Bieber to Make Men’s Leggings Next Hot Trend? We Hope Not!

16 Jan, 2013

They’re ba-ack! After rearing their ugly head briefly in late 2010, men’s leggings are hitting the runway in a desperate attempt to become an everyday wardrobe staple. Seeing them onstage on stars like Justin Bieber, Lenny Kravitz and Russell Brand is one thing, but if brands like Urban Outfitters influence the future of fashion design, you’ll be seeing them on the subway or in the office, too.

Leggings in the modern era are tremendously popular from women, having gained popularity as workout gear and morphed into a comfortable garment often substituting for pants. For every legging enthusiast, however, there seems to be someone of the (often valid opinion) reminding us that leggings are not pants. While they are fantastic for layering for warmth or a pop of color, very few of the low-priced options on the market make for a flattering stand-alone pant. If women aren’t pulling them off, should men really be trying them?

Practical Concerns

Men’s pants and suits have trended toward slimmer fits in the past few years. Even conservative brands like JoS. A. Bank have introduced first a tailored fit and now a slim-fit cut to their repertoire. Slim-fit pants work because they still have structure. And pockets. The structure of a pant allows for a shirt to be tucked in and a belt to be worn. Without pockets, men will need a top with functional pockets, a briefcase or a handbag of some variety.

Take away pants with pockets and you’re basically calling for anarchy in menswear. Men don’t carry purses, if they did they’d probably be constantly leaving them behind (until they got used to them) and would bigger be better or would small bags reign? Let’s not even think about fanny packs as a solution, unless this is all just a nightmare.

Fretting Over Fit

Let’s be honest. Men’s clothing has to cater to their practical needs of their anatomy. How would this work?

1. Limit Legging Usage to a Layering Tool

Scott Schuman, a.k.a. the Sartorialist, a rather fantastic fashion photographer and blogger, spotted them on the streets of NYC earlier in 2012. In this case, the look of “quilted nylon, shorts over leggings, full volume outerwear, layering and dark yet rich color palettes” worked. It’s definitely an editorial choice that requires a certain panache to pull off.

2. Drop the Crotch

Justin Bieber wore a pair of dropped-crotch leggings to the 2012 American Music Awards. New York Magazine captured this moment in fashion history when the hybrid child of leggings and Hammer pants was discovered. If Justin Bieber can’t pull it off, you probably shouldn’t try. Case in point:

3. Just Avoid Them Altogether

In December of 2010, Tim Gunn — the beloved fashion mentor for The Parsons School, “Project Runway” and (thanks to the magic of television) America — stopped by “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” for a chat. The topic was women’s jeggings (leggings in the style of jeans) and Tim pointed out to Conan that the trend wasn’t limited to the ladies. On a later episode Conan illustrated just how terrible a trend men’s leggings (especially jeggings) could be. Take a look, we think you’ll agree that men’s leggings should not take hold in everyday society.

Shawna Waters

From vintage to Ralph Lauren, Shawna covers all of the fashion dos and don’ts in the industry. She writes for fashion and travel journals online and in print.

Mentioned In This Post: