Have leggings been cancelled? 

Trends change, but this athleisure staple has staying power

The big leggings debate isn’t that big. At its core, it’s about evolution, not revolution — committing to silhouettes that reflect who you are now and how you move through the world. Picture: iStock 

PARIS, 2009. I’m sitting at a fashion show wearing black head-to-toe. I look faintly miserable. A brush with food poisoning has left me subsisting on water, salted crackers, and the comfort of my trusty leggings. Weeks wasted fantasising about what I would wear — 2% elastane is all I can manage as I run between deadlines.

Fast forward to 2026. Leggings have gone from a humble basic to a market-share behemoth, valued globally at almost $23bn. Phrases like barre-to-car, studio-to-street, and desk-to-dinner pepper the popular lexicon, collapsing the gap between performance, lifestyle, and fashion categories — and encouraging that crucial click-to-cart.