Leggings have enjoyed sporadic returns to the style spotlight since their 1980s heyday, but this year they are having their biggest comeback yet.
The online retailer Asos, which has 1,021 styles for sale on its website, said this week that sales of its branded styles had grown by more than 180% year on year, and it has already sold 95% more leggings this year compared with 2017.
The fashion search engine Lyst, meanwhile, says leggings are currently one of its most searched-for items worldwide, registering 430,000 searches a month for the word.
The increased demand is a direct result of more people incorporating fitness into their daily routines and wanting to make a style statement while doing so, according to Vanessa Spence, the design director at Asos, where prices for the item range from £4 to £300.
“The Asos customer wants a product that expresses their individuality and our wide offer covers a variety of colours both bright and muted, and printed styles too,” Spence said. “On the activewear side, consumers have realised that being active isn’t a chore, it’s a choice and of course leggings are such an easy ‘on the move’ piece whether it be getting a coffee with friends before a class or simply relaxing at home after a run.”
Trendsetters, including Kim Kardashian and Sienna Miller, have been spotted wearing them while running errands, and the high-street favourite Zara has styled many of its new-season dresses with leggings worn underneath.
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