I Was Terrified of Leather Leggings and Now I Can't Stop Wearing Them

last updated 13 August 2019

Until last winter, I was terrified of leather leggings. In a store, nothing would make me panic more than the shop assistant suggesting a pair of leather leggings to go with the chunky knit I was waiting to try on. The fear wasn’t down to body confidence—I wear skinny leg jeans all the time and they’re basically the same. It was more I thought they were too ‘out there’ for my simple, non-fussy taste (plus, I couldn’t get the visual of Ross Gellar’s run-in with leather pants in Friends out of my head).

All of that changed last year when I spontaneously bought this J Brand pair on a late night shopping scroll. Yes, online. Without trying them on. I figured it was simple, I’m in jeans every day, I know what size I am (usually), so I may as well bite the bullet and see if I can pull them off—in the comfort of trying them on in my own home. The result was better than I could’ve hoped. The leather leggings swiftly became my go-to on nights out (and even the office with a long-line tunic thrown over the top), and were comfortable enough to lounge around in all weekend.

My styling tip? Wear them the same way you’d style your jeans. With sneakers, heels, boots—they always look effortless in a Kate Moss kind of way.

Keep scrolling to shop our ultimate edit of leather leggings to suit every budget.