Leggings Are Now Luxurious, According To The MFW Runways

Leggings and luxury are two words you don’t often see in the same sentence. You slip into them before your morning yoga class. You stroll through the aisles at the grocery store in the stretchy bottoms. And leggings — which were the look du jour in the 2010s — may even be a staple for a casual lunch meeting, perhaps paired with an oversized blazer. But something like an upscale dinner? They might not be your first instinct. However, designers at Milan Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2025 seem to be on a mission to change how leggings are perceived by propelling the look into high-style territory.

Yes, the elevated iterations that debuted on the runways this week bear no resemblance to the sporty black workout leggings currently sitting in your dresser drawer. Exhibit A: Gucci’s collection, which was created by its in-house design team following the departure of its former creative director, Sabato de Sarno, featured glamorous light pink velvet leggings adorned with its signature logo in rhinestones. The brand upped the drama by styling the bottoms with a furry coat and an electric green blouse. Then, over at Diesel, creative director Glenn Martens served up a gray pair that appeared to mimic the design of tweed, which looked polished alongside a structured jacket in the timeless thick fabric.

Things took an edgy turn at the Jil Sander show on Wednesday — which the world later found out was the final hoorah for co-creative directors and husband-and-wife duo, Luke and Lucie Meier, who announced their exit just minutes after it wrapped up. On the catwalk, they sent a model down the runway clad in leather leggings emblazoned with silver studs from top to bottom. The black blazer, which also boasted leather, and an of-the-moment double belt look added more interest to the all-black ensemble. Emporio Armani, too, took a stab at the form-fitting silhouette, showing black velvet leggings decorated with playing card suits like clubs and spades. Not a bad option for a poker night with friends, no?

In short, forget everything you once thought about leggings — because if they have designers’ seal of approval, there’s no reason you can’t wear them for, say, an evening out. On that note, give your dress the night off in favor of the chic (and comfortable )bottoms.