Four months, fifteen days, and four hours ago, my life changed drastically in one moment. My favorite pair of leggings, my black lululemon cotton pair that I’d loved and lived in since May, ripped in classic ironic fashion in front of the LBC as I was walking (sprinting) to class. Where did they rip? The crotch, where else!!??!!? Ever since this moment, I’ve been on a quest – a quest for the perfect pair of black leggings. Whether you are searching for style, comfort, warmth, or durability, I believe in a pair of black leggings that transcend the #basics and will last forever. Through the course of an extensive interview process, I’ve compiled these opinions from local experts. Read closely – tread lightly.
Forever 21
“Forever 21. For sure. For $3.80 you literally cannot beat it. Crappy quality you say? I say, for $3.80, you can buy a new pair every other day!” – CeCe McKay Cole
“Forever21 has workout leggings with pockets and they’re the greatest.” – Katherine Bloomfield
Hue
“Hue leggings! May be weird, but they’re the most comfortable and last forever (I’ve had the same ones for like 3 years now and they’re still in such good shape.” – Sarah Kasarsky
C9 Leggings (Target)
“C9 LEGGINGS!” – Anna Rajo-Miller
“Target workout brand (c9) I wear them everywhere… workout, daily, etc. Baes.” – Sid Knee
“Target. Cheap and simple and don’t ride up the butt unless I want them to if that makes sense.” – Alexis Madormo
“TARGET. ALWAYS TARGET. Because target is inexpensive, good quality, and they have lots of different colors. Their sizes fit women of ALL different sizes. They’ve got the supah small and the supah large.” – Melissa Greenberg
Adidas
“Adidas.” – Trey Holmes
lululemon
“lululemon but the shiny work out fabric kind. Not the cotton.” – Anna Rajo-Miller
“I second the lulu leggings! They also hem them for “free” (is it really free when the leggings are $98??– short people shout out!)” – Tessa Patti
“LULULEMON 5EVER. They had a scandal where they had to recall leggings because they were see through so now they’re not see through and comfy af.” – Gillian Bayer
“Lululemon – even though they’re expensive, they’re long enough for tall people (it’s a real issue!) and they’re not see through and they last for so long.” – Celine McGoran
“Lululemon because the material makes me feel like I actually do yoga.” – Bryn Dragalin
CECE GETS REAL:
Comfort: I stand by forever21. They are lightweight and easy to wear. You don’t worry about them looking pristine because you’re probably just throwing them on for class or maybe even to volunteer in – they are GREAT painting pants.
Style: I would say lulu lemon and American apparel. Lulu obviously has some fancy designs if you’re into that sort of thing and they are made of a nicer material so they look “nicer.” Also American apparel has the shiny version but only a select few can pull those off. Also, every cool brand makes leggings now a days in fabrics ranging from leather to velvet.
Warmth: David Lerners are amazing. They are thick and made of really nice material. They wear nicely and are worth the investment. In addition, uniqlo makes heat tech leggings, which are a great layering piece.
Durability: I would vote for lulu. They are made to sweat in so the material isn’t cheap. If you have a problem, you can usually take them back to the store and have them fixed.
Honorable Mentions
“Three dot leggings! I don’t remember buying them but they showed up in my closet one day so rightfully I declared them as my own and now I live in them and they don’t make my butt itch, which is a real thing with crappy leggings.” – Caroline Pennell
“C&C California are legit the best, softest leggings ever and they’re not see through at all which is important lol and they last forever.” – Hannah Rosen
“Zella – I’ve had the same pair since sophomore year of high school and I love them. They’re such good quality and so comfy (they’re literally called live-in leggings). And LESS expensive than lulu!” – Marissa Pardini
“Athleta – Cheaper than lulu but literally looks and feels the same without the consumer conflict of a CEO saying their leggings aren’t made for bigger girls.” – Caroline Thompson