in Wilson's stores:
"Some women's bodies just actually don't work" with the Lululemon yoga pants in question, Wilson asserted. "[I]t's really about the rubbing through the thighs, how much pressure is there over a period of time."
The what-was-he-thinking remarks led to a firestorm of online condemnation and opinion pieces. They weren't even the first offensive comments Wilson has made. But they led Sterne Agee analyst Sam Poser to suggest "the core Lululemon customer has been alienated, and will begin to look for yoga and activewear pants from the likes of Nike, UnderArmour, Athleta and numerous other brands."
Fast forward to yesterday, when reader Diana Russell tweeted a photo of a new window sign at Lululemon Bethesda Row to me. The display featured a somewhat cryptic message that concluded, "Apple Pies / Rubbing Thighs?" This photo received quite a negative reaction on Twitter. Later, Russell posted it on the store's Facebook page. To their credit, the store responded:
"Hi Diana, Thank you for your feedback. We hear you and are sorry for any offense the window display incurred. The display has been removed from our window.
Thanks,
Meagan."
It was argued by many last month that Wilson's unrealistic body standard encourages eating disorders, depression and low self-esteem among those women and girls who feel pressured to meet it. But, as yesterday's local reprise of the flap suggests, the brand damage can extend among customers from the smallest to the largest sizes. Which means that "rubbing thighs" should probably be "rubbed" out of the Lululemon marketing lexicon.
Photo: Diana Russell via Twitter
3 comments:
Thanks for sharing the story and the photo credit:-)
Big deal. My thighs have always rubbed. After awhile sane people realize you are what you are and you're more than rubbing thighs.
If someone doesn't realize that, slapping Lulu Lemon's hand for being insensitive isn't going to change things. They need therapy and lulu lemon doesn't need their money!
If you are getting ready to start your yoga classes, you may be trying to figure out what the best yoga clothing and mat is to use. So, I will recommend you the best Lululemon yoga pants which are very comfortable to wear.
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