Recently, Lululemon founder Chip Wilson goofed publicly by blaming women’s bodies for issues with Lululemon pants during an interview on Bloomberg TV’s “Street Smart”. An online petition on Change.org is demanding an apology and calling for Lululemon to make clothing for women of all sizes. So far the petition has 8,311 signatures.
Following the bungled Bloomberg appearance, Wilson issued a video statement apologizing for his remarks. But many feel that the apology targeted Lululemon employees, not customers.
The petition highlights the thigh gap fixation we mentioned in our previous coverage. Take a peek below:
By Rebecca Hains & Marci Warhaft-Nadler
Does Lululemon want women to be comfortable in their clothing, or uncomfortable in our own bodies? Lululemon founder Chip Wilson claims that when Lululemon pants wear out too quickly, it’s because the wearers’ bodies aren’t built right for the brand. The problem is that their thighs rub together.
We’ve got news for Wilson: even though the “thigh gap” has become trendy and desirable among girls and young women, for the vast majority of us, it is absolutely unattainable in a healthy way. Those who chase the thigh gap are at increased risk of eating disorders.
Furthermore, Lululemon clothing is only available up to a size 12. But a size 12 is average for women in the US and Canada, and women who wear a size 12 and larger can be just as healthy as their thinner sisters. Size is not a sound measure of fitness! If Lululemon is really a brand for women who are pursuing health and wellness, shouldn’t Lululemon clothes be made in sizes larger than the average, too? We’re asking Lululemon to commit to adding sizes 14 and 16 to their clothing line.
By only producing clothes up to a size 12 and by making comments to the media that shame women’s bodies, the Lululemon brand and its founder, Chip Wilson, are treating thinness as a status symbol. Only those who are “thin” are “in” when it comes to the upscale Lululemon brand.
Sadly, antics such as these are making the world smaller and smaller for women and girls. We are constantly being told we’re not small enough–and there are ever fewer clothing stores that feel safe for women who just want to be comfortable in their own skin. We started this petition because we know firsthand how harmful this can be.
Last modified: November 21, 2013
Yes, let’s order a business to make what we demand. Or, you could just “shop with your wallets” and go elsewhere, instead of insisting on squeezing 20lbs of potatoes into a 10lb sack.
Just leave it alone. Chip wasn’t saying fat girls suck, he’s just saying the pants don’t work for all women. I wear a size 8 in the lulu pants and if I try and squeeze into a 4 the fabric is pulled so tight it gets shiny and thin, I know it’s my ass, not the pants. Some women think lulu should be worn like compression tights, or spanks, and that’s not what they are designed for.