Is Lululemon A Luxury Brand? (All You Need To Know)

Lindsey, do you know if Lululemon is a luxury brand? This is one of the questions our readers ask a lot. Well, we´ve got you covered.

When it comes to athleisure brands, Lululemon is one of the more expensive brands out there – and one of the most successful, with their highly rated sportswear. But if you’re price matching and comparing, you might be wondering if Lululemon carries the luxury status its prices indicate.

Lululemon is one of the most expensive athleisure brands on the market, but Lululemon is also considered one of the most well known and successful luxury sportswear brands available.

We’ll look at what makes Lululemon a luxury brand here.

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Is Lululemon A Luxury Brand?

Lululemon is well-known as an expensive brand for sportswear and loungewear, causing many to wonder if it makes the cut to be considered luxury apparel.

According to fashion reporters like Harpers Bazaar in the United Kingdom – yes. Lululemon is one of the most successful luxury sportswear brands in the world.

What Defines a Luxury Brand?

To be considered a luxury brand, clothing must possess the following qualities:

Craftsmanship – It must be made with exceptional skill and attention to detail
Exclusivity – Items that are not widely available, for one reason or the other.
Materials – Unique or high-quality materials
Design – Unique or superior designs
Superior Performance and Durability – last longer and wear better in pursuit of intended activities

There are also considerations given for innovative design elements, price, and customer service, but these are some of the primary considerations that separate luxury brands from those that are considered simply high class.

Lululemon Craftsmanship:

Lululemon offers a guarantee of items that fit well and perform flawlessly, all created with what lululemon designers call ‘mindful intention’.

The mindful intention is used to describe the intense focus and work that goes into the design and development of each item of apparel. Everything is considered, from moisture-wicking performance to fit seams and durability.

According to Lululemon designers and tailors, every final product and product line is the result of hundreds of hours of painstaking design and testing to ensure the best possible result.

Lululemon Exclusivity:

Lululemon is known for the relatively high price tag, especially in the field of athleisure wear, on par with brands such as Versace Gym. That alone provides a certain level of exclusivity.

Lululemon also offers a membership program, with exclusive access to certain features and items.

Lululemon further promotes exclusivity with celebrity endorsed designs and special, limited availability lines of clothing.

Canadian News program CBC also reported in 2021 that Lululemon had contracted to be the exclusive supplier of gear for the Canadian Olympic team for the next four Olympic Games, guaranteeing them exposure for the next 16 or so years.

Lululemon Materials:

Lululemon offers cutting edge fabric for maximum comfort and mobility while active, as well as durability to last a long time without wearing out.

In addition to other cutting edge designer fabrics, Lululemon has their own patented brand of fabric – Luon Fabric.

Luon is a fabric made of approximately 86 percent nylon and 14 percent Lycra elastane.

Luon fabric, and all other fabrics used in Lululemon clothing, is designed to be form-fitting and moisture wicking, while also being breathable. It’s stretchy and light, and comes with two guarantees:

– Preshrinking ensures it will never shrink, or only with great difficulty

– unique fabric composition ensures it will never stretch or turn baggy.

Lululemon Design:

Lululemon designs were pioneered by Chris Wilson of Canada in 1998 to provide yoga inspired, technically developed athletic apparel – at first exclusively for women, though they have expanded into menswear in recent years.

Lululemon designers say they have research teams and partnerships with innovative designers and developers all over the world to ensure they have the absolute best products available.

Cutting edge fabric development, sustainability, fit, performance, and style are all taken into account when designing a new line of athleisure wear for Lululemon.

Lululemon Performance and Durability:

Lululemon consults regularly with athletes and yogis to ensure that every design performs at optimum efficiency and comfort, even in the most stressful and sweaty situations.

In terms of durability, the brand averages 2 to 5 years of wear even under the most strenuous conditions and has been reported to last up to 10 years without noticeably degrading or losing its fit or performance.

Lululemon prides itself on both these qualities, to the point that there is a lifetime warranty guarantee on their apparel, though it comes with a caveat that the lifetime applies to a ‘reasonably expected lifetime’ which is likely 2 to 5 years.

Lululemon Prices:

Between innovative, one-of-a-kind fabrics, cutting edge designs, and celebrity endorsed lines, lululemon has a lot going for the brand.

And in keeping with their position as one of the top designers of athleisure wear, they have a corresponding price tag. It’s rare to find Lululemon sportswear for less than $30, and some designs can sell for over $200.

To give you an idea of how it compares, Aiva sportswear at Walmart generally runs around $12-15. On the other end of the scale, Versace Gym sportswear retails for prices well over $100-200 in most cases.

Lululemon Services:

Lululemon offers a number of customer services, not the least of which is their one-stop shopping services space, which lets you shop all their online and in-store details, as well as offering shipping within 2 hours of your purchase.

Lululemon also offers a lifetime warranty on all new items purchased, which covers normal wear for a period of 2 to 5 years. Their quality guarantee states ‘if your gear doesn’t perform for you, we’ll take it back.’

Another service offered is complementary fittings, alterations, and hemming, even if you purchase the clothing from a Used or ‘Like New’ site.

They’ll even do free repairs to a certain extent – and none of these services require proof of purchase to request.

Refund Policy:

Any item can be returned for a full refund or exchanged within 30 days of the shipping or purchase date, as long as it is in its original condition, unwashed, and with tags attached.

Proof of purchase must be provided for all returns and exchanges.

Gently used items can also be returned for store credit.

Lululemon Membership:

Lululemon has recently begun offering a membership program for $39 a month, which comes with perks such as:

Early shopping for sales events
Members-only events, including ‘first pick’ of sales or new styles
Birthday discounts
Fitness classes
Access to the Lululemon at-home fitness program, Mirror
Special passes for family access to special deals

The total membership package might seem a bit expensive for a year-long subscription, but it’s reported by testers to be worth the cost.

If you aren’t sure about the cost, you can test out the free version, which will give you limited access to some of the same deals and classes.

Final Thoughts

With cutting edge development, designer fabrics, and a lifetime quality guarantee, each item is made to wear well, feel comfortable, and last.

In addition, Lululemon provides exchanges, returns, and alterations, all for low cost or for free, and with a minimum of hassle. And, as a final nod to the luxury lifestyle, their membership program offers more than occasional discounts, including fitness classes and your own at-home fitness program.

Lululemon is billed as a luxury brand of sports and athleisure wear, and with everything it offers and the celebrity endorsements behind it, it certainly lives up to the requirements of the title.

References

https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/fashion/what-to-wear/g35139008/best-sportswear-brands/

https://info.lululemon.com/help/our-products/quality-promise