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I Tried The Spanx Famous Faux Leather Leggings – Here’s My Honest Opinion

I Tried The Spanx Famous Faux Leather Leggings – Here’s My Honest Opinion

It’s rare that a style staple finds its way back into our wardrobes year and year. Usually, we shell out three figures for something we will wear four, maybe five, times and then tuck it into the depths of our closets to be forgotten about ’til next season.

Somehow the Spanx faux leather leggings have managed to break every style rule and are still trendy season after season making them worth the investment. Right? Well, kinda.

Here what you should know from someone that owns three pairs.

How I style the Spanx faux leather leggings & if they're actually worth it

In all fairness, this post is not sponsored, but I was gifted multiple pairs of Spanx leggings over the years for editorial consideration. It wasn’t until I got slews of messages from my readers asking about the actual wearability and worth of the leggings that I decided to do a post on it.

Please keep in mind that my experience is based on my body type. For reference, I am a size 2 / petite / and curvier on my bottom half. [Both my engagement ring and my body are pear-shaped (monkey-covering-eyes-emoji)]

The Spanx Leather Leggings Options

There are multiple colors, but for simplicity, let’s focus on the black Spanx faux leather leggings. They actually come in 3 styles: Regular, Moto & Active. They are also available in multiple lengths like petite, plus, and tall.

I’m 5’0 and the petite length actually fit me full length + some. I would say that if you are under 5’5″ you might want to consider a petite length.

Image result for gif spanx

Style wise, the regular Spanx leather leggings are your traditional sleek look. Alternatively, the vertical detailing near the knee are iconic in the “Moto” style. However, the newest addition to leather family is the active leggings. These hold the infamous Spanx compression but in a way that moveable and breathable.

Related: 8 Winter Staples You Need In Your Wardrobe

The Original Spanx Leather Leggings

They look amazing on, but there is little stretch to them and after a while I can feel my legs getting a little numb. These aren’t comfy cotton leggings that you can be in all day — or at least I can’t. I think if I were taller and skinnier (cue Instagram models vouching for these leggings) it would make more sense.

I am usually a size 2 and in pants that are alphabetically sized (small, medium, large, xl, etc), I usually choose a small. The pair of Spanx original leather leggings that I have run small and long.

The Spanx Moto Leather Leggings

I found the sizing of the Spanx Moto Leather Leggings to be similar to that of the original pair. They were cute, but had little stretch and become uncomfortable after all day wear. But seriously, so cute.

I opted for the petite size in these and still found that they went comfortably over my ankles.

The Spanx Active Leather Leggings

The Spanx Active Leggings are designed to be worn in the gym, but that doesn’t mean it’s the only place you can wear them. These leggings have the most stretch and are breathable.

The Spanx Active Leggings are actually made in a 7/8 length, which made them perfect for my petite frame. They hit right above my ankles.

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MY PERSONAL RECOMMENDATION

For date nights and quick outings, I found myself reaching for my Spanx leather leggings. Even though after a hearty meal I could certainly feel them getting a little tighter.

I got the shiny leggings from Aerie as a quick dupe for an under $35 option (although not very similar) to the Spanx leggings for days that I needed to be in the leggings longer then I could manage.

Related: Are These Lululemon Dupes For Under $35?

However, when the Spanx active leather leggings came out this year, everything changed. Yes, I’ve worn them to work out but I also wear them all of the time. These give you the same slick look of the original Spanx leather leggings but with so much more comfort, stretch and breathability.

The only drawback I see is that these are “crop” length i.e. 7/8th length leggings and on me, that means that it hits the perfect spot (almost full length) but it’s a wider opening towards the bottom since it’s designed to sit on your lower calf and for me, it hits at the ankle.

Sahir insists no one can tell but me, but I figured it was worth mentioning. If you are taller than 5’3, I would be prepared for a crop length with the active leggings.

Final thoughts on Spanx Faux Leather Leggings

If you’re going to shell out $100+ for leggings I know that they have to be worth it. You have to consider seasonality, wearability, and cost per wear.

I can confidently say that I would recommend the Spanx activewear leather leggings both inside and outside of the gym. If you aren’t as curvy on the bottom half, you may love the original leather leggings too! You can always size up and see if that gives you a little more room to enjoy an extra piece of pie this holiday season.