Even if you rarely hit the gym or do any form of sport, you probably have a few pairs of leggings. When they’re good, you wanna live in them. Doing fitnessy things seems to come easier, and you don’t even mind the 6am wake up when your butt is gonna look as good as those dream pants make it look.
When they’re bad, they are absolutely the worst thing ever and you wish you could rewind the clock and never spend a single dime on ’em. No sport will ever be done again.
I was forever dissatisfied with leggings until I finally tried a pair of Lululemon ones. See, I was being stubborn and refusing to buy into the hype of the brand. I thought it was just a place for rich yoga enthusiasts to shop. But GODDAMN if these (the Align Pant ii) aren’t the comfiest, sleekest, most insanely perfect tights I’ve ever owned.
I am literally Ned Flanders when I hit Barre class.
It made me wonder what other magical leggings were out there, just waiting to be discovered. Surely the really crazy gym-goers I knew had a few faves up their sleeves. I hit them up and was not disappointed.
GIRLFRIEND COLLECTIVE HI-RISE LEGGING
“These are soooo comfortable and skin tight, they really move with my body and the mid-rise band holds my tummy in. I was also so drawn to the pattern, it’s fun, which somehow makes me want to exercise, if that makes sense!” – Georgina Peacock.
“Honestly, I was spending max $20 on tights until I found these. I didn’t realise how shit my old ones were until I played netball in these LITERALLY AIR leggings. I sometimes forget I have pants on when I wear them, but in a good way. And yet they still somehow suck me in and make my body look fire – a prerequisite for running around red-faced, in my opinion.” – Melissa Mason.
“I used to wear the 3/4 Nike Legend tights and wore them for years, then switched to full length recently – it’s the same material (thick and sturdy) and fit (snug but not restrictive) just with the added length, which I think is just a more flattering shape.” – Kate Mason.
“I love these. They’re on the right side of shiny, are the perfect length and waistband height and I got mine (slightly diff to these ones ^) four years ago, they’ve been washed 100s of times and have never lost their elasticity or started pilling or anything. They are comfy and slightly compression too so everything feels toight and firm!” – Josie Rozenberg-Clarke.
NIKE SCULPT LUX WOMEN’S TRAINING TIGHTS
“These tights are sic! The thick waist band stays put, they stand a solid box jump and are totally squat proof. They are thick, so they sculpt the body well – but aren’t too hot either. And I love the handy little invisible pocket for keys etc.” – Annie Ryan.
MUSCLE REPUBLIC BIANCA 7/8 LEGGING
“These are perfect for hot yoga and HIIT days for me, the fabric is thinner than most, it feels like your second skin. I also love that they are offered in 7/8 – so perfect for short people like me! The waistband is high, which i find helps flatten the bum and makes the booty look really round.” – Vanessa Liu.
