Farewell to Leggings: Discover the New Items that Stylish Women are Opting For
The once-dominant activewear staple, leggings, are experiencing a decline in popularity. According to Google Trends, interest in leggings has been on a steady decline since 2020 [1]. This shift is attributed to changing fashion trends and growing concerns about the environmental and chemical impact of leggings.
Major brands like Lululemon are feeling the pinch, with leggings accounting for 39% of bottom assortments across activewear brands in the first quarter of 2025, down from 47% in 2022 [2].
A Broader Fashion Shift
The growing return-to-office movement and general style fatigue are contributing factors to the decline of leggings. There's a broader fashion move towards more structured, versatile clothing such as power dressing with strong shoulders and tailored silhouettes, replacing the sleek, form-fitting style of leggings [3].
Health and Environmental Concerns
Awareness of chemicals such as PFAS ("forever chemicals") found in leggings from popular brands is raising health and environmental concerns among consumers [5]. This has led many to seek alternatives that are perceived as safer and more eco-friendly.
Alternative Activewear Options
As alternatives to leggings in activewear, consumers are turning to tailored pants and trousers with slim fits to balance more structured tops, aligning with the renewed trend for power dressing [3]. Looser, boho-inspired styles including billowy blouses and relaxed pants are also gaining popularity, reflecting current runway trends [3].
Other non-leggings activewear options include joggers, bike shorts, and shorts. These alternatives offer comfort while differing from the traditional legging look [1].
Notable Alternatives
Lululemon offers wider pant options as alternatives to leggings, such as the Dance Studio Mid-Rise Pant and Palazzo pants made from the Align's Nulu fabric. These pants feel like sweatpants but look like trousers, offering a comfortable and stylish alternative [4].
Carbon38 makes a pair of elevated lounge pants suitable for office wear, priced at $18. Cotton On offers roll-down lounge pants from 2006, currently on sale at Nordstrom for $30 [6]. Target offers a durable and cute pair of sweatpants with a Cool Girl Fit, priced under $20 [7].
Halara makes affordable and flattering athleisure, known for being lightweight and resembling being almost naked. Elwood is a rising star in the athleisure world, known for vintage-inspired colors that are basic but elevated [8].
In conclusion, leggings are losing popularity due to evolving fashion preferences favoring more structured and varied silhouettes and environmental/health concerns. Alternative activewear options focus on more tailored or loose-fitting bottoms that integrate with emerging style trends [1][3][5].
[1] Google Trends data [2] Clothing companies' sales data [3] Fashion trend analysis [4] Lululemon product information [5] PFAS in leggings article [6] Cotton On product information [7] Target product information [8] Halara and Elwood product information
- As leggings' popularity wanes, consumers are gravitating towards alternative activewear trends, such as tailored pants, trousers, joggers, bike shorts, and shorts, offering comfort and adhering to the renewed trend for power dressing [1].
- The growing interest in a broader fashion move towards more structured and versatile clothing, along with the increasing concern about the environmental and chemical impact of leggings, has contributed to the declining preference for leggings [2][3].
- Lululemon, looking to cater to this shift, has expanded their offerings to include alternatives to leggings, like the Dance Studio Mid-Rise Pant and Palazzo pants, made from the Align's Nulu fabric, embodying a comfortable and stylish alternative [4].
- Catering to this evolving fashion landscape, brands like Carbon38, Halara, and Elwood offer elevated options such as lounge pants, athleisure, and vintage-inspired colors that align with consumers' preference for more structured and varied clothing, as well as sustainable and eco-friendly choices [6][7][8].
