I don’t care what anyone says: I love to wear leggings. To yoga, to work, to run errands, with a sassy top – you name it. And luckily, now there are tight dress pants and slacks that feel just like leggings, only with a style upgrade. I’ve gotten quite a few questions on what to wear underneath tight pants and leggings recently. So here are my favorite underwear (and more!) to wear underneath your leggings!
I understand the leggings hate, actually. What used to be called “stretch pants” were reserved only for exercise and post-thanksgiving feasts, has now become a national obsession. And, what started as simple cotton and spandex options in basic colors (or neon and sequin if you were a dancer or aerobics competitor), has now exploded into thousands upon thousands of styles, colors, and brands. Whether you call them yoga pants, leggings, stretch pants, exercise pants or whatever, the basic principle is that they are stretchy, tight, and curve hugging. I promise there is something out there for you. In fact, yoga pants and leggings have gotten stylish upgrades.
Leggings are comfortable and easy to wear. I personally like to make my leggings part of my work outfit on days when I plan to workout after I’m done at the office. It makes it that much easier to go from work to working out, since leggings are perfect for exercise and moving your body. Leggings are also great as a warmth layer underneath dresses in the Fall and Winter. They can also easily tuck into tall boots without bunching or riding up. You can wear a longer shirt over them if you feel like they’re too exposing of your bum. And they’re even a great way to show off and love your bum! Some are thicker and some are thinner, and I suggest going with a pair that is thicker or more opaque if you plan to wear them out and about. Otherwise, they may be a bit too revealing. (Been there, done that, accidentally showed the world my underwear.)
Many pants made of ponte or a similar material feel like leggings but look like dress pants. They are often thicker, which is great if you are afraid of too much showing through. They come in a variety of styles, and can be appropriate for work, date night, interviews, and more. Below are a few of my favorite (or brands I want to explore) when it comes to leggings and tight pants. And below that, is what to wear underneath them!
A few great leggings brands to try:
- Fabletics – {as seen above} Geared toward exercise, these leggings come in funky colors and prints, multiple lengths, and cool sheer cut outs and fashion forward design.
- peach leggings – Probably the softest, but not the thickest. These are sooo yummy!
- Fleur’t – these are meant to be lounge or sleep pants, so they aren’t as thick as others, but oh my they are soft and cozy. The cuff at the bottom is a nice touch.
- francesca’s – suggested by my lovely assistant, Kat. These are cozy and some have a fleece lining.
- Old Navy – I prefer cotton sometimes, and this affordable brand is one of the only places I can find a pair that it thick enough not to show off everything underneath. Plus, they have tall sizes! (They also carry activewear versions).
Where do you like to buy your leggings?
A few great tight pants and leggings upgrade brands to try:
- peach ponte pants – {as seen above} One of the best style upgrades to yoga pants. Available in a few lengths and cuts. Easy to wear anywhere!
- LOFT – I haven’t tried these yet, myself, but I can usually trust LOFT to carry great basics. It looks like their ponte pants come in a wide variety of cuts, colors, and materials – great for work!
- J.Crew – I can always count on the crew to make some awesome tight pants for boot season. I have a few from this company, and I always suggest sizing down because they really stretch.
- Uniqlo – In addition to usual leggings, they also offer “Leggings Pants”, which have a more structured but flexible design and typical pant embellishments.
Where do you like to buy your tight pants?
Now that we’ve got the pants, here is what to wear underneath them!
1: Seamless underwear
Because of their clingy nature, leggings and tight pants are notorious for showing panty lines. To avoid that bumpy look, you can wear underwear with a seamless edge. There are several seam free brands out there, so try out a few yourself and see which cut, material, and brand works best for you. I suggest wearing a dark color under dark and a “neutral for you” under lighter colors. Here are a few of my favorites so far:
- peach incognito hipster {as seen above}
- Commando – they make some of the best around, for sure, including some basic neutrals and funky prints (plus seamless slips, camisoles, and more).
- Hanky Panky Bare collection – known for their comfortable thongs, this brand also makes great undies with seams in the right places (to anchor the panties in place) and seamless edges for no lines. They offer quite a variety of styles, and I adore the Godiva high rise thong and boyshort.
- Simone Perele Invisi’bulle – Light as air with heat sealed seams. I wore the bikini version on my wedding day underneath my second dress!
- Wacoal Body Base – this short or brief comes in several neutral colors, and features a unique knit that slightly clings to your body, keeping it in place. No riding around, and a totally lightweight feel and seamless look.
2: Thong
The original “no vpl”, (aka no panty line) option, thongs are great for not showing seams on our bum. Keep in mind, that leggings and thongs are also snug around the hips, so there’s a chance that the top part of the thong can show bumps and bulges where it digs in. I prefer to wear a wide lace or flat material without thick elastic or harsh edges. If you think thongs are uncomfortable, I encourage you to give some of my favorite and most comfortable thongs a try.
3: Camel toe prevention
One complaint from a few of my legging wearing readers is that they show camel toe. In other words, tight pants and leggings get all up in your front business. Luckily there are several companies that make panties and accessories to help you keep the cat in the bag.
- Camel No – These nifty seamless bottoms from Seamless Thread includes a simple “undetectable modesty panel”. It’s flexible and comfortable to wear. Camel toe? More like Camel No!
- Camelflauge – Similar to the Camel No, these pretty panties have a built-in panel to keep the camel toe away.
- Braza “Camel Not” insert – This little accessory can go into any panty to cover up the camel toe.
- Smooth Groove – Something I would love to try, the company claims this is “so comfortable, you don’t know it’s there”. To be determined.
4: Nothing
I’m a wear underwear all the time lady, personally. But many women prefer to go without undies underneath tight leggings or pants. After all, wearing no underwear means no risk of underwear lines. If that’s the case, make sure you’re washing your pants after every wear to keep things fresh and safe down there.
Your turn: Do you like to wear leggings? Do you feel that there are “no leggings allowed” times? What about tight pants? What do you wear underneath leggings or tight pants? Share with me here or send me a tweet @hurraykimmay.
PS: All of the images in this post were taken by Becky Yee. As always, my body and face are not airbrushed or photo shopped. I keep it real, because real bodies are beautiful bodies – rolls, cellulite, stretch marks and all.
