Business Casual Leggings And How To Style Them Properly

Business casual leggings are now a thing. Our work uniforms are changing, people want to be comfortable, and leggings are becoming fancier and more stylish. Here are some tips and tricks on how to style them.

In this post I’m going to cover the different styles of leggings, where to buy them, and how to style them in a way that doesn’t make you look or feel too casual.

Different Styles of Business Casual Leggings

Leggings come in all types of styles but for the purpose of business casual we’re going to stick with four:

All black with no details
Leather
High waisted with pockets
Jeggings

Sticking with all black and zero detailing moves the focus and attention from the leggings onto the other pieces you’re wearing. Think about it, when you see someone wearing plain black leggings you don’t really notice them, do you? No. You notice their top, accessories, jacket instead.

Leather leggings are perfect because the material is dressier in nature, but still incredibly comfortable to wear. It’s sort of a hack. I like to stick with faux leather that has a soft lining, in any colour. Since the material isn’t cotton they create the illusion of being actual pants. See the Pinterest board below for outfit ideas.

RELATED: How to Style Leather Leggings

High waisted leggings with pockets might be a bit harder to find but adding details like pockets again gives the illusion of them being actual pants. When in fact they are stretchy goodness, be careful the pockets don’t add too much extra material causing bulkiness. Bulkiness always adds an untidy appeal, resulting in a more casual look.

Jeggings are in the realm of being somewhere between jeans and leggings which means you have a lot of wiggle room here. Going with a dark denim colour always looks more dressy than a light colour, and once you add a nice top no one would ever know.

Where I Buy My Leggings

Everlane
Frank and Oak
H&M
Encircled
Eileen Fisher

For ethical high quality leggings theses are my favourite from Encircled you really can’t beat the quality and care taken into making them.

The Everlane Dream Pant aren’t technically categorized as leggings but they are promoted as doubling as loungewear, features an elastic waist, pintuck detailing, and a relaxed wide leg that hits right at the ankle. This is what we mean by being strategic. Leggings don’t technically have to be form fitting but they do have to give you that comfortable loungewear feel without actually being loungewear.

How to Style Leggings for Business Casual Outfits

Styling leggings so they look modern and not lazy is imperative. See the images below for inspiration, think of fit and proportion. Go larger tops or layering coats with a modern up to date shoe.

When it comes to black leggings I like my tops to be longer, covering my crotch area (to put it bluntly) and usually just below the bum. This is just preference, I feel more comfortable this way. I also like to add layers like this coat and a good black boot.

These are also great work from home outfits because they’re comfortable and still put together, which works for meetings, errands and coffee runs.

Faux leather leggings are a bit more dressy, when it comes to these types of leggings I like a French tuck and a thicker top with texture. The two fabrics contrast nicely and I feel they add more depth.

Loafers, black boots or black pumps are a great idea. Opt for a shoe like this for the most wear.

For joggers or high waisted leggings with pockets I like to wear a blouse with a pretty detail or delicate material, this takes the eye from the pants upwards. Trust me if you have great accessories and a beautiful top people will take notice of that, and not the fact that you’re wearing faux denim.

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