The One With Legs

I have a confession to make…

I am addicted to leggings

Not long ago I was annoyed with the popularity of this garment. They seemed to sever no identifiable purpose other than as a way for hipsters to stratify themselves by dropping a wade of cash on some brand name leggings. Since taking up silks I found I could not do without them and they are even becoming useful in my other circus disciplines like hooping and acrobatics.

For activities like silks, trapeze and lyra the leggings are not only decorative but also serve to protect the aerialist’s legs. You would think that a soft fabric would not pose a large risk to the user but when coupled with your full weight the silk can deliver one hell of a friction burn. The leggings will protect your extremities without getting tangled or hindering your range of motion. For hooping they provide eye catching color and don’t interfere with tricks at the knees. The leggings are also surprisingly good at capturing body heat so even on cold days you should be able to hoop outdoors without hindering your ability to do tricks with bulky thermal clothing.

Snow?...No problem with leggings!

Unfortunately some of the most popular brands are quite expensive and for my uses they would be getting a significant amount of wear and tear. Despite all the up side I found to leggings I was not prepared to almost $90 on each pair. I decided to explore what colorful options were open to me without breaking my bank. I am glad to report that the demand from our hipster pals has created quite an excellent market for those us searching for everyday use leggings.

Some of my favorite vendors for leggings are below

Romwe

Drop Dead

Think Geek

Black Milk

Left to Right : Hot Topic, Romwe, Think Geek, Drop Dead

Through careful searching you can also find leggings in your local retailers. Two of my friends Mia Moore and Dani Bliss have had luck finding leggings at Forever 21. Hot Topic has carried various leggings in store as well.

There are several popular styles of leggings that can be considered for the acrobatic endeavors. Spandex blend is what you will most commonly find for bright patterned leggings. These are great choices for the silks but due to the thin nature of the fabric when doing drops or working on other apparatus like lyra some performers prefer a cotton blend. The cotton blend does not slide along fabric as smoothly as the spandex but it provides a little more cushion. The cotton blends are most commonly solid color or woven patterns. You will want to steer clear of anything with stirrups or closed feet. You will typically use your feet to grip at some point in all of the circus arts and putting a barrier between you and the apparatus is going to make the task more difficult.

Since my conversion the only problem I have found with leggings is it is very hard to just buy one pair. Once you find how useful and adaptable they are you will be filling your closet with every color and pattern.

Leggings are compact for travel and double for accessories or exercise