There have always been ways to spot someone who is old: white hair, a gray beard, bifocals, references to smallpox. But now, to the chagrin of millennials — the newest batch of elderly people — there’s one that hits too close to home: leggings and tight athletic wear.
Once touchstones for wealth, fitness, and sexiness, form-fitting athleisure has become a uniform for the geriatric — allegedly.
Determining what is and what isn’t old people’s garb is Gen Z, the youngest adults on the planet. Even though they will eventually become old themselves, for now, Gen Z determines the trends of fashion. And what they say, according to the Wall Street Journal, a newspaper that’s read by more old people than young, is that now is the time for baggy-fitting sweats and tees and loose-fitting athleisure.
Think: Lululemon stuffing every adjective into its “big cozy ultra-oversized wide-leg pant.” Or Vuori’s “generous” Seaside Sweatpant. Or Alo’s Serenity, a pant that could easily double as a flag or a hammock.
Looking for answers and some outrage, I went to the front lines of where the battle is being fought: gyms, run clubs, group fitness classes, and the social media feeds of millennial trainers and fitness influencers. What I found was a tension between mortality and vanity, a clash where popularity meets coolness, and a strong belief that the demise of leggings might be overblown.
