Nothing is more embarrassing than being pulled aside by a good friend who tells you that your leggings are see-through. I walked around for months in a pair of black leggings that I didn’t realise went translucent. I was blissfully unaware that my underwear was on display to everyone. Can you imagine my horror? It was months before anyone mustered the courage to mention it. I even rock climbed in those see-through leggings with my bum exposed. I had no idea my poor belayers were getting an eyeful of my undies for hours at a time.
Obviously leggings should be squat-proof to avoid all of this horribleness. The term “squat-proof” just means that when you move and the fabric stretches out, the leggings don’t go sheer enough that you can see what’s underneath them. You will definitely want to do a squat-proof test on your leggings if you’re busting out squats at the gym, rock climbing, hiking, or even just walking around. I can’t think of a situation where I would be ok exposing my undies to an unsuspecting bystander.
Hate when your leggings keep sliding down?
We’ve designed a new collection of slide-proof leggings that stay up no matter what you’re doing. Enter your email to be notified when pre-sales launch and receive a HUGE discount on the regular price.
How do you make sure your leggings are squat-proof? Today I’m going to show you how to squat-proof test your leggings so the “sheer fear” never strikes again, and you can walk around in your super cute squat-proof leggings with total confidence.
Do The Squat Test
This is the most powerful way to make sure your leggings are 100% squat proof. All you have to do it put your leggings on, stand with your back to a mirror and do a squat. When you are in the lowest part of the squat, look behind you and see if your underwear is visible through the leggings. Also, check if you are comfortable with how sheer the leggings become in the squat.
Leggings can become sheer when they are stretched because the fibres in the fabric are being pulled and lengthened, and the fabric becomes thinner as a result. This stretching also creates space between the fibres. The thinner fibres and the space created between them can make the fabric appear sheer and revealing what is underneath. This sheerness can be a lot or a little depending on the quality and type of fabric. There might be only a small amount of sheerness that doesn’t reveal any detail, and you might be happy with that. Or there might be a lot of sheerness, which is totally unacceptable.
Perform the squat test wearing the undies you plan to wear underneath your leggings. In fact, wear the brightest most obvious ones you have. Squat low and make sure you are completely happy with the results. If you have a partner or friend nearby, get them to check out your booty too. I’m sure they will be happy to oblige. A second pair of eyes will confirm the squat-proofness of your leggings and catch anything that you might have missed.
Make Sure The Size Is Right
Size can play a big role in how squat-proof your leggings are. It’s not really a problem if your leggings are too big, but if they are too tight or small, they will stretch out a lot when you move and are more likely to go transparent on you. They will also be really uncomfortable. Make sure you buy the right size leggings. Check out this article on how to choose the perfect size leggings for your body if you need help finding the right fit.
Opt for Good Quality
We live in a beautiful time. There so many leggings to choose from in every colour, pattern, length and fit imaginable. They also come with some pretty low price tags, which can be very tempting. Many of these cheap leggings will promise to be just as good, if not better than their premium rivals, but for a fraction of the price. Like most things, you will get what you pay for with leggings. If they are extremely cheap, the fabric that they are made of will also be cheap and low-quality to make that low price possible.
Cheap fabric will have a lower thread count than high-quality fabric, which means there will be fewer fibres in the fabric to keep you covered and more spaces between the fibres to expose you when you drop it low. Be cautious with ultra-cheap leggings and be sure to do a good squat test if you decide you want to buy a cheap pair.
In the long run, you’re better off investing in quality leggings that are made from luxe fabric with a high thread count. Not only will they be squat-proof, but they will look better and feel better, and last longer too.
Go For Thicker Fabric
Thicker fabric has a much higher thread count than thin fabric, which means that there are more threads per square centimetre of fabric. These threads are also woven closer together, so there is less space between the fibres than a thin fabric. The high quantity of the fibres and how close they are woven together means you get a lot more coverage when you squat and these fibres are stretched, making it less likely that you will expose yourself.
This one might be obvious, but thicker fabric is also composed of thicker fibres, which allows the fabric to be more opaque than thinner fabrics. This will provide you with even more coverage.
You may not be able to wear thick leggings all of the time, like in a hot yoga studio or on a hot summer day, but opt for thicker leggings when it makes sense. Thick leggings will ensure that your squats are bulletproof, no matter how low you drop it!
Luckily there are also lots of barely-there, second-skin-like leggings that are also squat-proof. A simple squat-proof test (see number 1 above) will give you the peace of mind that you need to trust these leggings.
That is how you make sure your leggings are squat-proof. Now you have the tools to find leggings that you can wear with confidence and not worry about accidentally exposing your undies ever again.
Tired of your leggings sliding down?
We’ve designed a new collection of slide-proof leggings that stay up no matter what you’re doing. Enter your email to be notified when pre-sales launch and receive a HUGE discount on the regular price.