The Best Leggings: Gym and Street Style

Leggings have become a staple in everyone’s wardrobe (and that was even before the pandemic!). We wear them around the house, to the gym and even out to brunch. If you’re like us, you have different pairs/styles for different activities. So we thought we’d share our favorites that can work for both!

**This post contains affiliate links and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking on our linksHowever, we only recommend products that we truly love. Amazon prices are as of 1/30/23.

The Best Leggings That Do Both!

We want to start out by introducing you to a new brand that we found by luck and we are glad we did. Meet ESSA, a new athleisure clothing brand based in Southern California. Vanessa, the owner, just happened to be the neighbor of one of Dianne’s friends and she connected us.

Vanessa is from Brazil and all of her products are sourced and made in her home country. The fabrics are high quality at an affordable price. The fabric is so flexible and comfortable they work well for both working out and running around. We love supporting women-owned, small businesses and encourage you to take a closer look at Vanessa’s amazing products.

ESSA Striped High Rise Legging

We loved the stripe detail on these leggings. We added close-up photos so that you can see the details. The price on this pair is $48, but with the code HARPERGIRLS at checkout, you get 10% off.

Vanessa recommended that we size down and that worked well for Dianne (Jen stayed with her usual size for “the bump”). We agree with sizing down.

Gym style looks on The Harper Girls
ESSA striped leggings
Stripe detail as shown on the ESSA website

More Patterned Leggings

Here are some additional recommendations for patterned styles. We did add these fun heart print since Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. All of these can be perfect for workout wear, but you can also wear them street style. Add a black tunic and you are good to go!

ESSA Essential Shine Leggings

The shine finish on these leggings is what sets them apart from others. Again, the fabric is comfortable for working out, but the finish makes them great for everyday wear. They are $48 and you can also get 10% off this pair with the code HARPERGIRLS. We recommend sizing down on this style also.

Shine leggings
ESSA Shine Leggings
Image courtesy of ESSA

More Great Styles

Some of the other legging brands that we like are Quince (Jen) and Zella (Dianne). They are also both high quality leggings that you will be able to wear for years, not just a season.

ESSA Liquid Leggings

We’ve both been a fan of liquid (or faux leather) leggings for quite some time. It seems every brand is making them. What we loved about the ESSA pair is again, the comfort, but also the value.

We both own the very popular Spanx faux leather leggings and they are great. But for just over half the price, we think this pair from ESSA is a steal. They look just as great. Another feature we love about them is the deep black color. You’ve probably had a pair of leggings that sometimes looked more like a dark gray. These have a great dark black color that really showcases what you’re wearing on top.

For these liquid leggings from ESSA, we recommend you stay true to size. They are $60 and also 10% off with the code HARPERGIRLS.

faux leather looks on The Harper Girls
ESSA Liquid Leggings
Image courtesy of ESSA

Here are some other liquid leggings that we like. You can easily wear these into Spring.

Do you have a favorite pair of leggings that we should check out? Let us know in the comments!

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