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Leggings have been derided and adored, belittled and exalted over the years. “If I had the power I would ban leggings,” Jil Sander famously declared back in 2011 – reflecting an anti-comfort sentiment that had been all too prevalent in the fashion narrative in the preceding years. Leggings were “a sign of defeat” in the ’90s and Noughties – at least if tabloid newspapers, which presented a stretchy waistband as tantamount to a moral failure, were to be believed.
Of course, we live in a very different world now, one where A-list celebrities will happily be papped in their gym gear (Erewhon smoothie in hand), and designer leggings have become a positively aspirational purchase. Right now, some of the world’s fastest-growing fashion companies deal in all things Lycra.
The legging renaissance extends well beyond the gym. The last few seasons have seen leggings elevated to high fashion status – styled with big blazers at Celine, oversized knitwear at Balmain and micro trenches at The Row. Even as a 30-something who still experiences mild PTSD from the pairs I wore under dresses and skirts in the mid-Aughts, I’ve found myself looking at leggings with fresh eyes: as potential weekend and office-wear.
It’s why I decided to challenge myself to a legging makeover for 2026; taking some of my favourite runway looks and recreating them for the season ahead. Turns out? Comfort has never looked cooler.
Photographed by shopping producer Mia Portet and styled by shopping editor Joy Montgomery.
With a blazer + lace-up pumps
Micheal Rider’s first ready-to-wear co-ed collection for Celine was a veritable banquet of outfit inspiration, but it was the way the black leggings (or skinny trousers) were styled that really stuck in my mind. I never would have thought to add streamlined pumps to a black legging, but when paired with an angular blazer and layered shirt, it really works. Take note of the little extras that bring the look together: I opted for a beaded necklace and a silk scarf.
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It’s a universal truth in fashion: where The Row goes, the rest follow. So when I spotted a micro trench on the brand’s resort 2026 runway, I knew it was just a matter of time before they started popping up elsewhere. I’ve had my eye on Weekday’s khaki spin for months now – the perfect statement outerwear to pair with black leggings. While the model at The Row went barefoot, I’ll be sticking to my old leather knee-high boots from Whistles, and Le Specs’s aviator sunnies.
While the “oversized top-half, streamlined bottom-half” is a classic outfit formula, I wanted to experiment with a range of silhouettes. Unlike my other looks, which draw inspiration from the runways, this outfit references a campaign shot from the French brand Soeur I screenshotted last year. I love the combination of close-fitting tonal layers – Arket’s grey merino wool roll-neck with grey leggings – that sit nicely under With Nothing Underneath’s single-breasted trench coat. Heaven Mayhem’s shell pendent necklace offers that perfect finishing touch.
I don’t consider myself a thigh-high boots kinda gal, but when I spotted them with simple leggings and an oversized knit on Balmain’s autumn/winter 2025 runway, I felt compelled to give it a go. There was something about the low heel and pointed toe of H&M’s patent pair that made thigh-highs feel a little more approachable. I recreated the Balmain slouch with my favourite vintage Prada jumper and Rise & Fall’s knitted hood.
