Emma Chamberlain and Hailey Bieber are bringing leather look leggings back – and we’re not mad about it

Emma Chamberlain and Hailey Bieber have both been spotted in leather look leggings recently, which can only mean one thing: they’re making a comeback. Are we mad about it? Not really. They’re much easier to wear than leather trousers – all that’s required is a some baggy knitwear or an oversized shirt loosely tucked into the waistband – and they’re ten times more comfortable, too.

So, other than the fact that our favourite celebs are wearing them, what else officially declares them ‘in’? They fit the mould of the current matrix trend that’s doing the rounds (simply pair them with leather trench coats and slimline sunglasses), and they’re also the perfect loungewear-smartwear in-between for winter. Just what we need when we’re planning what to wear to work when we’d much rather be in bed.

Unlike their denim counterparts, i.e. skinny jeans (which Gen-Z deemed ‘cheugy’ last year), the resurgence of faux leather leggings hasn’t given us the ick we expected it to. Instead we’re imagining all the ways we can incorporate them into our wardrobes; used to create a leather-on-leather look like Emma Chamberlain, paired with a boyfriend blazer and white t-shirt, or donned with a maxi winter coat and snow boots à la Mrs Bieber. The possibilities are endless. Just how we rely on swimwear, midi dresses and jumpsuits in the summer, leather look leggings are our new winter dependable.

Edward Berthelot

BG041/Bauer-Griffin

From Rick Owens to Givenchy and Jacquemus, leather leggings were found across multiple ready-to-wear catwalks for A/W 2022, commencing a surge in searches for a more affordable alternative: leather look leggings.

The good news? The high-street has answered our calls. Calzedonia, Topshop, Marks & Spencer and basically every other retailer you can think of have a pair of leather look leggings up for grabs for less than £50 RN, but if you want to spend a little more, we suggest a browse at Commando, Good American and Wolford.

Not the sort of leggings you had in mind? We’ve found the best gym leggings to suit the rest of your activewear (hoodies and vests included), fleece lined leggings that’ll keep you warm and replace your joggers/tracksuits, and the best black leggings for a lighter alternative.

For more from GLAMOUR UK’s Commerce Writer Georgia Trodd, follow her on Instagram @georgiatrodd.

Ready to welcome leather look leggings back into your wardrobe? Find 21 GLAMOUR-approved styles below…