Gen Z Says Flared Leggings, Millennials Say Yoga Pants–Either Way, They're Back in Style
The world has been on pause for most of the year, but fashion trends have not. Thanks to social media platforms like TikTok, fashion favorites have been pushing trend after trend to inspire our next online shopping session: sweatsuits in about every iteration, tie-dye, and now, flared leggings.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, "yoga pants" will. Along with other early 2000s favorites like Ugg boots and low-rise jeans, yoga pants were a hot commodity. They perfectly bridged the gap between comfortable workout gear and and everyday-appropriate attire–after all, this was before the athleisure boom in the late 2010s, and it was up for debate whether leggings qualified as pants. Victoria's Secret Pink's fold-over branded yoga pants were especially treasured, and even more so now as Y2K styles continue to take over resale apps like Depop.
Slowly, and then all at once, the style made its way back into our current fashion repertoire. Lululemon's Groove pant and Bleusalt's Kaia pant were welcome alternatives to the traditional skinny legging, but it was YouTuber and Gen Z influencer Emma Chamberlain who really made yoga pants blow up.
First posted on her Instagram story, a mirror selfie of Chamberlain wearing the pants—paired with a Nike crewneck layered over a white turtleneck—ended up on practically every teen girl's TikTok For You page. Chamberlain is well-known for popularizing pieces among her audience and beyond, from scrunchies to teddy jackets, and commenters showed her pants the same love, collectively penning them 'flared leggings."
While there's no doubt of the appeal of comfortable, stretchy clothes during days spent at home, the flared legging versus yoga pants debate has officially commenced. Millennials old enough to have owned a pair (or two, or three) of the bedazled waistband VS Pink pants hold steadfast to yoga pants, while Gen Z claim the re-discovery of flared leggings. Lululemon even jumped in with a Twitter poll, asking followers to vote between the two style terms. The consensus? Yoga pants reign.
Whichever name you decide on, the pants have made a comeback. Whether you want to dress them up or down, dig in the back of your closet for your old pair, or shop for a new interation, the flared style is a new quarantine staple.
