The Loose-Fit Shift: Why Lululemon Is Betting Against Leggings, and the Wide-Leg and Flare Pants Worth Buying Now

Buy one flare with a fitted hip, and keep your leggings. That is our answer if you are wondering whether to swap some leggings for flares or wide-leg pants, and the picks below are the loose pairs that still work in class.

The prompt is Lululemon. On September 3 it cut its full-year outlook for the second time this year, reported comparable sales down 9 percent, and saw its stock fall roughly a fifth in a day. Among its explanations was one that matters to anyone who wears studio clothes: it is shifting its product mix toward "away-from-body" pants because customers are moving away from form-fitting leggings.

The brand that built the modern legging is saying the legging is no longer the whole story, and it matches what we have seen in studio lobbies this year: flares first, then wide-leg trousers in technical fabrics, then straight-leg sweatpants worn as real pants. Every pair below was in stock the week this was written. For the fitted end of the wardrobe, our best workout leggings guide still stands.

Related: Sunzel vs CRZ YOGA Flare Leggings: The Budget Flare Showdown, every CRZ YOGA flare compared, and Lululemon Groove flare dupes on Amazon.

What "away-from-body" means

In apparel language it means anything that doesn't cling: flares that skim the hip and open below the knee, wide-leg trousers, straight-leg sweatpants, relaxed joggers. Lululemon has been building this range for two years with Softstreme, the Groove flare and its trouser-cut pants; the September call confirmed the company thinks the balance has tipped.

Our guess at why: after a decade of leggings, a looser shape looks new; the studio-to-street idea that Alo pushed works better with a pant that looks like a pant; and soft neutrals with drape fit the quiet-luxury look in a way compression doesn't.

What still works in class

Think about how you move before you buy. A flare with a fitted hip and thigh behaves like a legging in yoga, mat Pilates and barre: the hem swings, but nothing rides up in a forward fold. Wide-leg trousers are different. In reformer footwork or a deep lunge, fabric pools at the ankle and catches. Straight-leg sweatpants are for the walk in and the coffee after, not the mat.

Five pairs worth buying

1. Sunzel Crossover Flare — Best Value Flare

The crossover V-waist is the detail of the season, and Sunzel does it well: a wide, flat band at the natural waist, a fitted hip and a flare that opens from the knee. The fabric is buttery and opaque in a fold, and the four inseams (28, 30, 32 and 34 inches) solve the flare's one real problem, hem length. Choose 28 inches for flats. If you are trying the trend for the first time, start with the Sunzel flare: it goes from class to the street and gives you the Groove look for far less.

2. CRZ YOGA Softretch Flare — Most Polished

It has no front seam, and that is what separates a flare that looks like leggings with a wide hem from one that looks like tailored pants. Softretch is lighter than CRZ's Butterluxe fabric, so the leg swings properly. Wear the Softretch flare when the coffee after class is really a meeting; of the budget flares, it looks the most expensive.

3. ODODOS Modal Wide Leg — Best Wide-Leg Trouser

This is the pant Lululemon was describing: a modal blend with real drape, a smooth high waist, pockets and a leg that moves like a trouser. It is not a class pant and doesn't pretend to be. With a fitted tank and sneakers it is the cleanest version of the loose look on Amazon, for the walk to the studio, travel days and offices that allow soft pants.

4. Heathyoga Wide Leg — Wide-Leg You Can Practise In

Where the ODODOS is a trouser, the Heathyoga is a stretch pant cut wide. It has enough recovery for a slow flow or a mat class, the pockets hold a phone, and it is the cheapest way to find out whether wide-leg suits your body and your practice. Wear it for yin and slow yoga. Our yoga pants vs leggings guide explains the fabric differences.

5. CRZ YOGA SoftAura Straight Leg — The Loose Option Without the Flare

Not everyone wants a flare. The SoftAura is a straight-leg sweatpant in peach-fuzz brushed fabric, cut to sit under an oversized hoodie without the swing. Buy it if you like loose pants but find flares theatrical, and for rest days and colder months. For the top half, our fall studio-to-street layering guide has the pairings.

Getting a flare to fit

Start with the inseam, because a flare that puddles on the floor looks like a mistake. With sneakers or flats, 28 inches suits most people up to about 5'6", 30 inches suits 5'6" to 5'10", and 32 or 34 inches is for tall frames or heels.

Size for the hip and waist as you would a legging. The shape works because the top half is fitted; the flare looks after itself.

Choose no front seam if you can. It is the detail that most separates a budget flare that looks expensive from one that doesn't.

Buy dark neutrals first. Black, espresso and navy hide the extra fabric and read as trousers; pale flares can be your second pair.

If you want Lululemon's own

The Groove flare and the Softstreme trouser are the pieces Lululemon means by "away-from-body". The Amazon pairs above are a low-risk way to find out whether the shape suits you, and our Lululemon reset guide covers what the company's changes mean for shoppers before you buy the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are leggings going out of style?

No. Lululemon's point is that the mix is shifting, not that leggings are finished. For class, a legging is still the most adaptable pant; what has changed is that a looser pant is now just as acceptable on the street.

Can I wear flare leggings to Pilates?

Yes for mat Pilates and barre. On a reformer, keep the flare modest; a very wide hem can catch on the footbar or straps.

Which inseam should I buy?

Match it to the shoe you wear most: 28 inches for flats or sneakers at most heights, 30 or 32 for heels or platforms.

Do wide-leg yoga pants look good on petite frames?

Yes, if the rise is high and the inseam is right. A high waist lengthens the leg; a hem that drags shortens it. Go for 28 inches and consider a straight leg rather than a full flare.

Are Amazon flares as good as Lululemon's Groove?

Close enough for a first pair. The Groove has the better fabric and waistband; the shape is very similar. Try the Sunzel or CRZ first, then decide whether the upgrade is worth it to you. Our Groove dupes guide lines the Amazon flares up against the Groove's fabric and inseams.

One looser pair, not a new wardrobe

Buy one looser pair this season, and make it a flare if you want to practise in it: the Sunzel crossover flare for value or the CRZ YOGA Softretch flare for a more tailored look. Add the ODODOS wide-leg if your week has more coffee than reformer in it, and keep your leggings.