I Tried the Legging Trend That's Always Terrified Me—Here's What Happened

Whether I'm heading off to a yoga class, hiking along one of L.A.'s many trails, or running errands in the weekends, you can always catch me in leggings. But unlike my willingness to try out loud prints and color in my everyday attire, my choice in leggings is unwavering in its theme: solid black.

For whatever reason, printed leggings have intimidated me so much that I've placed a ban on them in my own closet. At least, that is, until now. JoyLab, the line of activewear we design for Target, released a special capsule of leafy tropical prints in its most recent drop and I went way outside my comfort zone to test-drive the fun new pieces. Like I noted above, I usually sideline any leggings that don't fall in line with my strict edit of solid black, so the idea of wearing colorful printed leggings left me pretty much terrified.

Nonetheless, I decided to put the High-Rise 7/8 Reversible Legging from the collection to the test and see what happened. Would I end up loathing it or be inspired to add more colors and prints to my athleisure ensembles in the future?

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(Image credit: Anna LaPlaca)

En route to a workout class, I slipped on the printed pair and matched it with the coordinating Long Line Laser Cut Back Sports Bra from the collection. To my utter surprise and eventual delight, I was really into them. I tend to shy away from loud prints in my legging selection so as not to draw too much attention to my lower half, but I loved how this pair has dark panels on the sides that create a complimentary illusion. That, and the graphic print is just so fun. I obviously went out of my comfort zone here, but for a more toned-down approach, I plan on trying the leggings worn inside out (they're reversible!) as solid navy with the print on the sides.

The colorful leafy print that's splattered across JoyLab's leggings, sports bras, and jackets is part of a collaboration with Hawaii-based illustrator Kim Sielbeck, who says she wanted to "create something that was not super bright but more of a sophisticated tropical print."

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(Image credit: Anna LaPlaca)

Here's a closer look at the fun graphic print on the leggings. With the solid-colored tank, the leggings really pop.

Shop the new printed pieces from JoyLab:

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Now, see how celebrities are dressing up leggings in 2019.

Senior Editor

Anna is an editor on the fashion team atBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews withBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.