I’ll admit that I didn’t think leggings were “for” me for the first 44 years of my life. Leggings felt too clingy, too athletic and lazy all at once. That was until I got pregnant and suddenly every pair of pants in my closet felt strained against my skin.
Nothing hugged and gapped in all the wrong places quite like non-maternity pants during pregnancy. I discovered seamless leggings (done right, of course) are far from lazy or uninspired. They can be the secret weapon that helps you focus on the harder pieces of your outfit when getting dressed.
Here are my top things I refused to wear when shopping for leggings perfect for pregnancy… and beyond! They visibly hugged and rolled or shoved everything underneath in all the wrong places.
I refused to waste time on options that looked too athletic or had visible seams that would show when worn with longer tops.
Instead, I looked for versions that could withstand sitting all day, running errands and anything else without bunching, digging in or riding down. They didn’t pass my “try and forget you’re wearing them” test. Every pair on my shortlist had to make the cut: Would I be able to throw them on in the morning and truly forget them by afternoon?
I nixed any pair with itchy tags, bulky seams or waistbands that created a “shelf” when wearing fitted tops. Anything that rolled, shifted or slipped down with normal movement didn’t make the cut either. They didn’t have recovery.
By that I mean the fabric quality was lightweight to the point they’d show every crease of my underwear or become transparent if I stretched them too far. They also had to feel somewhat breathable, as thin cotton tends to do. I only include options that have true recovery—which means they won’t bag down at the knees or lose their shape at the end of a long day.
No matter how cute they were, they weren’t actually workout friendly. For leggings I planned to wear to sweat in, the rules were completely different. They needed to provide compression that supported my muscles instead of compressed them.
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They also needed to actually be moisture-wicking and not just look like they would be on a tag. They felt like shapewear posing as leggings. There are a lot of leggings out there that promise miraculous results, but after 20 minutes of actual movement, you feel like you’re squeezing yourself into a dry Fit Sheet.
I avoided anything that felt too restrictive or made my muscles feel tense. Didn’t have flat seams that wouldn’t irritate my skin. Or flat, formed gussets that were reinforced well without adding extra bulk.
Plus, there’s one here that works if you’re looking to stick with higher impact workouts (because being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to give those up too! ).
Didn’t stay covered without rolling down or cutting into my skin every time I went from sitting to standing (and vice versa) throughout the day. Over-bump or under-bump style leggings are very much a personal preference, and something I found changed for me as my pregnancy progressed and depending on what I was wearing them with.
They marketed that promised miraculously smoothing and lifting effects. Now, don’t get me wrong I love me a good pair of leggings that make my body look toned and put together. But these made the cut because it’s an effect you notice without it being overly obvious you’re wearing shapewear.
Only worked with certain tops or needed constant adjusting. Another detail that was non-negotiable for me was that they had to make my other clothes look and feel better, not worse. I skipped anything with visible seam lines or embellishments that would show through longer tops or dresses.
Were incredibly restrictive around my waist. Or created that uncomfortable “compression garment” feeling that you just want to rip off when you get home. The compression should be graduated, meaning it’s tighter where you need that smoothing and lifting effect, but more relaxed where you need freedom of movement.
