Who invented leggings?
The elastic, slim pants we call leggings were invented in 1958 by chemist Joseph Shivers. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, then he’s the father of the stretchy, synthetic fabric called spandex, also known as lycra, which has revolutionised the fashion industry from the mid-20th century onward.
But, to be fair, leggings were around much, much earlier than that. In the pre-spandex era, of course, they were sewn from natural materials like wool and cotton. This might come as a surprise, but the earliest type of narrow, comfortable pants can be tracked down back to the 15th century.
Back then, a sock maker decided to crochet a lengthier sock, i.e., one that would go all the way to the thigh. To make it possible to move comfortably around, he decided to add a more loose part over the knee. The goal was to create a comfortable, durable bottom garment that would allow unrestricted movement and could be used by agricultural workers. While it might sound funny given how scarce it is to see men wear leggings today, they were exclusive to men for a very long time.
So, when did the world see the first leggings for women? Well, women had to wait a little longer for their first pair. They were brought to the market in the 1870s, as a more practical alternative to women’s traditional dresses and skirts. And, while very comfortable, it took many decades for women to relieve themselves of corsets and multi-layered clothing, and embrace slim pants as a staple item in their wardrobes.