Style Active Clothing

I Haven’t Taken Off These Sustainably Made $25 Leggings Since I Bought Them

Allie Flinn

February 16, 2020

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Truth time: Leggings are probably my favorite article of clothing, which is funny because I used to be such a snob about how "leggings aren't pants." Guess what, 2012 Allie: Leggings are pants, and you will soon be wearing them seven days a week. While I may well have a dresser packed with options, these days one pair, in particular, are on my bod 24/7: the H&M Conscious Sport Wrapover Waist Sports Legging, $25.

The leggings are part of H&M's just-launched spring activewear collection that contains dancewear-inspired pieces like leg warmers, bodysuits, and sweats that make me feel like I should be starring in an early aughts dance movie alongside Channing Tatum. Most of the products in the collection are sustainably made with materials like recycled polyester and polyamide, and BCI-grade (Better Cotton Initiative) cotton. This is part of H&M's ongoing sustainability effort, as the brand plans to use only recycled or sustainably-sourced materials by 2030.

Made with a high rise and a thick waistband, these leggings—which come in light, khaki green and black—don't roll down when you work out in them, and they don't get baggy or slide around while you're moving. I can absolutely see myself wearing the light green leggings (with the matching sports bra, ofc) while explaining to someone that they need to back up their computers and phones, and not engage in any difficult conversations while Mercury is in retrograde. Or when I want to emulate my new yoga muse, Heather Lilleston of Yoga for Bad People, which is pretty much every day.

I was a little skeptical of how the crossover detail would look, but I actually loved it. It shows just a teeny sliver of navel—like just enough to let people know I wasn't Kyle XY (I didn't realize this was a quality I would appreciate in a legging, but here we are). If I haven't convinced you to try the wrapover waist, I also like the H&M Conscious Sport Tights Shaping Waist, $34.99. These ones are also high waisted, and they keep their shape after multiple washes. I'm a sucker for black leggings with a little something-something, and the wavy mesh panels on this pair certainly deliver.

TLDR; H&M's sportswear is high-quality, inexpensive, and well-designed. My credit card is sad that I've now found another place from which to purchase copious amounts of leggings. Here we are, 2012 Allie.

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