Are Leggings Still in Style 2021?

JANE FLANAGAN / STYLE WELLNESS

Leggings have become a wardrobe staple for many of us in the last decade. We wear different legging styles for different occasions and activities, including:

  • Athletic leggings or yoga leggings for working out
  • Those same yoga leggings for weekend wear and ath-leisure
  • Basic leggings for layering beneath dresses and sweaters
  • Leather leggings to dress up for evening
  • Any of the above for working from home, or even office, spending on your work culture
  • Leggings for loungewear or even sleeping in

During the pandemic, we all spent a lot more time at home. This meant more than ever that leggings became a key part of our wardrobe. But as we begin to emerge from quarantines and lockdowns, are leggings still in style?

 

In Short: Leggings Aren’t Going Anywhere

After a year or two of choosing our daily dress based solely on comfort, leggings have become everybody’s go-to.

This means we might be dying for a change as we emerge from COVID. Many of us miss getting really dressed up and want the novelty of wearing clothes that have languished in our closet for the past year.

So it’s easy to imagine that leggings might slip slightly out of the favor they’ve held for the past 2 years as everybody’s daily wardrobe.

That said, leggings are unlikely to disappear altogether. In fact, they’ll probably remain a staple forever. Like a great pair of jeans or a classic black blazer, leggings are simply too versatile to ever relegate to the past.

What’s more; they’re also too comfortable. After all, that’s why we’ve all been wearing them nonstop during this pandemic! So, rest assured, leggings are here to stay and investing in a great pair of leggings will never be a mistake.

 

 

Leggings in 2021: An Enduring Style Staple 

They’re a Fashion Classic

From Audrey Hepburn to present day, leggings (or tight pants as they started originally) are a classic. Indeed, we’ll go further: Every wardrobe NEEDS a pair of black leggings. It’s like a white t-shirt, black blazer, a good pair of jeans or a little black dress... 

So many occasions and looks can be built around a pair of black leggings. They can play the main star or be a supporting star. This is simply one of the most useful items of clothing you could own.

 

Supreme Comfort

For years we all thought nothing is more comfortable than a favorite pair of blue jeans. Then we tried leggings. And now jeans seem rigid compared to them. Almost nothing can compete with the second-skin feeling of a well-fitting pair of leggings.

They hug you supportively where you want it, but have the stretch to move with you (and your fluctuating body). Whether it’s ‘that time of the month’ or you just ate too much, leggings are reliably comfortable.

Add a little compression in the right places and leggings can also give you shape and support (as well as myriad other benefits). That’s a lot for such a humble garment!

 

Ultimate Versatility

Honestly, you could write a dissertation on the number of outfit options for how to wear leggings. You can dress them up for evening, make them office-appropriate for the working day, have them look chic and put-together for weekend brunch and still fling yourself on the couch and watch movies in them when it’s all over.

Because the tailoring of leggings is so lowkey, they adapt to everything else you’re wearing. Style them with a crisp shirt, blazer and pair of heels and full make-up and you look like you’re ready to conquer the workplace. Or throw on a sweatshirt and pair of sneakers and you’ve got the most laid back weekend look.

They are a style chameleon and once you start experimenting with how you wear them and layer them, you’ll discover endless options.

 

Variety of Color, Pattern & Performance

Really, leggings are like t-shirts. Yes, you can have the classic black legging (the equivalent of a classic white tee). But you can also have hundreds of other styles. Different materials, different finishes, different colours and patterns… it goes on and on…

But beyond the aesthetics there’s also variety when it comes to legging performance. Some are designed for pro-athletes with complete compression and next-level moisture-wicking. Some have supportive padding for activities like spinning or cycling. Really leggings can be so many things to so many different people. 

 

 

Leggings in 2021 & Beyond: Keep Your Eye Out For…

Even though leggings are here to stay, there will be trends within legging styles. Some fashions you might see emerge or fade, include:

 

Legging Style Trends On the Outs...

  • Mesh panels: These were big in 1999 and 2000, but the novelty has started to wear off. 
  • Transparency: Leggings should never be transparent but cheap one sometimes are. This is not a good look and as fabric technology improves every year, it’s one we’ll hopefully leave in our rearview mirror.
  • Color-blocked panels: Of course, the variety of leggings will continue but the color-blocking trends of recent years will probably take a break as we see more of an emphasis on simple leggings that fit supremely well.

Legging Trends to Look Out For…

We’re not fashion trend forecasters, but here are some trends we think might be coming with leggings:

  • Bootcut leggings: Bootcut & flared leggings might be making a come-back. Think of your original yoga pants. Most of us abandoned those for fitted ankles. But now the bootcut is returning!
  • Leakproof leggings: It seems a matter of time before the leakproof technology in underwear and swimsuits ends up in leggings. This will mean leggings that can protect you from period overflow or involuntary urine leaks could be headed your way.
  • Scaled-back, supreme fit: Compression in the right places, that perfect length and waist rise… we all have a lot of choice when it comes to leggings so there’ll be a continued emphasis on the right fit for your body.
  • Dressed-up leggings: As we all start to explore our wardrobe again, leggings will really show their versatility. You can have all the comfort of leggings with a cute dress. Or the sharpness of a blazer and heels. Leggings will shine in new ways beyond the ath-leisure look we’ve all been rocking for the past 2 years.

 

 

Other Leggings FAQs

For such a simple garment, leggings get a lot of attention. Part of this is because they were at one time more controversial than now, when they seem like such a staple in our closets. But let’s look at some of the common questions:

 

Are Leggings Inappropriate?

Some have an idea that leggings cannot be worn in certain situations or at certain events, but we’re not big fans of policing what women wear or where they can wear it. 

If your workplace has certain dress codes, you should be aware of them. And, of course, you should let your own comfort and confidence-level be your guide. Some prefer not to reveal their bottom or crotch area when wearing leggings. But that’s purely a matter of personal choice… 

 

Can You Wear Leggings at Work?

It’s so difficult to paint all workplaces, in all cities and regions, with the same brush. We’re inclined to say heck ya, you can wear leggings to work, but we have a casual office policy. Other workplaces come with dress codes that need to be observed. 

So, in general, make sure you’re aware of your own office policy and let what others are wearing inform you about the level of casual-ness permitted.

As we noted throughout this piece, though, leggings can be dressed up or down really easily. So an office that objects to leggings with a tee and trainers may take no issue with leggings worn with a blouse and blazer. That can make it confusing, so you may have to figure out where the line sits at your individual workplace. Maybe don’t show up in leggings on Day 1, just to be safe.

 

Why Are Some Leggings See Through?

Yep, we’ve all seen them. And maybe we’ve realized it’s even happened to us. Leggings can sometimes be see-through (or become see-through after much laundering). Usually this is the result of cheaper materials breaking down over time.

Leggings should NOT be see-through.

To protect your leggings, machine wash them on cold and hang them to dry. Dryers can cause a lot of damage to clothes that contain a lot of lycra, causing the lycra to break under the high temperature. You might also want to avoid using softener on leggings. Softener can coat the surface of synthetic materials, leaving a kind of residue on it that can also compromise the moisture-wicking properties of performance leggings. (Softener is best used for cotton and linen items, like towels and bed sheets.)

 

Why Do Leggings Have a Bad Reputation?

Ugh, hopefully they don’t! If they do, it’s likely because women’s bodies sometimes make people feel uncomfortable and leggings are form-fitting. In our opinion, these are antiquated viewpoints not worth consideration.

The only other reason leggings can have a bad reputation is because they can become see-through (see previous questions) and that’s definitely not a good look. To avoid this, invest in quality.

We hope you found this post informative — but remember: we’re not doctors and this post is not medical advice! While all posts are fact-checked and well researched, we always recommend you chat with your doctor about any questions or concerns you might have regarding a medical condition. We’re here to support and educate, but never with the aim of disregarding professional medical advice you’ve been given. Phew, now that that’s out of the way, you can go on living unapologetically free.