Updated: 3/9/2024 | How to Keep Your Leggings From Sliding Down
If you’re like me, then activewear is probably part of your daily wardrobe.
We love how comfortable and slimming leggings can be. It’s my uniform to my 9-5, to teach yoga, and to eat breakfast, lunch, and supper.
One thing I hate most is having to hoist my leggings back up in public and frightening everyone with an unsolicited wedgie performance. Aye, I am so sorry!
The other option is to let my leggings turn into harem pants, then it’s hammer time!
I’ve had my fair share of slip-ups…or is it downs? Let’s talk about why this happens and what we can do about our saggy spandex.
Why do Leggings Slide Down?
If your leggings are falling, it’s likely due to a few things:
#1 Your leggings are too big for you. You may have chosen the wrong size.
#2 The leggings are worn out. The elastic band may be losing its elasticity or the fabric may have stretched. You might also have lost some weight. Hurrah to the latter!
#3 The fabric of your leggings may be poor quality. Many retailers will cut corners to produce a product. This causes ill-fitting clothing and a huge waste of your time and money.
#4 And last but not least, is that your body may just not have the appropriate proportions to wear leggings. Maybe your hips are too narrow or your bum is too small. It’s important to note that not all activewear is created equal.
However, in our day and age where technology and customer feedback are accessible and actionable, this allows retailers to create products for just about EVERY TYPE OF BODY.
In our current marketplace, you are bound to find something that will work for your frame no matter how non-traditional you believe it is. If you need some advice, feel free to DM me and we will get you into some leggings that fit.
lululemon Wunder Train Leggings – MY FAVORITE!
What to do When Your Leggings Keep Sliding Down
I’ve read a ton of stuff online and some are just flat-out ridiculous. Here are some straightforward and creative ways to keep your leggings from sagging to the ground.
#1 Size Down
A lot of times the main culprit is that your leggings are too big. For clothing items like leggings, which are meant to be skin-tight, it’s best to get a size that does not sag from the start.
If there is fabric wrinkling near the crotch, back of the knees, or loose around your ankles, then your leggings are probably too big.
For the waistband, a trick I use to ensure waistband fit is to pinch the front top of your pants and pull the waistband away from your waist. Release the waistband and listen for a snap of the fabric against your skin. If it doesn’t make a loud snap, the waistband is way too big. The snap is your friend!
#2 Opt to Wear High Waist Leggings
I highly recommend this option. High-waisted leggings are supportive, eliminate the muffin top, make you look slimming, and all the extra waistband fabric hugs your torso and keeps your pants from falling down.
High-waist leggings will usually sit above the navel.
If they are still falling, try sizing down or try another brand altogether. Brands I recommend with high waist styles are Athleta, Beyond Yoga, Niyama Sol, Knix, and lululemon.
Lululemon High Waist Camo Align Leggings
#3 Choose Brushed Fabrics
Brushed fabrics will create traction against your skin and prevent leggings from sliding down easily. Brands with brushed fabric include Beyond Yoga, Nike, and Nordstrom’s Zella brand.
#4 Give Compression Fabrics a Chance
Compressive fabrics are known for their durability and body-hugging sensation. They’re great for high-impact sports because they “keep everything in.”
If you practice low-impact activities such as barre, pilates, or yoga, compression fabrics may not be for you. Excellent compression brands include Knix, lululemon Wunder Train tights, and WERKSHOP.
Wearing Knix
#5 Wear Leggings With Elastic Built Into the Waistband
Find leggings with high-quality elastic bands sewn into the waistband. Some brands also create leggings with a visible elastic band around the waist.
Cushnie, Carbon38, P.E Nation, and Terez make great leggings with an elastic band to keep the pants up and around your waistline.
Ultracor High Waist Elastic Leggings
#6 Wear Leggings With a Top Seam In the Waistband
Top seams can make all the difference in terms of fit. I love top seams because it provides more support around the waist without a high-waist look on your waistline.
Brands like Zella have seams built into the top of their waistbands. I’ve found that the seam keeps medium-rise leggings in place.
Can you find the waistband seam in the Inner Fire leggings below?
Inner Fire Blossom Leggings with the top seam sewn into the waistband.
#7 Wear Leggings With Waistband Drawstrings
Drawstrings when adjusted correctly, keep leggings in place. lululemon, Vuori, and Upside make awesome leggings with drawstrings.
If you love a pair of leggings without drawstrings, you can hack them by cutting a hole on the inner middle front of the waistband, and run a string (I prefer a shoestring) through the pants.
Use a safety pin at the end of the string so that you can guide it around the waistband and back out the same opening. And voila, you just Macgyvered yourself some drawstring leggings!
Upside Mallard Drawstring Midi Tights
#8 Wear Leggings with Rubber Waistband Support
What do we mean by this? There are certain activewear brands that have a rubber layer to keep your leggings in place. It creates some friction so that your leggings do not slide off during wear.
Some examples are Kickee Pants, which come with rubber dots to keep your leggings from sliding down.
There is also Niyama Sports which has a rubber strip to keep your leggings in place.
Kickee Pants with rubber dots
#9 Consider Wearing a Onesie
A onesie will ensure that almost everything will stay in place. Many aerial arts performers prefer to wear leotards and onesies when suspended in the air.
Be careful in downward dog pose! If you have a low-cut top, there can be an accidental nip-slip.
Ultracor, lululemon, and Free People Movement have some pretty onesies that are worth checking out.
Free People Movement and Ultracor Onesies
#10 Wear a Belt
Most denim-looking leggings will usually come with belt loops. Wear a skinny belt to keep your bottoms up while looking discreet.
Skinny Belt Styles
#11 Wash Your Clothing the Right Way
With regular use, we eventually wear out our clothing. Elasticity tends to give out and the fabric stretches to an unwearable size. To prolong the life of and prevent clothing from departing our wardrobes too soon, be sure to follow manufacturer washing instructions closely and carefully.
For elastic pieces, I machine wash or hand wash my items. I also use a garment bag in the machine wash when possible. I always wash it in cold water and hang dry.
Some brands will allow you to tumble dry, but I encourage you not to do that. Opt for hang-drying your elastic garments on a drying rack like this one. The elastic in your clothing will last longer with proper care.
Related: How to Ruin Your Expensive Leggings
Hang your activewear to dry on a drying rack. It’ll help keep your activewear lasting longer.
#12 Wear Underwear, High Waist Bikini Bottoms, or Tight Shorts Over Your Leggings
Wear your leggings like Superman!
This sounds REALLY warm and constricting, but it works!
The tight shorts or underwear on the outside will keep the leggings from sliding down. It’s exactly how Superman prefers to wear his leggings.
There are a few things to be mindful of. It’ll be a challenge to use the restroom and you’ll probably only be able to wear this ensemble under a dress or skirt…or going out on the town as Superman or Superwoman during Halloween.
Final Thoughts
I hope these tricks and tips help to keep your leggings up!
Consider combining multiple leggings features from this list to optimize your fit. You can search for compressive AND high-waist leggings.
Usually, two or more of the above combos tend to do the trick.
You’re well on your way toward eliminating slippery leggings.
What are some techniques you’ve used to keep your bottoms from drooping to the floor? Tell me your successes in the comments below! I’d love to hear them.
Thanks for reading!
Did you like this post on how to leggings from sliding down? Please share it on Pinterest! Thank you for your support!
If you liked our post on how to keep your leggings from sliding down, you may like these too:
- How to Hack and Save Money at a Lululemon Outlet
- How to Wash Activewear to Make It Last Longer
- How to Care for and Wash Your Leggings + Other Activewear
- How to Wash Down Filled Jackets and Comforters
- How to Remove Permanent Ink from Clothing Labels
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clarice a.
Friday 3rd of February 2023
Our 15 year old daughter is finially recieving her Sacrement of Baptism at Easter vigil this year and like all of the other tween and teen girls being baptized with her,is going to wear the traditional white,poofy,short sleeve,top of the knees baptism dress and bonnet with a white undershirt,cloth diaper,plastic pants,white tights and the white mary jane shoes.In the past,girls have had the problem of their tights sliding down over their diaper and plastic pants and have to pull them back up every so often!Would pinning the waist of the tights to the bottom of the tee shirt with small pins work or pinning the waist of the tights to the waist band of the plastic pants work?All of the girls baptized at Easter vigil have to wear their diaper,plastic pants and tights with their communion dresses on May 21st,so we want to know what will work.
Alyssa
Monday 25th of April 2022
I bought a pair of leggings that I love because they have that smooth like butter softness and they’re thick and do a good job with hiding the panty line. The one issue is they keep slipping down. I couldn’t tell if it was because they were too big or too small. I’m your standard medium usually across the board. So all my leggings are mediums. But those leggings constantly slip down and I find myself hoisting them up a lot. The crotch area starts to do the hammer pants look. I hate to get rid of them but they are such a hassle to wrestle with, especially in public.
Jamie
Wednesday 13th of October 2021
For sure never wear pantyhose under your leggings or they will slide down and you won't feel the difference.
Lauren
Thursday 15th of April 2021
Was thinking about having a seamstress take in the waist on my leggings. ..
Ally
Wednesday 14th of April 2021
Is there some type of fabric tape or glue that you could buy to add a no-slip grip to leggings? Like in option 8 above? That would be great for fixing up existing leggings.