Shudder at the thought of skinny jeans? Shiver some more, for now the unforgiving skinny goes second skin by going the legging way. Confused, we were too until we heard the newly coined term. Jeggings! Leggings that are jeans and vice-versa. Riding high on the pantless wave sweeping the streets of Hollywood, this garment was spotted on Nichole Richie last year. And then every celebrity from the curvy J. Lo to the skinny Mischa Barton was seen getting cosy with jeggings.
Isn’t it simply the skinnier version of the stretchable jeans popular in the 90s? No. They are leggings, without any pockets, waistbands or loops for belts and you are actually supposed to pull them up just like leggings. And the fabric is way softer too as fans would agree, who simply love the idea of walking to the street without feeling pantless, as opposed to leggings. For All Mankind, which recently launched their collection, use innovative fabrics like, novelty fabrications such as Gummy Denim and Double Knit to create slim silhouettes that are both comfortable and chic. Other brands like Espirit, FCUK and Wrangler have also come up with their version. But this merciless cellulite-baring trend might not find many takers in a country where women pride on their ample bottoms. “Many brands don’t even make them in sizes above 30, thus limiting the market to a select few. However, Wrangler does have slightly larger sizes on offer,” we were told. And Eshita Jayaswal, an account manager with an MNC, who prides herself for not belonging to the anorexic brigade, agrees. “Jeggings are not made for the tropical Indian summer and definitely not for a real Indian woman,” she says. “People love trying out a new trend and with the current obsession for size-zero, it wouldn’t be hard to find many takers for jeggings,” says stylist Sumant Jayakrishnan.