Wilson thinks the birth-control pill and smoking are responsible for high divorce rates — and the existence of Lululemon.

Lululemon yoga ambassador Meghan Currie. Lulelemon / Flickr, CC

Wilson once wrote this about his company's origins*:

Women's lives changed immediately [after the pill]. ... Men did not know how to relate to the new female. Thus came the era of divorces.

With divorce and publicity around equality, women in the 1970's/80's found themselves operating as 'Power Women.' The media convinced women that they could win at home and be a man's equal in the business world. Women put in 12 hour work days, attempted to keep a clean and orderly house, and give their children all the love they had pre-divorce. What they gave up however was their social life, exercise, balance, and sleep.

The 1980's gave way to Power Women dressing like men in boardroom attire with big shoulder pads. They went to 3 martini lunches and smoked because this is what their 'successful' fathers did in the business world.

Breast cancer also came into prominence in the 1990's. I suggest this was due to the number of cigarette-smoking Power Women who were on the pill (initial concentrations of hormones in the pill were very high) and taking on the stress previously left to men in the working world.

Ultimately, Lululemon was formed because female education levels, breast cancer, yoga/athletics and the desire to dress feminine came together all at one time.

*The company has removed Wilson's name from many of its web pages since the above was first published.