Gen Z Just Cancelled Workout Leggings — RIP Spandex Nation

Pour one out for your drawer full of Lulu leggings — Gen Z has spoken, and apparently, leggings are officially “dead.”

After dominating gyms, yoga studios, and brunch patios for nearly two decades, the skintight classics have been dethroned. The new kings of fitness fashion? 

Baggy sweatpants and oversized shorts. Think less “snatched athleisure,” more “rolled out of bed and accidentally lifted a dumbbell.”

RIP to the Grip

According to a report by retail analysts at Edited, the once-mighty leggings are seeing a major dip in popularity. Interest dropped from 46.9% to 38.7% since 2022 — meaning even the internet is ghosting leggings now.

Brands are noticing too: Nike and adidas have quietly scaled back their leggings production. (Don’t panic, Canada — Lululemon is still keeping the spandex flame alive. Your Pilates instructor can exhale.)

Why the Hate?

For Gen Z, it’s not just about style. Many say leggings are uncomfortable, cling in all the wrong places, and trigger body image stress. And when you’ve grown up in the era of TikTok filters, you’re already battling enough angles.

Instead, the vibe is comfy-chic: oversized sweats, boxy tees, and clothing that looks like you stole it from your dad’s laundry basket. With Billie Eilish and Zendaya leading the way, “comfort over compression” is the new motto.

Millennial Heartbreak

For millennials, this is basically the fashion version of watching avocado toast fall out of style. Leggings were our everything — they carried us from spin class to Starbucks to late-night Netflix marathons.

But hey, if Gen Z wants to do squats in parachute pants, let them. We’ll be over here, quietly humming Drake lyrics and adjusting our high-waisted leggings that, frankly, still slap.