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Is Lululemon's Luster Gone for Good?

The former must-have workout wear has fallen on hard times, will a new marketing ploy help to restore it to former glory?

Maybe it's because the company is steeped in bad karma (founder Chip Wilson famously named his business Lululemon because he thought it was "funny" to watch Japanese people try to pronounce "L") or because of a string of public relations nightmares that were mishandled at best, but, whatever the reason, Lululemon is no longer the cool kid in town-- which, considering she was the prom queen for many years running -- is saying a lot.

Yes, that ubiquitous stylized "A" logo ("athletically hip" was one of the frontrunners for the brand name and Wilson liked the symbol so much that he kept it even after going with his joke of a moniker instead) that's been stamped on the butts of gym rats -- and those who want to come across as such -- the world over, is in a whole lotta financial hot water and is doing everything it can to cool things down.

In a nutshell: Lululemon's profits have plummeted 60 percent and sales growth has slowed drastically in the last year alone, coming off an all-time high in mid-2010.

READ: Butt-Firming Yoga Poses You've Gotta Try Now

So, what're they going to do about it? Design a legging that makes our bums look even better? A hoodie that magically melts away cellulite and tightens post-pregnancy skin? Yeah, notsomuch.

Surprisingly, the Canadian company has decided to put its future in the hands of the men's market. In Q1, our big focus was on really landing our men's set," chief product officer Tara Ruth Barber Poseley said on an earnings call last week, adding that "sweats" were going to be the focal point of the effort. Sweats.

Because words fail me, I will leave my layperson's opinion of this business maneuver to the very capable Jerry Seinfeld who, once upon a time, so aptly described the nature of the sweatpant and everything they represent -- fancy "A" logo or no.


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