Where to Buy the Best Leggings

Legging season is upon us! Hands up if you live in your leggings! Don’t be afraid to raise your hand – I know, leggings have got such a bad rap at times, because well, people wear them and they look frumpy. But I think leggings are the best! I do really live in mine, and I think if you wear leggings as part of a look – in other words, you’ve put an actual look together – they can look fantastic!

The other reason leggings probably have a bad rap is because, there are leggings and there are leggings!

Now I know what you’re thinking… DIMI WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU? LEGGINGS CAN NEVER BE STYLISH, but let me explain. Those polyester, pull up, shapeless, see through leggings will never be cool! And YES, I agree with you! That’s what I mean when I say, you get leggings and then you get leggings!

Today, I’m going to focus on the latter – the leggings you want to live in and IMO the only ones/ type you should ever spend your money on! While you’re at it, if you have a pair of those horrid, pull up, see through buggers – get rid of them. NOW

This is going to be a full on legging post, so I’m going to be covering all budgets here. I know some are crazy expensive, but hey if you can afford to blow some cash, then you still deserve flattering leggings, and if you have the moolah, then kudos to you!

The other day, in search of a new pair of leggings and I found not one, but two amazing pairs that I’m so happy about.

Both of these styles I bought are “Ponte” leggings, which is basically a hybrid version of leggings and pants. The fabric is thicker, and the fit a lot nicer than pull up leggings, which IMO is the way to go when buying leggings.

Side Zip Ponte Leggings

These Side Zip Ponte Leggings from EDITION at Woolies are my new staples! I swear, I’m going back to buy the exact same pair so that I can wear them on rotation.

The fabric is both thick and stretchy; with a mix of 70% rayon, 26% nylon and 4% elastin. They also have a zip on the side and are high waisted, so if you wear them with a top that skims your tummy, not only does it keep it flatter, but you don’t have that horrible waistband bump.

These leggings cost R299 and it’s worth it to mention that they are made in SA!

I’m about a 32-34 waist, and I first tried on the Medium, which fell off me (what a great feeling haha). I tried the Small but settled on the Extra Small, so if you’re shopping these leggings online, I would go a size down.

I’ve worn mine a couple of times, and they’ve been through the wash twice already and they still look perfect!

Country Road Ponte Pants

I also spotted these Country Road Ponte Pants and, I know spending R599 on a pair of leggings is not in everyone’s budget. BUT, if you are looking for great leggings that are super thick (perfect for winter), and ones that fit well and are super high quality, these are a great option!

I decided to splurge on these, because as I said, I live in leggings, and sometimes you just want a really nice pair that looks high quality. Not that the Edition ones above aren’t high quality (they are great), it is just that these are even better.

I’ve always loved Country Road and everything I own from the brand is just that much better (ie: longer sleeves in my jerseys, better fit and just generally better quality), so I don’t think R599 is too OTT.

Okay, so these are comprised of 5% Elastin, 28% Nylon and 67% Viscose , which is a very similar composition to the EDITION ones, but they feel different. While the EDITION pair feels more like a jersey/ knit, these feel more like trousers and as I said, they are thicker as well.

SPANX

Last year, I was very fortunate to receive a pair of SPANX leggings as a way to introduce the brand locally.

I swear, these leggings are amazing! I chose the Faux leather ones and loved them all winter. They absolutely do make your legs look amazing! They are high waisted and suck your tummy in, and even though the ones I got were “pull-ups” they had no camel toe effect and surprisingly for pull up’s my butt looked pretty good, if I do say so myself.

SPANX is like a magic pill for clothing, and there is no doubt, these certainly have magic in them.

If I bought SPANX Leggings again, I think I’d probably go for the plainer ones. As much as loved (and still do love) the “leather look” ones, I’ve noticed that the leatherette look on the front thigh has worn off. Strange, I know! Still, I wear them and they still do all the magic that they did when I first got them – and I’ve worn them like a bazillion times.

SPANX have a bunch of other styles, and if money is no object then go and try these on!

Above on the left are the Spanx Look at Me Cotton Leggings (R1 385) and on the right the
Spanx Jean-Ish Leggings (R2 120), which I would probably go for, should the Genie be granting wishes.

The ones I’m wearing in my feature pic are the Spanx Faux Leather Leggings (R2 120).

In case you’re wondering, the fabulous shoes that I’m wearing above are the Fleur Heels from BATA. I get asked about these all the time. They are so great and comfortable, so it’s no wonder I own them in both this nude shade as well as black.

I hope this post has helped you if you’re in the market for a new pair of leggings that will keep you looking stylish!

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