Recently a close friend who was vacationing in San Francisco texted me an image of a girl’s ass wearing a pair of black Lululemon leggings. My friend, who is not a yoga aficionado like myself, was baffled. “WTF, why is everyone in San Fran wearing black leggings?” she texted. I chortled to myself, she had obviously been living in another dimension, a dimension blissfully ignorant of lycra, Lululemon, and leggings.
In recent years, the famous/infamous leggings of yoga have blazed their way across the world, and sometimes what seems like the universe as well. They can be seen on anyone from celebrities to mothers of triplets. If you live in an urban area, like I do, you’ve likely see them on wedding photographers, life coaches, and kindergarten teachers. No, my friends, yoga leggings are not reserved for just those flexible folks who practice yoga. Just last week I saw a guy with a full grown beard in downtown Austin driving a pedicab in a pair of yoga leggings. So what gives?
Ok, so there are legitimate reasons why people (myself included) love these leggings. And for those of you that are shaking their heads right now, it’s not just about the brand. Here are the top 5 reasons yoga leggings have managed to take over the world.
- They’re super comfortable. Think of them as the modern women’s equivalent to sweatpants, but a whole lot sexier.
- They have the magical power to make almost anybody’s ass look great. Thanks to a patented weave, the seat of these pants actually lift your rear, making it appear as though you actually go the gym or do yoga more than you do. I can’t think of another single pair of pants that can make that claim.
- They go with just about any top. If you choose to rock a monochromatic black pair, you’ll be able to waltz out of your house expending only half the amount of brainpower it usually takes to put together an ensemble. This is a HUGE plus if you’re a mom (like me), or just don’t have many brain cells in reserve (also like me). Besides, who has time to think about how they look in these days of hyper-productivity, right?I just doubled mine by wearing a pair of yoga leggings!
- Yoga leggings travel well. There’s nothing like flying with carry on only and packing light is the name of the game. Yoga leggings roll up into the size of a soda can and can fit pretty much anywhere. I bet I could fit mine inside of a water bottle if I tried.
- OK, I admit, they are stylish and everyone else is wearing them. (Fine, so I couldn’t think of a compelling fifth reason but you get the picture.)
The big question is this, have yoga leggings taken over the world? Or at the very least, have they taken over the coveted spot of those favorite jeans in your closet? Are we stuck trying to squeeze into tight, well, tights! Forever? I think not. While practical, flattering and extremely ubiquitous, I think that we are poised for a new trend. I see loose pants on the horizon, anyone else want to jump on board? There’s plenty of room!
