Jeggings (/ˈɛɡɪŋz/) are leggings that are made to look like skin-tight denim jeans.[1] The word is a portmanteau of the words jeans and leggings.

A woman wearing jeggings.

Wear edit

Jeggings were brought on by the resurgence in style of skinny jeans in the late 2000s, when a higher demand for a tighter style of pants came about.[2] Since jeggings are typically made of a cotton/spandex blend, (cotton being the primary fiber in most denim, a kind of serge), they are often worn on their own as opposed to under a skirt or dress. Some jeggings have front fastening facilities while others just have an elastic waistband and no pockets.

With respect to material, Jeggings fall into two main categories:

  1. Jeggings that are legging material, i.e. a knit, made to look like denim with fake pockets and belt loops
  2. Jeggings that are a true cross between denim and legging material. "Denim jeggings" are essentially a denim fabric with the elasticity of a legging, due to a higher proportion of Spandex in the fiber content.

The latter are more similar to skinny jeans than the former. Some designers call "denim jeggings" pull-on jeans rather than jeggings.[3]

Fashion trend edit

Jeggings entered the fitness world by early 2010s, and were among the most popular clothing items of 2010, according to business reporting. Many opt to wear jeggings in order to give the legging feel as well as the jean appearance.[4]

Popular culture edit

In 2011 "Jeggings" was entered into the twelfth edition of Concise Oxford English Dictionary.[5] Conan O'Brien wore a pair during the taping of Conan on 2 December 2010, the night after admitting his (tongue-in-cheek) love for jeggings to Project Runway's Tim Gunn.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ "'Jeggings' to take pants fashion by storm". Oneindia.in. Asian News International. 6 March 2010. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  2. ^ "How to Wear Jeggings". StyleTips101.com. June 2010. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  3. ^ Brown, Cynthia (23 March 2011). "Desperately Seeking Jeggings". Go Chic or Go Home. Archived from the original on 15 March 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  4. ^ Rosenbloom, Stephanie (7 April 2010). "Upbeat Times Revive Consumers' Mood for Spending". The New York Times. p. A1. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  5. ^ Lawless, Jill (19 August 2011). "'Retweet,' 'sexting,' 'jeggings' enter Oxford dictionary". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  6. ^ Weiss, Shari (3 December 2010). "Conan O'Brien struts his stuff in a pair of jeggings: 'I'm never taking them off!'". Daily News. New York. Retrieved 28 October 2012.