Time is one thing no one ever seems to have enough of, and when it comes to dressing for class, leggings and a t-shirt are often the easiest selections for a packed day around campus. Wearing leggings certainly does not mean sacrificing style, and the rise of stylish leggings from brands like Lululemon and Athleta is present everywhere. These brands are trusted by yogis and runners alike, but are the leggings worth $98 a pop? Valley is here to find out if luxury leggings are a lucrative for your wardrobe.
The thing that sets Lululemon apart from cheaper legging brands like GapFit and Scorpio Sol, which can be found at Marshall’s, is the material. The cheaper brands use mostly cotton blends with either spandex or modal and elastane. These materials cost less to manufacture compared to Lycra and Nulu which have been patented by Lululemon and puts their legging quality above the rest. The fit also differs from brand to brand because of the fabric. While personal preference and style trump all the more expensive fabrics give a better and longer lasting fit which means your favorite pair of Lulu’s will probably last longer than a bargain brand.
This doesn’t mean a closet full of expensive leggings and a depleted bank account are needed for great athleisure style; most brands that are much cheaper than luxury leggings come in a myriad of styles that look identical to their higher priced counterparts. When it comes to the fit of your leggings, putting in the extra time to try the pair on in a size smaller than your normal size is often a good trick to finding a perfect and long lasting pair. The perfect pair of leggings should never be loose around the leg especially at the knee. Bunching around the upper thigh, knee or ankle is sign that a smaller waist or length might be needed.
Leggings from surprising brands, such as Costco’s Kirkland, are great to keep your legging collection plentiful, without creating debt.
“I think my Lulu’s fit better around the waist, but at $11 per pair, my Kirkland leggings are great for when the Lululemon ones are in the wash,” says Penn State freshman Jackie Strobel.
The biggest trick is to search through everything in stores to find the hidden gems that are bound to upgrade your lazy day style at an affordable cost. In fact, Penn State junior Kellen Redcay swears by digging for treasure in the seemingly never ending selections at Marshalls.
“Every time I go to a store like Marshalls or TJ Maxx, I am very careful with going through everything. If you push a section of clothes to the side, then you could be missing your new favorite [leggings].” Redcay said.
Tweet us at @Valleymag with you legging opinions and what you think the best legging brand is!
