The ABC of Leggings

It seems like some days your body just won’t cooperate when you’re trying to get ready, you look at yourself in the mirror and all you see is a big “NOPE” across it; we know exactly what you’re going through. Then, suddenly, you remember there’s no reason to panic, no reason to suffer, all troubles go away because you have a concealed weapon in your dressing room: your good ol’ pair of leggings.

This magical piece was made to make you happy and get along with almost any item of clothing you own, but have you ever wondered what they’re made of? Where do they come from? Keep reading and find out more…

Portrait asian woman exercising and workout by running in gym

Fashion 101: leggings definition

First things first. What is the definition of leggings? Those super comfy pieces everyone loves to wear are defined as a garment, specifically a very tight pair of trousers or tights made of a super elastic material. You can find leggings in synthetic fabrics such as lycra, spandex, elastic cotton or even mesh.

The main thing that sets leggings apart from other types of pants is that these ones have no zipper, no buttons, no clips at all to close them (if they do have one of these they’re mainly decorative). Almost all leggings just have an elastic band on the waist, but more modern models have no band at all, this is because the fabric is quite elastic and the model is tight enough that it doesn’t need one.

A brief history of your favorite piece

Sorry girls, but as with many, many inventions; leggings were originally designed to fit men’s needs. Sometime around the 14th century, the Scottish army helped develop what would be a very primitive model of leggings. It consisted on a separate, very tight, piece of fabric for each leg and it was wore beneath their kilts. Around Shakespearean era (think 19th century-ish) leggings were basically as we know them know and they were incredibly popular among men, soon the ladies wanted to get on board with that comfy trend.

Head all the way to the 50’s, when the first synthetic fabrics were made into many products. DuPont, for instante, created the very first lycra leggings; giving women all over the world a first look of what actual comfort is. Since then, it’s been a wild ride between fashion and leggings, mainly making headlines in the 80’s with it’s fitness craze.

Why do girls wear leggings?

Oh really? Ok, we’re gonna pretend you don’t know the answer to this question already and try to explain why leggings are honestly the best thing that could ever happen to us. If pants and jeans came to our life to make it easier and bring us the best confort, leggings sure do a better job at it.

They are pieces of clothing that provide complete freedom of movement, you can forget about fit problems and even wear a pair of leggings that help shape your body as you please. But, since you’d like to know leggings benefits in terms of fashion, they are perfect to create hundreds of outfits and they’ll all look cool and effortlessly chic.

Where to use leggings?

Now to the good part.. You’re probably here to learn more about where did these fabulous pieces come from, but most of all you’re asking yourself “okay, so when and where can I start using leggings? We’re happy to answer this. The best thing about leggings is that they are a piece of clothing that will never sit useless in your wardrobe, because there is a way to pull outfits using leggings from summertime to the coldest days of winter. It all really just depends on how you style them.

Leggings also work for different occasions or events, they can be great for a party, a day out when you’re running errands, a concert, you can wear them to the office (if you style them correctly), and of course you can wear them to exercise.

So now you know! If it weren’t for guys needing to cover their legs up we wouldn’t have the amazing invention that are leggings in our life. In here, you’ll find anything about leggings from the best occasions to wear them, to how to style them properly for each season of the year. Remember leggings can be your best friend if you know how to work them, or they can be your worst nightmare if you don’t learn their ABCs.

Written by

Helena

"Habiendo estudiado Fashion Design and Business y certificado por PARSONS en Fashion Business Essentials, me apasionan las tendencias y encontrar formas de sacar el máximo partido de tu atuendo, siempre dando consejos para crear tu propio estilo personal".