• Lululemon has heard its customers and is making a key change to its leggings.
• It's introducing a new Align legging without a front seam.
• The company reported a 13% increase in net revenue in its latest quarter compared to the year before.

Athleisure giant Lululemon has listened to customers who have been begging it to change one feature in its bestseller leggings.

The company's CEO, Calvin McDonald, said in an earnings call with investors on Thursday that it would introduce leggings without a front seam, a highly requested change.

"We'll expand further with other new bottoms, including a legging with no front seam," McDonald said to investors.

"Our guests have been asking for this innovation, and we believe this style, along with all the other newness and innovation we are bringing to market, will help drive new guest acquisition and increase purchase from existing guests as well," he added.

Representatives for Lululemon did not respond to a request for comment from BI about when the new product will be available and how much it will cost. The Vancouver-based company's leggings start at around $98.

McDonald said the new leggings were celebrating the 10th anniversary of Lululemon's Align product line, which includes leggings, shorts, sports bras, tops, bodysuits, and more.

Some social media users have criticized the front seam of Lululemon's leggings, with some women saying the seam can be unflattering.

Some TikTok users also say Lululemon's front seam is a big reason they've bought leggings from other brands.

This is not the first pair of leggings Lululemon has made without front seams.

In July, it dropped the $98 Breezethrough leggings without the front seam, but the product was pulled from shelves within the same month after customers criticized it for its deep V-shaped back seam.

The company reported results from its latest quarter on Thursday. Revenue increased 13% from the year before to $3.6 billion, and international sales rose 38% in the quarter.

The company's stock remained flat during trading hours on Thursday but dropped about 10% in after-hours trading.

• As a Pilates instructor, I know that having a good pair of leggings is important.
• I went to three Gap Inc.-owned stores — Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta — to find a new pair of leggings.
• I ended up buying the Athleta leggings, which were on sale during my trip.

As a Pilates instructor, I know finding a good pair of leggings is important. After all, there's nothing worse than the uncomfortable feeling of leggings sliding down your waist during class.

However, as a pear-shaped woman, finding good pants that fit snugly on my small waist and comfortably on my wider hips and bottom is challenging.

So, I decided to check out Gap, Old Navy, and Athleta — all owned by parent company Gap Inc. — in search of the perfect high-rise, full-length black leggings. Here's how it went.

I started my search at Gap.

I began my journey on a Saturday morning at Gap, which has over 580 stores in the US and Asia.

The displays seemed well-organized, with an assortment of sweaters and pants, but I was disappointed by the small selection of fitness apparel.

I decided to try on the GapFit high-rise Power full-length leggings and headed to the fitting room.

I wasn't a fan of the fit or feel of the Gap leggings I tried on.

When I pulled these leggings on, I noticed they were tight on my lower leg and bunched up around my ankles.

However, it was the rough, inelastic fabric (made of 79% recycled polyester and 21% spandex) that steered me away from buying this pair.

In my opinion, the poor fit and stiff-feeling fabric didn't justify the price tag at the time I shopped — a steep $60.

Next, I walked over to Old Navy.

My next stop was Old Navy, which has over 1,200 stores around the world. The location in my mall was busy but tidy on a Saturday afternoon and had a vast selection of activewear.

After some browsing, I decided to try on a pair of black high-waisted PowerSoft leggings.

I liked the Old Navy leggings but worried about how they'd hold up over time.

Old Navy's PowerSoft leggings (made of 77% polyester and 23% spandex) felt silky and stretchy. I liked that they were high-rise and made of a slimming light compression fabric. They fit to size, and stayed put at the waist as I moved around.

The leggings looked great and seemed like a steal for $24. However, I decided not to purchase them because the fabric felt a bit thin.

As a Pilates instructor, I wear and wash my athletic wear frequently, and I didn't think the leggings' flimsy material would withstand the overuse.

Finally, I took a trip to Athleta.

My last stop was at Athleta, which has over 250 stores in the US and Canada.

Athleta is one of my favorite places to shop for athletic apparel — my location is typically extremely organized, and there's always a salesperson ready to help.

The Athleta leggings were my favorite.

The Elation ultra-high-rise leggings from Athleta fit perfectly, and I loved the soft but thick material (made from a blend of nylon, Lycra, recycled polyester, and elastane). The velvety garment also had a large waistband that supported and accentuated my midsection and stayed put as I moved.

The leggings cost $89, but during my visit, they were on sale for $50. Considering the high-quality fit and feel, I thought this was a great price, and I ended up buying them.