What to Wear with Leather Leggings in 2019: 14 Casual & Classy Outfit Tips
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It still surprises me… how stepping out of my comfort zone and trying new things often results in finding a new favorite piece of clothing. And it’s often a piece I used to think “I’d never wear.”
Faux leather leggings were one of those items. But the reason I used to say “I’d never wear them” was because of the way I saw them worn.
Shiney hineys are just awkward to be around. 😅
But a cool thing about leather leggings is they are much dressier than regular leggings, providing an effortless “chic” factor. Also, all the cool moms are wearing them. So there’s that.
So after I did buy some for myself, I set out to find all the chic, bum-covering outfits I could put together using this trending piece.
Being as they are a popular trend in 2019 and that they are super mom-friendly, I thought it was time for a post about it. This is one of those blog posts that came together “on the back of a napkin” as they say. Sometimes inspiration strikes and you can’t wait til you’re back at your computer.
Many of the outfit ideas popped into my head the day I wore my leather leggings for the first time, so I scribbled them down. I then looked online for additional inspiration to make sure I was showing you all the best styling options. So below you’ll see a mixture of my ideas + some additional super popular ways to wear these leggings.
If you have a pair of faux leather leggings and don’t know what to wear with them for the first time, or you have been eyeing a pair but not sure whether to take the leap—I hope this blog post inspires you!
Note: I’ll be using “leather pants” and “leather leggings” interchangeably throughout the post! All the style tips apply whether you technically own “pants” or “leggings” style!
What I’ll cover:
Where to buy affordable faux leather leggings
Wardrobe essentials you can pair with faux leather leggings
Pictures of faux leather leggings outfit ideas
Best Faux Leather Leggings 2019 (on a budget)
Everywhere I look women are recommending the Spanx brand of leather leggings.
But never in a million years will I pay a ridiculous $100… FOR LEGGINGS.
Instead I’m going to tell you about a $16 alternative that owners of Spanx leggings have claimed are just as good!
Target’s Wild Fable Faux Leather Leggings Review
These leather leggings from Target are just $16! Here is what I like about them:
They are excellent quality. A nice thickness (not see through) that is also super stretchy.
These faux leather legging pants are high waisted, sucking in the postpartum pooch that I like to call the delicious jelly center of motherhood.
And finally, I love the length… on my straight shape, 5’6’’ frame they end right above the ankle bone.
I cannot personally compare these Wild Fable leggings with the Spanx—did I mention I’m never gonna plunk down that much money for them??—but I’ve been very happy with my $16 faux leather leggings from Target.
What to Wear with Leather Leggings
If you’ve been brave enough to buy a pair of “wet look” leggings or you’re considering it, you might find yourself wondering “what do you wear with leather leggings that keeps your butt covered?”
I’ll show you several outfit ideas below but here is the list of what goes best with your leather leggings as pants. (Don’t worry, I’ll show you how to layer and combine these items.)
What tops to wear with leather leggings:
Tunic Fitted Sweater
Slouchy Sweater
Long Chambray Top
Tunic Button-Downs
Slouchy, Tunic, or Round-Hem White Tee
Fitted Sweater (for layering)
Tunic Blouse
Lace Shirt/Dress Extenders
Sweater dresses
Wondering what “tunic” is? It refers to a top with extra length. Sometimes they go just below the hip bone but some go as long as mid-thigh.
What skirts to wear with leather leggings:
Mini skirts (a-line, skater, or fitted)
Fitted knee-length skirts
What jackets and completer pieces to wear with leather leggings:
- Poncho
- Denim Jacket
- Denim Vest (Spring/Summer)
- Long Cardigans (boyfriend length or duster style)
- Long Sweatshirt/Hoodie (My favorites are Mindy Mae's Market DoubleHood Sweatshirts)
What shoes go best with leather leggings:
Slip On Sneakers
“Running” Sneakers (Neutral in all-black or all-gray looks chic)
White Lace Up Sneakers
Ankle Boots
Snow Boots / Duck Boots
Riding Boots
Over the knee Boots
Dressier occasion: Pointy Toe Pumps (Nude or Black)
Leather Leggings Outfit Ideas
The goal of the outfits I’m sharing below is to show you some "Pinterest perfect”, classy outfit ideas for wearing faux leather leggings in a way that covers your butt so that you feel comfortable wearing these any day, anywhere.
A few of these could have used slightly longer tops… but I used what I had. I personally wouldn’t actually go out in the outfits with the shorter tops, but they still demonstrate how to pair the pieces. You can mentally add in a couple inches more to these tops and they would work just as well.
Casual leather leggings outfits for FALL or WINTER
Long Sleeve Shirt + Poncho / Shawl + Riding Boots
Ponchos aren’t practical around the house but they are so cozy (and chic!) for going out on errands. A perk is they also provide a little extra coverage on the front and back of your leather leggings outfit.
Sweater Dress + Long Tassel Necklace + Comfy Boots
Leather is definitely more of a cold-weather fabric. It’s perfect for winter, adding sophistication to any top.
This slouchy sweater serves as a perfect, cozy sweater dress to pair with your pleather leggings.
Bonus style tip: The tassel necklace helps draw the eye down so that you aren’t swallowed up by the large sweater.
Tunic Collared Shirt + Fitted Sweater + Ankle Boots
This tunic button-down from Old Navy has a nice length for covering the front and back. I would want something a bit longer even personally but this is what I had to demonstrate the outfit so there you have it. 😊
Add a sweater over your button-down shirt and either pair it with sneakers (for a chic street style outfit) or with ankle boots like I show here.
Tunic Plaid Top + Long Cardigan + Snow Boot / Duck Boots or Ankle Boots
This is probably my favorite way to wear my leather leggings. It’s EASY and COMFY but instantly adorable for a lazy day at home!
The basic formula: a tunic plaid shirt + faux leather leggings… so easy!
Warm slippers for home…
With snow boots for going out…
or With ankle boots…
Here is the plaid tunic I bought:
Shirt/Dress Extender Camisole Under a Regular Top (Like a Chambray Shirt or Tunic Tee)
Any easy way to make any leather leggings outfit more modest is to layer with a shirt extender!
I recommend getting a black one like this one since it blends well with leather leggings/pants.
Below is the top/dress extender I bought. What I love about it is the adjustable straps and thick jersey fabric. As you’ll see in the next outfit I like to wear it as a dress too with a jacket or cardi!
Lace Extender By Itself + Cardigan or Jacket
You can also wear the lace extender top by itself with a completer piece. (The one I got is a jersey-knit camisole with adjustable straps to it’s plenty modest with a cardigan or jacket over it.)
Tunic Sweater + Scarf + Boots
To get that extra length on your tunic sweaters, try sizing up and choosing “tall” where available. That’s what I did for this tunic sweater from Old Navy.
Here’s another variation except with flats.
Striped Tunic Tee + Denim Jacket + Color Flats OR Sneakers
This classic look is another one of my favorites. The stripes, denim, and red all pair so nicely with leather.
This would also look cute with leopard mules or booties!
Bonus style tip: Look for “round hem” shirts like this one for nice extra length that covers the front and back of your leather leggings.
Long Sweatshirt + Sneakers
Another go-to pairing for me is my cute sweatshirt and chucks! So easy and comfy but stylish too.
My sweatshirts are from Mindy Mae's Market. Use FRUMPFIGHTERS10 for 10% off any of their cute inventory.
Casual leather leggings outfits in SPRING or SUMMER
White Tee + Sweatshirt or Button-Down Tied Around Waist
Another hack for covering the butt is wearing a sweatshirt or button-down around the waist.
What would make this outfit even better is an extra long white tee (it’s on my list!) so that the tie around the waist was optional.
If you did have a long slouchy tee, you could try wearing a denim or black leather jacket over the tee normally for another chic street style look.
Tunic Collared Shirt + White Sneakers
This collared shirt paired with sneakers gives the total “street style” vibes.
The shirt leans toward business casual while the sneakers bring it back down to athleisure. It’s a super fun & easy pairing but not one you might think of right away!
Sleeveless Tunic + Denim Vest + Sneakers
This is one of those I wouldn’t wear out as is because the top isn’t very long. But if you have a tee or tank that’s extra long, try this outfit combination. It’s a super cute casual look!
What to wear with leather leggings for a night out
A really fun thing about wet look leggings is they are dressier than regular leggings.
That means you can actually wear them as pants for dressier events and look like a million bucks pretty effortlessly.
This list of outfit ideas would be lacking if I didn’t show you how to dress up your leather leggings for a night out!
(Can you picture your husband’s face when you walk out wearing them for your date??😲🤤👌)
Tunic Blouse + Nude Pumps
This blouse isn’t quite as long as I’d like so I have a long cami underneath. But you get the idea… long dressy blouse + leather leggings + pumps and BAM you’ve got a super chic outfit!
Sequin Top (with extender underneath if desired) + Black Booties
Leather and sparkle just GO together like coffee and cream.
Here’s spicy combo for a night on the town with your hubby or girlfiends!
My sequin tank:
I hope this blog post gave you some fresh ideas for how to wear faux leather leggings without the shiney hiney! 😉
Do you own a pair of leather leggings, considering one? Did you get some inspiration from this post?
