Lululemon will swap knockoff leggings for theirs — for free

LOS ANGELES — Leggings are so popular you can buy them pretty much anywhere, from high-end retailers and specialty athleisure shops to dollar stores. Knockoffs are so popular, in fact, that there's an entire dupe subculture on TikTok, where #Lululemondupe alone has racked up 180 million views.

What's the real Lululemon to do? Take advantage of the trend with its first-ever dupe swap. This Saturday and Sunday at the Westfield Century City mall atrium, the cult Canadian athletic apparel company will give away one free pair of Align Pants to any guest who walks in wearing their dupe leggings and trades them in.

"We’re very confident in our Align product that we’re willing to put any other legging to the test," said Deborah Hyun, Lululemon senior vice president of Global Brand Management and Operations.

The company is so confident in the leggings’ fit, qualify and feel, "we believe they’ll never go back," she added.

Lululemon launched its Align Pant in 2015 as a single item: a 25-inch pair of light and comfortable tights intended for people who practice yoga. The leggings became so popular that the company has since grown the line with tops, bottoms, one pieces and dresses and extended its pants offerings with different colors and styles including wide legs, flares and crops.

This weekend's dupe swap is a first for the company and a one-off. Lululemon chose LA, Hyun said, because "it is a hub of fashion, creators and culture."

How many pairs it will trade, Lululemon won't say — only that it's running the Align Legging Dupe Swap from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. both days "while supplies last." The dupes it takes in will be recycled through the textile recycling company Debrand.