Lululemon pauses online sales of Get Low leggings amid see-through complaints

Lululemon temporarily halted online sales of its Get Low leggings after a wave of customer complaints and social-media posts saying the $108 tights were “see-through” when bending or squatting. The collection remains available in stores in North America while the company says it is pausing online purchases to study feedback and beef up product education.

The complaints, amplified on platforms including Reddit, focused on squat-proof performance, a key requirement for yoga classes and high-flex workouts. Customers and instructors told peers they discovered transparency issues during forward folds, chair pose and deep squats, prompting enough viral criticism to trigger the company response. The decision to limit the pause to online channels keeps in-store try-ons possible, which matters for shoppers who prefer to test stretch and opacity under different lighting and angles.

Inside the company, senior product staff framed the issue as fit and education rather than a manufacturing defect. Chief Brand and Product Activation Officer Nikki Neuburger told hundreds of employees that customers “weren’t wearing their new leggings right,” adding that “If they just sized up, and then pulled on seamless, skin‑toned underwear before slipping into their $108‑a‑pair ‘Get Low’ tights, they’d discover they could in fact get low without revealing too much.” A company spokesperson said, “The collection remains available in our stores in North America, but we have temporarily paused sales online in the market to better understand some initial guest feedback and support with product education.”

The episode lands amid heightened investor and governance scrutiny. Activist investor Elliott Management disclosed a roughly $1 billion stake late last year and is reportedly evaluating former Ralph Lauren executive Jane Nielsen as a potential CEO candidate. Founder Chip Wilson launched a proxy fight in late December and publicly criticized the company’s handling of the launch, writing that “This is a new low for lululemon. Pulling back the ‘Get Low’ product line after three days is clearly a total operational failure,” and asking, “How could anyone reach a conclusion other than the board continues to make decisions that are destroying the brand and the stock price?”

Analysts warned the quality concerns could chip away at the brand’s premium positioning. Jefferies analysts said, “For a brand that has historically relied on technological superiority to justify premium pricing, repeated failures in a core category call into question the stability and strength of Lululemon's innovation engine,” adding that “Each new quality failure increases the risk that consumers will reallocate spending to Lululemon's competitors.” Market moves reflect the turmoil: shares have fallen nearly 50% over the last 12 months even as they were up about 20% over the past quarter; they also slipped about 10% over the past five days and closed a recent trading day down 6.5%.

For studio regulars and home practitioners, the immediate takeaway is pragmatic: try the Fit Room before buying online, test opacity through common yoga poses, and consider sizing and undergarment choices if you choose to wear the line. Longer term, this incident raises questions about product testing and quality control for a brand that yoga communities have long trusted for technical apparel. Expect further scrutiny of returns, production checks and executive decisions as Lululemon works to restore confidence on the mat and on the balance sheet.