I’ve written before about my struggle to buy winter stuff. It’s frustrating beyond belief. I now have a winter coat. Thanks for your patience Mallory and Sarah. But leggings that fit, that stay up, continue to elude me.
It’s partly because winter came fast. Daytime highs were 15, 17, 13 one week and then 2, 3 and 5 the next. Now there’s a snowfall advisory and a low of-13. It all felt awfully fast. When I’m leaving for work now it’s freezing. It’s partly because I’m too busy to shop (and I hate shopping.)
Oh, and I’m fussy. The cold ankle pant trend isn’t me. I want my leggings to reach my socks and my shoes. What is with the 7/8 length trend?
I also need to wear leggings because of my knee brace. Pants don’t work. Tights don’t work. It has to be leggings pretty much everyday. I dislike pants so much that it’s connected to my struggle to really bond with winter. Even my beloved (and pricey) Canadian made yoga jeans (see In praise of yoga jeans) no longer come in any leg width other than “skinny.” I’d love fashion wise to wear knee high boots and dresses and skirts but my calves are enormous. See Finding clothes that fit athletic women’s bodies. And then there’s knee brace It isn’t easy!
Back to leggings: My fave are Lululemon–yes, I know they’re evil–high waist Align. In black. (Thanks Ann for the recommendation.) They’re soft and dressy enough to wear to work. I’d prefer a company which manufactured their leggings in North America but failing that I want these in size 12 or 14. That’s what I was trying to order above.
You’d think given that size 12 and 14 are pretty popular sizes that they’d be more easily available. I try not to feel judged by the “sold out online” thing. Gap and Old Navy are a bit easier to find but they don’t last as long as they aren’t as work suitable. I worry about the carbon footprint of clothes so I hate buying stuff that wears out within a year.
There’s lots to juggle here. I hate whining. I just want long lasting leggings that fit. Preferably ethically made. Is that too much to ask?
Lola jeans are my go to and my sister who is 5’10” found lengths that work. They have something that looks more like leggings than say jeans. I wear their jeans and love how they fit my athletic calves.
Have you tried Blue Sky Clothing Company? Based in the west but online presence is excellent. Their clothes are ethically produced and last forever. They come in real sizes from XS to 4X. I have been buying them for about 4 years and love everything I have ever bought. I know they have leggings in various lengths but havenʻt tried them yet.
I have a couple pairs of wool leggings – from Icebreaker and someone else now defunct – super warm and comfy. I’m in the US and can get from REI – I’m wondering if MEC has? Or I’ve ordered directly from Icebreaker. Their sizes only go up to XL unfortunately but that might work.
Yep. Icebreaker XL should work. I’ll see if I can find them.