how to spot fake lululemon



This blog post was written by lululemon and posted on June 29, 2009 at 10:53 am

They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but when it comes to counterfeit lululemon garments, we don’t need the compliment.

Why is fake lululemon bad?

Counterfeit products affect:

1. Quality. The fake products are not performance based (i.e. soft and moisture-wicking), the construction is poor (seams and stitching) and technical features are missing.

2. Manufacturing. The bottom line is, you don’t know the factory conditions where the product is being made. We have high standards for every partner in accordance with International Labour Organization standards. Buying counterfeit products does not guarantee these standards were met during the sourcing and production of the garment.

How to spot a fake lululemon hoodie:

The following is a list of things to look for to figure out if your hoodie is the real deal or not. The photos below on the left are real. The ones on the right are fake.

*Please note – the features listed below apply to hoodies from Fall/Winter 2008. Older hoodies may not have all of the items outlined in this blog post*

1. Overall quality is low. Look for seam puckering and uneven stitching.

hoodies - how to spot a fake lululemon

2. Missing write-able satin name label and size label inside left wearing pocket.

how to spot a fake lululemon hoodie

3. Quality of care label material is different and shorter. There are spelling mistakes on the fake tear-out tag, and it does not tear out easily.

hoodie tags on a real vs fake lululemon

4. The zippers are not YKK

how the zippers look on a fake lululemon hoodie

5. The logo pull quality is low in appearance, such as the rubber edges and elastic quality. The logo pull elastic is not knotted inside so it easily breaks off. (We had one break in our hands as we tried to zip up the hoodie)

hoodie pulls on a fake vs real lululemon hoodie

6. The undersleeve seam is serged; ours is flatlocked.

hoodie seams - fake vs real lululemon hoodie

7. The backside of the care label is the wrong side up.

hoodie care label - fake vs real lululemon hoodie

8. The logo on the hood does not have even space around it.

hoodie logo - real vs fake lululemon

9. Our inside seams are flatlocked, the fake ones are not and are uneven.

hoodie inside seams - real vs fake lululemon hoodie

Want to help?

Visit our discussion forum on facebook and share what you know to help stop others from making the mistake of buying a fake. If you spot a fake product, please email gec@lululemon.com.

Facebook discussion forum: http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?topic=9257&uid=33693527731

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54 Comments »


I think you flip flopped the right one and the wrong one. You said the one on the right was the right one and the gray one on the left was wrong but then you said that the fake one has a missing label but the label is on the left one. Which one is right???

Comment by Wendy — June 29, 2009 @ 11:40 am


It says at the top that the grey one is the real one I and then in the comment about the label being in the left hand pocket was real…I had to re read it to make sure =)

Comment by Kelsey — June 29, 2009 @ 11:51 am


k i have sweater it a purple on and it just fits all of the wrong or fakes what do i do with it?
zipper is broken and doesn’t not have the rubber part on it
the quality is bad and doesn’t have the wright name take on it
the zipper is not YKK
and the sleeves are shorter
and from what i can see every thing else looks ok but i cant really tell

Comment by jesica — June 29, 2009 @ 12:01 pm


Yes, it was kind of hard to understand. I also had to go back and re-read it. On #8, when it says, “The logo on the hood does not have even space around it,” which hoodie are you talking about?

Comment by Haley — June 29, 2009 @ 12:13 pm


i’m shocked! i never realized they are now making lulu knock offs!!!

Comment by ashtangikali — June 29, 2009 @ 12:21 pm


So I was just looking, and comparing both my lululemon hoodies. They were both bought in Lululemon stores.
The one I got this year in early April in Kelowna BC meets all the requirements of a real lululemon.
However, Last year, around April, I bought my black reversible one.
It does not have the writeable satin tag in the left pocket, and the zipper is not YKK.
I boought my black lulu in Metrotown in Vancouver thinking that I got a quality lululemon hoodie and spent 115 on it.. Thank you for showing me this, I will for sure check out the lulu’s I buy from now on.

How can I tell about pants and other Lululemon products?

Comment by jennifer — June 29, 2009 @ 1:34 pm


Thanks for your comments everyone! In response let me clarify a few things:

- The grey hoodie is the real one and the pink hoodie is the fake.

- We didn’t start using the YKK zippers or satin name labels until the Fall/Winter 2008 season. So if your hoodie is from a previous season it won’t have a YKK zipper or satin name label inside the pocket.
If your hoodie is a bit older, your best bet is to rely on the other features mentioned (quality of the sewing, the flatlocked seams, the care label, etc)

Comment by lululemon — June 29, 2009 @ 2:53 pm


Hey Haley,

The pink one on the right is the one that has the logo on the hood that doesn’t have even spacing around it. The lululemon symbol is not evenly centered in the circle – it can be pretty hard to detect, unless you look very closely.

-Lauren

Comment by lululemon — June 29, 2009 @ 2:57 pm


Also, please keep in mind that if you bought your hoodie from one of our stores or from our online store it is real. This post is only in regards to those products that are purchased from different sources.
- Lauren

Comment by lululemon — June 29, 2009 @ 2:59 pm


I just bought a Remix Hoodie Lux hoodie in white. Online it looks like the inside seam (along the front zip) should be yellow. And the logo on the hood should be yellow. But the sweatshirt I got in the mail has LIME GREEN accents. :( Also, there’s no writable satin tag in the left pocket. which merits another :( … Any chance I received an “old” hoodie? I reeeeeally wanted yellow accents, not lime green. And I sure would’ve liked the satin tag inside the pocket. Just cuz it makes it more special.

Comment by Melissa — June 29, 2009 @ 3:48 pm


So what happens if you bought a Lulu Hoodie online and the zipper pull pulled off similar to the photo posted?

Comment by Mia Lunseth — June 29, 2009 @ 3:54 pm


Geez! I didn’t know there has been fake lulus out-there until I read this! Thanks for the info!!

Comment by Lina — June 29, 2009 @ 6:26 pm


Are there also fake Lululemon pants? I check out eBay periodically for styles I can’t get any more and just wondering.

Comment by Connie — June 29, 2009 @ 9:03 pm


Hey Connie, I’m not sure if we’ve found any other fake products like pants or bags – but I will look in to it right now!!
- Lauren

Comment by lululemon — July 1, 2009 @ 12:41 pm


Sorry to hear the Remix Lux you received wasn’t quite the one you wanted Melissa! You can call the GEC (1.877.263.9300) and we can help you out no problem. :)
- Lauren

Comment by lululemon — July 1, 2009 @ 12:52 pm


Hi Mia,
Don’t worry, if you bought our hoodie from our online store then it is real. With so many hoodies out there zipper-pulls are bound to snap once in a while on the real hoodies too – you can go in to your local store or give the GEC (1.877.263.9300) and we’ll be happy help you.
If you bought the hoodie from another source online, I can’t make any guarantees that it’s real, but I would take in to account all the other ‘fakes’ features listed above as well. It’s like I said before, real hoodie zipper-pulls snap once in a while too, but if you have more than 2 or 3 things wrong then that may be cause for alarm…
I hope this helps! If you have any questions, you can call the GEC anytime (between 6am-7pm PST)at 1.877.263.9300 :)
- Lauren

Comment by lululemon — July 1, 2009 @ 1:21 pm


I second Melissa @ 3:28s emotions…The picture of the Remix lux hoodie in white is EXTREMELY deceptive! I too wanted a white hoodie with yellow zipper taping and yellow logo as pictured, but instead received one with a yellow logo and LIME GREEN (Or should I say Alfalfa) accents! I made this comment a week ago on Facebook as well and I see that the photo online has not changed YET! You all really need to change this as it doesn’t reflect the integrity that Lululemon wants to project, no?

Comment by Laura — July 1, 2009 @ 3:56 pm


Okay Thanks for the response….my hubby bought the hoodie for me at the Lululemon in West Edmonton Mall….I would never ever buy any Lulu from anywhere but Lululemon to avoid fakes…..I still love the hoodie and I can survive with out the zipper pull….I have 23 hoodies and don’t mind if one zipper pull is missing.

Comment by Mia Lunseth — July 1, 2009 @ 9:14 pm


Hey Mia,
The zipper pulls are actually just our hair ties, so you can use one of those if you have any (They’re also handy to have if you forget to bring a hair tie to the gym!) But I’ll see what if I can find one for you around the office :)
- Lauren

Comment by lululemon — July 2, 2009 @ 11:16 am


Hi,
I also had a problem with the zipper pull breaking on my black hoodie. It was bought at your Robson store, so I am sure it isn’t fake. Do you sell the zipper pulls seperately at all?
Sarah

Comment by Sarah — July 5, 2009 @ 9:04 pm


Hello! Do you have an emailaddress where I can send some pictures, to ask if a product is fake or not? Thanks, greetings from Holland,
Rinske

Comment by Rinske Faber — July 5, 2009 @ 11:25 pm


Hey Rinske,
You can direct any questions you have and send pictures to the GEC. Our number is 1.877.263.9300 (toll-free within North America) and our email address is gec@lululemon.com. :)
- Lauren

Comment by lululemon — July 7, 2009 @ 7:45 am


Honestly I wouldn’t mind having a serged seam on my jacket or a lack of YKK zipper.

Comment by Justin Wong — July 12, 2009 @ 2:10 pm


I am supppperr mad! My mom bought me the limited edition Lululemon reversible hoodie with the horse prints on one side and the teal on the other. I looked at it and it doesn’t say YKK on the zipper and there is no place to write your name in the left pocket. Also it didn’t come with a care label. (is that because it’s reversible?) Does that mean my hoodie is a fake?

Comment by Amanda — June 27, 2010 @ 2:42 pm


Hi Amanda,
If the hoodie didn’t come from a lululemon channel (ie: a store or our website), I can’t guarantee whether or not it’s real. I would recommend taking it into one of our stores to have an educator take a closer look at it.

Comment by Laura M — June 27, 2010 @ 5:02 pm


Purchased a lulu tank second hand and not sure if its real. The reflective logo on the back is a big bigger then my power Y’s, and the tag in the back is printed on the shirt, not a tear out?? Do the older styles have this? Thanks

Comment by Shannon — August 19, 2010 @ 8:30 am


Hey Shannon,

We can only really confirm if an item is authentic if it has been purchased through one of our stores or online.
Our logo has changed in size over the years,but has been very consistent in size over the last year or so.
We have had our tear out tags for several years as well, but the oldest tanks probably not.
Hope that helps.

Comment by Jenna — August 19, 2010 @ 1:29 pm


Hey! I didn’t realize there were fake lululemon out there. I saw the On the move bag, and since it is no longer in store, I just bought one from someone on facebook (the exchange). I was told it was the wish blue dip dye, and when it arrived, it is definately purple that fades to a light blue (aqua?) bottom. Is this they way they were? Were there variations in bag colors? I could send pictures to confirm, but I am really disappointed as I really wanted this bag!

Anyway, any help in confirming would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Comment by Ilene — September 14, 2010 @ 8:44 pm


Hi Ilene,

We can only guarantee the authenticity of products that are purchased through official lululemon channels (stores, strategic sales dealers, and our website). Because this was purchased from an outside seller, we cannot confirm if the bag is authentic.

The wish blue colour definitely had a purple-ish tinge to it, so I wouldn’t necessarily assume that it is fake. Bags are not common counterfeit items, so it’s more likely that the colour just looks different than it did in the photo that the seller posted.

If you have any further questions, feel free to call our Guest Education Centre at 1.877.263.9300, option 2, to speak to an educator.

Morgan

Comment by lululemon athletica GEC — September 15, 2010 @ 11:49 am


Hi, I wondered if I could post some pics that I took of a Lululemon Luon hoodie I just purchased…I paid $70 cash for it through a friend…I was told they were seconds and at the time thought it might have something to do with the upcoming Lulu sale in Hamilton. Within the first few weeks of wearing it, the pocket has unraveled, it is pilling up all over the place and I noticed that the logo looks very strange. Also, the tag inside says designed in Vancouver, but it also says made in China. I’m so upset!!

Thanks

Comment by Jenna — October 26, 2010 @ 12:48 pm


Hey Jenna,

I’m sorry to hear you are dissappointed in your hoodie. We are only able to guarantee the authenticity of products that are purchased through official lululemon channels such as our stores, strategic sales dealers, and our website. Because of this we aren’t able to confirm if your hoodie is authentic or not.

We product our products in several different countires including China, so the tear out tag inside may read Designed in Vancouver Made in China.

Thanks for taking the time to post your questions and concerns.

~Jenna

Comment by lululemon athletica GEC — October 28, 2010 @ 12:48 pm


Just thinking that if someone bought a real lulu jacket and returned a fake to the store, would the educators notice if the store was busy. The jacket then goes back out to the floor and gets purchased. Guest now has a fake from a legit source.

Comment by John — October 28, 2010 @ 1:14 pm


I just bought a lulu hoodie, and I know that it is an older model. I am looking closer now and I realized that the lulu sign is a little uneven, but evenly spaced apart. Everything except the fact that there is no name tag inside the left pocket tell me ths is real, but I’m not sure.

Comment by Genevieve — November 22, 2010 @ 8:41 am


Hi, I purchased a few hoodies from your site one being the sparkle scuba hoodie. There is no tag inside the pocket, it does not have a YKK zipper and there is no pull string attached to the zipper..I purchased it right off this site. Also, I purchased one off kijiji which was said to be brand new. I usually wear a size 4 comfortably with room, and this sweater i needed a size 6 and it still feels uncomfortable how tight it is. I It has the YYK zipper, however no pull tag and no pocket label. The label inside is hard to pull out.The seems inside the wrist seem to be flat locked but not the ones at the bottom of the hoodie, as well as it appears to have a little bunching in thread on the lulu sign on the hood, not really noticeable unless youre examining it however.

Comment by Breanna — December 28, 2010 @ 2:37 pm


Hi, I recently went to a “party” where Lululemon items were sold at half price with no tax. At first I thought this was going to be a great save…maybe it was “off the back of a truck sale”. The items sold were Remix hoodies, Groove pant, Stride jacket, Stride jacket II, Crop pant, Gather and Crow crop, Women’s Boogie crop, Still crop, Mynah jacket, Lulu shorts, Still pant, Raceback tanks, headbands and men’s Contender jacket. All these items were available in various colours and sizes. The flyer distributed showed actual pictures from your website with your exact models. Unfortunately after purchasing a few items and bringing them home, I realized they were fake! The lulu symbol did not match that of my “real” lulu gear. Also the stiching, at a closer look, was poor and the inside tag did not ripe off easily. I know it was naive of me to think that the items sold were real lululemon gear, but a part of me was more upset that the host passed the stuff off as authentic Lululemon. I have since been able to recover some of my money, but I want people to know that knock-offs of pretty much any style, size and colour do exist! My suggestion is to always buy your items through Lululemon (either online or at the store in person).

Comment by Heather Lorimer — March 3, 2011 @ 6:34 pm


Hello, I bought one on ebay after receiving a scuba hoodie as a gift for Christmas… I loved it and wanted more but wanted a break on the price…. so ebay a seller in Cananda sold me a royal blue remix hoodie fro $75.00. Everything seems to indicate it is real EXCEPT: 1. no inside left pocket tag for name and 2. the seam or piping on the inside zipper looks very unfinished and is a stark naked white. I know i SHOULD have bought through Lululemon and will in the future but I would like to confirm if this is a knock off so that I can warn others on ebay. Do you think it sounds real or fake? Thanks and thanks for you impeccable products – I love them!

Comment by Sabina Cix — March 13, 2011 @ 5:35 pm


Hello,
I have the Journey Jacket (not sure exactly when it was made). The seams look fine, however, it does not have a YKK zipper, a fabric or woven pull attached to the metal pull, nor a satin name label in either pocket. Also the logo looks fine, but is not as flat (more puffy) then on other garments. Is that just typical for this jacket? Thanks in advance.

Comment by Jo-Ann — April 22, 2011 @ 11:33 am


Hi Jo-Ann,
We did make a piece called the Journey Jacket, but, if it didn’t come through a lululemon channel (store, online or strategic sales partner), we can’t authenticate it for you. If you purchased it through a lululemon store, etc, you’re good to go.
~ Laura, GEC Online

Comment by lululemon athletica GEC — April 26, 2011 @ 8:42 am


Heya! I’m at work surfing around your blog from my new iphone! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the superb work!

Comment by Treasure Hunters roadshow — May 22, 2011 @ 9:30 pm


Real or knockoff, it’s all overpriced for what you get… and some of it, still pretty fugly!

Comment by Joel — May 27, 2011 @ 5:32 am


Its sad that lulu sold out a homegrown company from Canada to be made in China. I hope people buy knockoffs, just because of that! Whats the difference, still made in China. I went to a home party too. But the stuff was fantastic.

Comment by annabanana — July 29, 2011 @ 9:35 pm


Hey, I bought a lululemon sweater for a inexpensive amount, and I have my concerns on whether it’s the real deal or not. It seems to fit all the signs of being real, except the main tag on the inside, with the size on it, seems to be cheaper quality. Could it be possible that it is still fake, even though everything else looks real? Also, it says it is a size 12, but I also have a size 6 actual lululemon sweater and my size 6 fits looser then this one, does that mean that this one is fake? Thank you! :)

Comment by Sarah — September 11, 2011 @ 1:34 pm


Hey Sarah,

We can only verify the authenticity of products purchased through one of our official channels (in-store, online, or at one of our strategic sales locations). Feel free to take your sweater into your local store if you’d like an educator to take a look for you.

~ Jordan
GEC Online Community

Comment by GEC Online Community — September 12, 2011 @ 12:39 pm


Do all hoodies and jackets still come with the satin name label?

Comment by Catie — September 18, 2011 @ 11:35 am


Hey Catie,
Great question. Not all of our hoodies have the little satin label. At the time of this post, the Remix Hoodies did have this feature. However, our current hoodie style, the Scuba Hoodies, don’t all have this feature.

Hope that helps,
~Jenna

Comment by Lululemon Athletica — September 19, 2011 @ 1:14 pm


I bought my scuba jkt from a lululemon store 5 yrs ago. I am surprised to find that there are counterfeits out there. I just looked at mine and it does not have the label on the inside pocket, it does not have ykk zipper. does this mean it is a fake!

Comment by Me — October 24, 2011 @ 4:58 am


i have a lulu lemon sweater from the acual lulu lemon store and apparently its fake sooo???????? how does this proove anything!? i bought it right from the store and aprrently from your presentation its fake! im going to make a big deal about this and get my money back!!!! i spent 100$ on that piece of fake fabric! its not even real! gosh! send me a reply someone! for advice! thanks! im only 14 my email is mwhitrow_10@hotmail.com :)

Comment by morgyn — October 29, 2011 @ 4:19 pm


Hi Morgyn,

Please be aware this blog was written in 2008, so some of the ways listed to spot a fake may be outdated now. If you bought your sweater directly from one of our stores or stratgeic sales partners, I am sure it is real. If you are still concerned your sweater is fake, bring it into one of our stores, and an educator will be able to show you all the features that make it a real lululemon piece!
Cheers,
Shannon

Comment by lululemon athletica GEC — November 5, 2011 @ 1:00 pm


I just went to a Lululemon party last week.. it was crazy. Woman everywhere fighting for every garment. I bought my daughter a hoodie, she loves it. After reading all this stuff, I am pretty sure it is fake. No label on inside pocket and the pull on the hoodie had already fallen apart. The zipper has the Lululemon logo on it not YKK…. She really loves it. How do I tell her it is a fake….. have to before a another person does.. you know how cruel kids can be !!

Comment by Jacqueline — November 16, 2011 @ 4:24 am


…My sweater doesn’t have a satin tag in the pocket and neither does my friend’s… but we went directly into the store and bought these. That’s the only flaw on mine but everything else is right!!!

Comment by Amy — December 27, 2011 @ 7:07 am


Hi there,
I was wondering how to tell if my lulu scarf is a real or a fake??

Comment by Holly — January 25, 2012 @ 5:49 pm


Hey Holly!

We’d be happy to take a look at your scarf for you. Do you have a store nearby? If so, you can bring it in for an educator to take a peek at it. No store near you? No problem. Send us some pictures to gec@lululemon.com and one of our educators at the office would be happy to assess it for you. Thanks for reaching out!

~Tess
GEC Online Community

Comment by lululemon athletica GEC — January 26, 2012 @ 9:07 am


I was just invited to a Lululemon party. Is there such a thing? Will the clothes be fake or are there legitimate parties with the real thing? I believe the person doing the party is a lululemon rep. I would appreciate any info you can give me.
Dawn

Comment by Dawn L — February 2, 2012 @ 6:26 am


Hey Dawn,

Thanks for reaching out. We’re not able to verify the authenticity of any products that haven’t been purchased through our stores, online or strategic sales partners. If you have any other information on this party, you can send it to gec@lululemon.com and we can look into it further for you.

~Tess

Comment by lululemon athletica GEC — February 3, 2012 @ 12:35 pm


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