Lululemon’s speed shorts sizing has been a thorn in my side (and in the side of basically all other speeds lovers) for basically a full year now. Last spring, sizing and fit suddenly became inconsistent, with lengths creeping longer, and dramatic hip and leg opening variation even between different pairs of the same size and color. Lulu HQ stated that this was the result of increased pattern tolerance–in other words, they were allowing speed shorts of the same size to have greater variation, probably as a way to produce them faster to keep up with demand. (Of course, this kind of bit them in the butt since no one seemed to want to buy ill-fitting speeds.)
Although we were promised speeds would be back to their old fit by Fall ’14, the problem has only halfway gone away. Although the variation doesn’t seem to be as dramatic as it was, it’s still not as consistent as it used to be. Lulu seems to have done the bare minimum of correction to keep speeds from being a total disaster, but they certainly don’t seem to have gone back to their old pattern tolerances. 4-way stretch speeds seem to be more forgiving of pattern variation versus speeds in 2-way stretch, so I can’t help but wonder if this explains the recent trend toward almost exclusive production of 4-way stretch speeds. In recent months, the overall hip/waist tightness as well as length seem to be the main variables. Some colorways seem to have more dramatic sizing variability than others, but even the most “consistent” pairs do still seem to have at least a little pair-to-pair variation.
So far this year, I’ve ordered harbor blue, menthol, and star crushed black cherry speed shorts. Below are my fit pics and thoughts for these. Of course, given what I wrote above, your mileage may vary. All of these are size 2, which is my normal speeds size.
Harbor blue fits me a little bit smaller through the hips. When I held them up to several of my other pairs, they seem cut just a little bit closer in at the hips (maybe 1/4″ laying flat) but the same in the waist and leg opening. The slightly tightness in the hip makes them flare slightly in the back thigh area, but not enough for me to return and definitely not enough to size up. Besides some reports of the same hip tightness, I haven’t heard about any other fit issues with these.
Menthol fits me exactly true to size. Some have said their menthols fit the same as harbor (tight in the hips), but mine did not. Holding them up to each other proved that the menthol were cut like my other pairs. My menthol pair seems to be just a a hair longer, but that doesn’t bother me. As with harbor, I haven’t heard of any other sizing inconsistencies with menthol, just the possibility for length and hip tightness variation.
Star crushed black cherry also fit me true to size. They didn’t seem to be noticeably long or tight anywhere. On the flipside, I’ve heard numerous reports of black cherry fitting very tight, much like the reports I’ve heard about raspberry glo and vintage pink (I didn’t purchase either and can’t speak for those). These seem to run the gamut from “perfectly TTS” to “holy crap so tight they’re basically underwear”.
All told, I’m definitely keeping harbor and menthol, but I’m on the fence with black cherry. The fit is great and the color is unique, I’m just not sure if I love them enough to be parted with my $58, particularly given that these are the 15th pair in my drawer right now, ahem.
(All 3 of these speeds are currently still available in all sizes on the lulu website.)
Love your reviews! I only own one pair of Speeds (in black lol) and am on the prowl for a second but somehow none seem quite right. The Harbor Blue looks fantastic on you!
Thanks! I’m sure there will be a ton of new pairs in the coming spring/summer months, so maybe you’ll find #2 soon. :)
Thank you for making me feel less crazy! I could have sworn my harbor blue speeds fit more snug in the hips (I was hoping it wasn’t that I gained weight haha). Have you ever tried ivivva’s speedys? I feel like the 2 pairs I own from them fit me even better than speeds do.
Hehe you’re welcome, you’re def not crazy. :) I have never tried ivivva’s, no. I’ve shied away because what I’ve heard is that they’re less roomy in the hips/butt, and that’s where I really need the room, so I’m not sure they’d fit right. Up to this point, I’ve never seen a pair I needed badly enough to try, but with summer coming up, I’ll have to watch more closely. :)
That’s interesting you heard that, I actually find the opposite to be true. I compared my harbor blue speeds size 2 with both a 2 way and 4 way stretch ivivva size 14. The waistband was about exactly the same (ivivva might be a hair larger, and lengthwise ivivva is a a hair shorter. But ivivva’s are a good 1/2 inch roomier in the hip/butt area (which is what I need haha). What I find the biggest difference in is the liner seems to be a little roomier in the ivivva’s, which to me makes them more comfortable, especially if I’m doing a weights workout with them. Of course, most of their colors can be a bit young. I have both bali breeze and flash light speedys from them, and they’re just gorgeous in person. I’d say it’s worth a try if you ever see a color you love.
Thanks! :) That’s interesting, sounds like it could be promising. Sometimes I’m in an area that has an ivivva store, so next time I’m there I’ll have to see if they have any speedies to try.
Thanks for the fit comparison!
I’ve never tried the speedies. I also assumed the hips would be more narrow.
Former employee here… The shift to more 4-way is because the vast majority of shoppers size down 1-2 sizes from what their true size should be based on their measurements. 2way just doesn’t work then, so what you see is someone complaining because their 4ways fit fine and the new pair they bought (2way) doesn’t even go past their hips… This was a daily complaint at the GEC, and happened frequently in stores as well. The consensus was that going heavier on the 4way was a better solution than changing the sizing to accommodate what guests chose for themselves.
Thanks for the inside scoop! ;) The problem I see with that logic is that HQ is the one responsible for changing the fit of the speeds last year in the first place. Many, many speeds junkies noted that a lot of the 4-way pairs last year ran large, which probably drove more people to size down, which then created a problem when translating that to 2-way sizing. Not to mention, now that many of the recent pairs have run so small for so many people (notably, these sizing opinions are from people who own literally several dozen pairs so I definitely trust their opinion, and they have pics to back it up), it seems they’ve created the very problem they were trying to avoid, i.e., speeds that are sometimes too small, which will make people complain. If they hadn’t changed sizing/pattern tolerance last year and instead kept sizing the way it had been for years before, this wouldn’t have been a problem they’d have to address in the first place. 2-way and 4-way coexisted fine for a very long time before last year, after all.
So that brings me back to my original speculation: they switched to 4-way to mitigate the sizing inconsistency (and subsequent guest unhappiness) they themselves created. (Btw, this is of course nothing personal against you or your comment, it’s more directed toward the lulu powers that be and their reasoning.)
Despite the non-consistent fit issues, SSs are still the most flattering shorts I’ve ever owned. Tried Under Armour shorts last weekend and they were a goofy disaster on me. Oiselle rogas are very similar to SSs, but the waistband is not as stretchy comfy.
Lined up some of my speed shorts for comparison.
My Harbor Blues’ waistband width (in size 4) was smack right between Sashiko (size 2) and Inky Bloom (size 4). It’s really a size 3. So, I think your Harbor Blues is a size 1 :)
Black Cherry Stars look so silently subdued on you compared to the Harbor Blues & Menthols, though they would be good for hiking on dirty muddy trails/floor workouts, and for I-want-a-smaller-butt days (not sure why, since butts are all the rage now).
I’ll say keep the SSs that you’ll end up reaching for more, but sometimes, you wouldn’t know until months have passed. My go-to pair now is the lumberjack SSs. I don’t know why :D
I agree. Even when it’s a PITA to get the right fit, they are by FAR the most flattering shorts. I’ve yet to find something that’s even remotely a substitute. Lorna Jane makes cute shorts, but they only sell XXS shorts in Australia, and their XS is way too big for me.
Interesting that your harbors are so small. Sounds like it’s good for you since you’ve mentioned you’re between sizes right now. :) I lined mine up with multiple pairs, and they’re definitely not small enough to be a 1, the difference is very subtle.
Like you said, it’s hard to say how much I would reach for them until I go past the return period. I might end up returning and then getting them again if they go to MD or I find a cheap pair on ebay. Since I have so many other pairs I love, I’m not sure something so subtle would get a lot of love. Still pondering though. :)
The bright and cheery SSs are definitely the IT SSs now. High chance these would go on MD.
OT, I love the Oiselle Rogas in Pop. That’s such a pretty shade.
Good point. But at this rate, considering the age of the speeds still on full price, it’ll be Christmas before the black cherries are marked down…hah. I have considered trying Oiselle’s rogas, but I heard they are so short that they aren’t any good for weightlifting/squatting–eek.
Oh yes, the mac rogas were so insanely short that the SSs looked prudish next to them LOL.
I’m convinced the people who love mac rogas have not tried speeds. ;)
The mac rogas are too short and the material is not soft at all.
Agree! :D
I feel like I got kinda burned with my two new speeds. The black cherry and blue tropic fit perfectly in the waist (comfortably snug, no muffin top), but are weirdly big in the hips – they flare out at the sides like a lamp shade, and they’re not tight at all. I really didn’t expect this as I have a pretty wide hip/waist ratio and have never had an issue where the waist is correct but the hip is too big. They look great from the sides, but awkward from the front/back. This is especially disappointing as the raspberry glo speeds look so great all around.
But, as Jane_Doe said, they’re still way more flattering than any other workout shorts I’ve tried, and despite the odd fit they are still awesome from a functional standpoint. I’m keeping these last two speeds, but I doubt I’ll be ordering anymore.
Ugh, sorry to hear you drew the short straw. :( Honestly, it’s so variable these days that I wouldn’t put *too* much stock in your experience with those pairs. I know the order/return process can be a PITA, but if you feel like going through it again, you might have a different experience, fit-wise.
I find this interesting because when I bought my first pair of speeds I couldn’t figure out what all the fuss was about. Now after reading the comments I wonder if I should have gone down a size or if I got a bad batch as I had to exchange them for a quality issue. I just bought a second pair and they fit nicer, more snug and flattering. I also get the side flare at the bottom like BD mentioned. I wish I knew why I get it and others don’t – your pics look great.
It’s not just you. I’m wearing a pair from last spring/summer and I was just noticing how flared they are on me. To me, they look way different than the pairs in these pics. It’s frustrating how inconsistent they are, because people like you can be totally put off if they’ve never tried them before. Can’t say I blame you. To me, it’s worth the hassle, but I’ve been wearing speeds for years, so I’m in pretty deep, lol.
Crappy pic of today’s speeds re: flaring. Sorry Disqus turned it sideways!
Literally, every single pair I have fits differently. At first, I bought whatever colors/patterns I liked and didn’t notice the discrepancies as much. But now I’m very picky about the fit. I think you have to keep trying to find the fit you like. But understandably that it is a huge pain in the butt.
As far as the side flair, I think that depends on how large the leg openings are cut in relation to your thigh size.
Thanks for the fit review!
They all look great on you. I think the menthol pair shows my ideal fit/ cut of speeds.
I got my black cherry pair a couple days ago. My pair is definitely cut smaller than other size 4s, but that works out well for me. The waistband actually fits without gaping. (Finally!)
Thanks. :) I’m glad the sizing quirk of your BC’s worked out well for you, hehe.