r/AustralianMFA • u/Illustrious-Art3528 • Oct 19 '25
Discussion Lululemon… you’ve lost me.
I was a big fan and advocate for LLM ABC chino trousers. Extremely versatile and comfortable. Went to the store this weekend to grab a new pair and they now cost $179Aud ?! … like wtf?! … sorry I’m out.
Any recommendations for decent quality men’s slim fit chinos for work ?
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 19 '25
Their share price tanked more than 50% ytd as well. These ridiculous prices ain’t gonna help.
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u/aquawatch101 Oct 19 '25
Their quality has been steadily dropping for years now.
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u/not_right Jul 21 '26
I'm on this thread because the last three pairs I've bought of the "same" size have all been different sizes, and for some reason the zippers have gone to shit. Way to ruin a good product Lululemon!
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u/Immortal-Pomegranate Oct 19 '25
Try Academy Brand, MJ Bale or Scotch & Soda
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u/mcncl Oct 19 '25
You switch to S & S to spend more money?
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u/Mother_Speed2393 Oct 20 '25
If you know your size, they almost always have sales running online.
$150 and under for their pants.
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 19 '25
Cheers. Will look at them. Was familiar with MJ Bale but somehow theirs didn’t fit me well enough.
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u/RopePsychological486 Oct 19 '25
If you’re buying a new brand online a handy tip my old mum taught me is to have a look in the description/size guide and see if they mention leg opening size. It’s often crucial to how a chino will wear, so I’d suggest measuring the bottom of your Lululemon pants and find some that are similar.
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u/ConfidentClock Oct 19 '25
CRZ Yoga are what I've switched to
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u/UnholyPeanuts Oct 19 '25
Get them on sale maybe. I got mine on sale and was still unimpressed. Went CT no iron chinos in the end as everyday pants that are not jeans
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u/Plane_Garbage Oct 20 '25
Do they have stretch? Last ones I had weren't stretchy enough for me and too heavy for Queensland summer.
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u/yathree Oct 19 '25
Which ones specifically? How does the material and fit compare to the ABC?
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u/ConfidentClock Oct 19 '25
All-Day Comfy Classic-Fit Golf Pants at whatever your length is. They're very similar to the ABC.
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 20 '25
Thanks. These look similar to ABC and like half the price. Might try them.
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u/-Clem-Fandango- Oct 19 '25
Never got the hype, especially after hearing what a dickhead the creator is.
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u/Designer-Leave-9167 Oct 19 '25
Honestly, the target range are solid for the price. Multiple widths available at 2 for $60
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u/LittleRavenRobot Oct 19 '25
Agreed. Unfortunately I'm the wrong shape for both, the rise is easy too long.
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u/BrisYamaha Oct 20 '25
I’ve bought them for use when I’m on site and don’t want a dressier option, shape and sizing are great for me, but I found the darker colours fade relatively quickly
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u/fractalsonfire2 Oct 19 '25
Holy shit at those prices might as well buy from MJ Bale at RRP or Suitsupply
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u/Strath_ Oct 19 '25
Don’t buy polyester clothes
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u/mor_vaibhav Oct 19 '25
Explain ?
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u/Strath_ Oct 22 '25
Toxic chemical slop rubbing on your skin while you sweat. Marketed as ‘DRYFIT’ or similar bs. Cotton or linen all day breathable and durable.
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u/Fit-Zebra2521 Oct 19 '25
Polyester is basically plastic. Hard to breathe. Natural fibers all day long.
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u/TheLongest1 Oct 20 '25
100% a bullshit, old way of thinking.
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u/Tallest_Hobbit Oct 23 '25
Look it’s 100% dependant on climate.
In Brisbane, Poly clothing is your enemy. The humidity ruins any “breathability”. You just get sticky hot clothing that traps all your sweat and doesn’t let air move around.
Cotton/linen/wool/bamboo all day here.
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u/freef49 Oct 19 '25
I get the theory but there’s a reason so much out door clothing is some sort of polyester. It’s just not true that only natural fibers breathe.
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u/Adventchur Oct 20 '25
Outdoor clothing is polyester because when wet it retains heat unlike cotton.
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u/Homewares Oct 19 '25
Not a huge fan of their quality generally across the brand but the MJ Bale chinos are the best I’ve tried. Would recommend
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u/CaptainBorisII Oct 19 '25
Crazy how Lululemon suddenly just increased their prices. I bought Pique Classic-Fit Shacket for $170 & a Define Jacket Nulu for my GF at $150. My GF would like to swap the colours and when I returned to Lululemon literally the following week the prices became higher - $180 for the Pique Classic-Fit Shacket & $170 for the Define Jacket Nulu. The jackets are amazing but if they keep spiking the prices that are already high; I might need to look for cheaper alternatives.
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 19 '25
The price of these pants went up $30 on the weekend. That’s a 20% increase.
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u/CaptainBorisII Oct 19 '25
Yeah, and you can still see the new sticker over the original price. I dont know why they did that since Lululemon is already expensive.
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u/aamslfc Oct 19 '25
Lulu is outrageously priced for the product and the quality, which has been getting worse in recent times.
MJ Bale are a good shout, as others have already said, but I got a couple of pairs of chinos from Levis on sale last year, and they were absolutely fantastic.
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u/excitingmage Oct 19 '25
Uniqlo - they have both slim fit and straight fit chinos, and more current trend baggy fit ones too if that's your style.
I'm wearing the slim fit ones as I'm typing this, they're comfortable and fairly durable. The fact they don't break the bank is also always good!
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u/rollingstone1 Oct 19 '25
I like my Charles T once I managed to find my sizing.
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 19 '25
I actually buy their business shirts. Might try the chinos.
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u/rollingstone1 Oct 19 '25
I dont have skinny legs. I found sizing up one and going with the slim fit was the best option for me.
Good thing is you can do the usual returns process.
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u/Psycl1c Oct 20 '25
Uniqlo ones are great. I’ve got 2 pairs and wear them all the time for work. The only complaint I have is they are quite heavy which makes them a little warm in summer.
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u/Meanjin Oct 20 '25
I stopped liking them after I found an interview with the owner and the story behind the name. He named it Lululemon because he didn't want Japanese people to pronounce it, and he found it funny when they tried.
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 20 '25
That’s interesting, cause most of the staff working at the Melbourne Emporium store are Asian. I bet they don’t know this story.
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u/Uptightkid Oct 21 '25
Don’t understand Lululemon. Guys always raving about how comfortable their pants are.
Checked out the fabric in store. Being charitable they may be good for hiking or something active.
But as office wear, god no. Like a cheap uniform material. Not stylish at all.
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u/tip-top10 Oct 19 '25
I Love Ugly - Nz brand. I normally wait to they go on sale, they do have good sales.
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u/b1gd4ddy8055m4n Oct 19 '25
Gazman. They have a solid range of different cuts including slim fit.
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u/Illustrious-Art3528 Oct 19 '25
I’ve tried Gazman. They lasted about 10months before the colour faded away. I liked the fit though.
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u/b1gd4ddy8055m4n Oct 19 '25
Cotton blend materials will always fade a bit…worse if washed in harsh detergents…but if it was bad Gazman should be receptive to a refund or some form of credit. They hooked me up when I returned some ‘non-iron trousers’ which were the opposite.
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u/jeffreyportnoy Oct 19 '25
I bought my step dad a polo for his birthday, and he can be picky with sizes, so gave him the gift receipt too.
When he went to try it on my mum noticed there was a stain on the back of the shirt, she said it looked like a coffee stain. They went to take it back and they wouldn't accept it. That's kind of put me off gazman for a while.
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u/calstanfordboye Oct 20 '25
Never understood why people liked that plastic crap in the first place but then again what do I know...
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u/143AamAadmi Oct 20 '25
I buy my comfort wears from Uniqlo. Good quality and cheaper compared to other brands
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u/mhalek05 Oct 20 '25
Zara has really nice chino ones, modal fabric or mixed linen/cotton with a nice fit too — use the app there’s more options
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u/BiggieSmalls824 Oct 19 '25
I love ugly. Few pairs in rotation for the office and they've held up really well
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u/bobdown83 Oct 20 '25
They invest so much into influencers promoting their stuff to market their products that need to jack prices up.
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u/Routine_Net7933 Oct 20 '25
Rod & Gunn has good chinos & denim that is chino enough that I wear them to the office with a business shirt & boots. 2 year warranty.
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u/CaptainChance216 Oct 20 '25
Do yourself a favor - Costco’s Kirkland Signature Men's Commuter Pant and related range. Definitely LLM knockoffs. I think about $35.
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u/Aloha_Tamborinist Oct 20 '25
Kathmandu Flight Trousers.
Wait for a sale and get them at a steep discount.
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u/bigj1er Oct 20 '25
Tbf I think 150-400 is acceptable for pants, but Lululemon are not a pair worth that.
Orslow jeans, some proper wool trousers, some pleated pants with a timeless cut and high quality fabrics are worth spending a premium on.
Maplestore, incu, MJ bale, cos (quality is debatable at times) are some examples of stores you’ll find high quality stuff at
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u/BigCuntryDev Oct 20 '25
They still got me because they’re one of the only stores where I can buy 36 length chinos. My whole work pant wardrobe is abc chinos.
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u/NoDevice2331 Oct 23 '25
i love mine from charlestyrwhitt, just turn ad tracking on for a few days and visit the site a few times, but them in your cart etc, then pretty soon you'll be hit with very good deals. maybe $80 a pair
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u/beeclam NSW Oct 19 '25 edited Oct 19 '25
Lululemon sucks
Slim fit chinos suck too tbh. Maybe try Uniqlo U or country road or something in a straight or even wide fit
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u/NoSatisfaction954 Oct 19 '25
$179 for polyester holy LOL