Let’s just get one thing very clear from the start: I am not a “leggings person.” Tight, figure-hugging jersey trousers have been my nemesis for some time, as I don’t consider myself to have good legs and I’d much prefer to keep them shrouded in tailored trousers, midi skirts or long dresses and tights. However, after having a baby over a year ago and struggling to recover after an emergency C-section and various other complications, I found that the only comfortable and nice-looking option to wear during a cold, tiring winter was black leggings + black roll neck + nice coat. This formula meant I could go out for long, long walks with my baby and not look too shabby. It meant that I could (eventually) roll around on the floor playing silly games. It meant I could just take the thought process of getting dressed out of the equation, because there were (and still are) so many other more important things to consider each day.
By trial and error I found that many black leggings were either see-through (go too cheap and you’ll always risk this), uncomfortable (a pair with a really thick waistband really took me by surprise) or too sporty-looking and shiny to wear with your normal clothes. One particular pair were constantly sold-out on NET-A-PORTER and I’d heard on the fashion grapevine that they were a secret weapon for many, so I had to investigate further into the world of Spanx’s leggings. At first I thought they’d be akin to the shapewear brand’s firming, super-taut underwear pieces—which felt like the very antithesis of what I needed at the time—but the Look At Me Now leggings are cut from a thick but supple hosiery-like matt-black jersey that sculpt and lift whilst feeling incredibly soft and easy to wear.
