Let’s talk about Leggings! Research about the history of the leggings elucidates that the origin goes way back to the 14th century and surprisingly men were the first to wear them. In the past women used to wear leggings made of wool or buckskin for protection from cold and animal bites respectively. Not until the 1960s, the fashion of leggings was prevalent. Leggings have a rich history and faced a significant evolution before taking a seat in the front row in today’s fashion.
All of us are well aware of the fashion cycle, how it is – every piece of clothing, every style, everything comes back again. It turns out that leggings have been “coming back” for centuries.
Keep scrolling further down to know a few fascinating facts about these ever-so- loved pair of clothing, namely, the leggings.
Leggings Facts
- Initially, leggings were made into two separate garments – one for each leg.
- Worn as armor by men in the 14th century.
- Later it was designed and manufactured to make it into a unisex garment.
- For many years, they were considered leg-covering that helped people to prevent their legs from being chaffed by heavy cold and insects.
- It is said that they originated in Scotland.
- The most primitive form of today’s modern leggings which were usually worn by men was called “hose.”
- In the 19th century, a form of leggings called “Pantalettes” was worn by adolescent girls and boys.
- In the past, during the 19th-century era, Army men used to wear leggings as a protective garment for their ankles.
- In 1958, Lycra (aka spandex) was invented by Chemist Joseph Shivers and the first Lycra leggings were made in 1959.
- The fashion industry embraced the slim, stretchy pants (later known as leggings) in the 1960s and famous Designers like Mary Quant & Emilio Pucci paired them with the decade’s mod shift dresses.
- From the era of the 1960s, the popularity of leggings revived, and they were considered more of a feminine garment.
- In the 1970s, Leggings became a full-blown trend.
- The decade’s biggest celebrities’ outfits comprising leggings like Debbie Harry, Olivia Newton-John (her iconic final costume in the movie Grease), and the stars of the well-liked Charlie’s Angels TV series were completely different from the styles of the previous two decades that became popular in the blink of an eye.
- This iteration resembled shiny, high-waisted (often colorful) disco pants.
- In the early 1990s, leggings were treated as a part of a garment that was worn by many women under skirts (Madonna adopted this outfit style during her live shows on the stage), baby doll tops or oversized sweatshirts.
Leggings Came Back Into Fashion But with a Bang!
Since the mid-20th century, leggings have been a go-to wardrobe staple for women all across the globe. After fading from relevance for a few years at the turn of the 21st century, leggings were back with a terrific bang, as the decade’s biggest fashion trend. Popular female celebrities like Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, and many more, all started wearing Capri versions of the trend again, often under dresses and skirts.
Believe it or not, presently every woman has a pair of leggings in her wardrobe, whether for a high-intensity workout, casual outings or simply for cozy-evenings at home. A pair of leggings – a garment available in many brilliant colors, modern prints & intricate designs can transcend from summer to winter months to take your fashion game up a notch, no matter the weather conditions.
In the present times, the most popular iterations of the leggings are streetwear-inspired high-waisted with elastic waistbands and leather leggings. Both of them enforce that other than being a must-have choice of your fitness wardrobe a pair of leggings could be a choice for casual apparel.
Moreover, we at Its All Leggings believe that leggings made from cotton-lycra, cotton-polyester-lycra or a polyester-spandex combination are ordinarily considered functional sportswear. And, as long as the leggings-obsessed fashion world continues to enthusiastically embrace comfort, we at Its All Leggings don’t see the centuries-old trend fading anytime soon.