Whether you practice yoga regularly or you like to lounge around wearing something comfy, I’m sure you own at least one pair of leggings. Leggings are very versatile. You can wear them to a yoga class, to the gym, farmer’s market, or when traveling. But their versatility is also what makes them vulnerable to wear and tear.
If you wear leggings everywhere, you notice they start sagging, which is a disaster because yoga pants are supposed to be tight-fitting and should be like your second skin. But don’t worry, in this article, you will learn how to keep leggings from sagging and the ways to fix ill-fitting yoga pants.
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Follow the Label
When it comes to keeping your favorite Lululemon (or other brands for that matter) leggings from sagging, you must read and follow the instructions on the label. The manufacturers know precisely how to take care of their products. It’s also vital to read the labels as workout leggings, and yoga pants are not made of the same fabric.
Some, like Lululemon leggings, have a blend of fabric, so you can’t use and wash them the same way you do with other brands. As such, follow the instructions on how to use, clean, hang, or dry your leggings to keep them from sagging.
Keep Them Cool
The right way to wash your leggings should be based on what’s in the washing instructions on the care label. Lululemon, Alo Yoga, Fabletics, and most yoga pants brands suggest washing their leggings in cold water. Washing in cold water keeps the color from fading and the fabric from shrinking.
“A lot of these fitness garments contain elastane that’s that stretchy spandex material-and the cold water helps not only the color preservation but also helps with preserving the elastane fibers over time,” says Jennifer Ahoni senior scientist with Tide. But, in sagging leggings, the most effective trick is to give them some warmth, so they shrink and fit you well again.
Therefore, washing your leggings with warm water will keep them from sagging more. You only need to set the washing machine in a hot cycle and hot water rinse. If this doesn’t work with just one cycle, you will need to put more cycles or soak the yoga pants in hot water longer.
Dry Your Leggings Immediately
Your favorite workout leggings may be moisture-wicking and still feel dry after a session of Hot Yoga. But believe me when I say this. It’s full of moisture. Unfortunately, once your sweat and body oils are induced into the fibers of your yoga pants, they will start to become a cesspool of germs and bacteria.
But more than that, your sweat, body oil, and the moisture from your perfume and body lotion can clog the pores of your yoga pants. When these pores are clogged, the moisture-wicking capabilities of your leggings are hampered. Then they will start to slide down from your skin and sag.
That is why it is essential to wash your leggings right away. Lay them down on a flat surface to air dry if you don’t have time to launder yet.
Do Not Use Fabric Softener
Fabric softeners are excellent for your towels and other items you want to stay soft. But your favorite high waist leggings shouldn’t be soft.
Fabric softener and workout clothing don’t go well together. The fabric of yoga pants and other activewear items should stay tight to feel like a second skin. They are also made to draw off liquid such as your sweat and body oil. When you use fabric conditioner on these items, the pores of the fabric can get clogged.
Clogging the pores of your leggings is not good since it blocks sweat and dirt. It can lead to smelly and dirty leggings. Furthermore, using fabric softener will soften the fabric, which can lead to saggy leggings.
Use a Sports Detergent
A sports detergent is explicitly made for sportswear, such as yoga pants. Using a sports detergent will not directly prevent your leggings from sagging, but it will clean your activewear thoroughly. Yoga pants and other sportswear are dirtier than your other clothes because you sweat on them.
When you sweat in your yoga pants, they absorb the dead skin cells and oils that you release during exercise, Shape explained. So, you need a detergent that can thoroughly clean even the peskiest parts of your leggings.
In addition, when a pair of leggings is spotless, they stick to your skin and don’t fall. Therefore, using sports detergent can help in keeping your leggings from sagging.
Don’t Hang to Dry and Store
Melissa Keyser, a professional organizer, says yoga pants and other activewear should be folded instead of hung. Hanging activewear can stretch and sag it. So, lay it down on a flat surface when drying and fold when storing.
3 Ways to Keep Leggings From Falling Down
Of course, no matter how you take care of your leggings, they will stretch out and sag. It’s bound to happen. So when they start sagging and falling, here are some ways you can do to keep them in place.
Iron Your Leggings
As we have established, heat will cause your leggings to shrink. However, you can apply heat to your high waist yoga pants without washing them by ironing them. This trick will work best if your pants are still not falling down but just a little saggy.
Set the iron to the highest level. Then iron your leggings for at least 15 minutes and try them out. If they still don’t fit well, iron a little longer.
Free Repair and Warranty
Check if your saggy leggings come with a warranty or a free repair. Some brands will replace your pair of leggings if they are ripped or damaged. It’s best to get a replacement than to repair them. But if there’s no warranty available, check if the brand you have offers free repair. Lululemon usually does this. You can get the leggings a new seam to make them tighter.
Sew a Drawstring
Sewing a drawstring on the waistband of your leggings is an effective trick to keep it in place, especially if only the waist is saggy. To do this, prepare a drawstring, a safety pin, and some scissors.
- To sew a drawstring, find the middle of the waistband and make two holes. The holes should be an inch apart.
- Secure one end of a drawstring with the safety pin and stick it inside one hole. Push the safety pin until it reaches the other hole you made.
Note: Make sure that the other end of the drawstring doesn’t go inside the hole. Then, try and see if you need a tighter fit by tying the drawstrings together.
Regardless of whether they are expensive, high-quality, and made of compression fabric, Yoga pants will sag because of wear and tear. But if you don’t want your leggings to stay in their perfect fit, take care of them properly.