Legging Love #1 – Dharma Bums Rainbow Stripe

Welcome to the first of a new series of posts dedicated to my love of the patterned legging. I often get comments and questions about my leggings on Instgram and when I post pictures of them on the blog so I thought I would share the love a bit more.

Now I am no fitness model. I’m a size 12-14 and an apple shape – my tummy is my problem area. Not all leggings are for me, I generally need something with a relatively high waistband to avoid having the unpleasant experience of having my tummy pop out of the top mid workout. Sorry for the image but it’s my reality!

So as I share these leggings I’ll be letting you know which size I have them in and which activities I’ve found them to be best for. Leggings that are great for yoga may fall down during a run. Those which are great for static weight lifting might not perform so well during Olympic Lifting. I’ll also give you my view on their value for money – do they seem durable, are they washing well, how versatile are they, do they coordinate with other kit well?

I’ve decided to kick off this series with a pair of leggings that make me smile whenever I wear them. They are so bright and colourful that I knew I had to have them the moment I saw them on the Active in Style website. Made by Australian brand Dharma Bums – this is how they are described:

– Made from premium, high performance fabric that has a medium to soft hold waistband for comfort

– The fabric is soft, luxurious, offering 4 way stretch to allow the garment to hug and move with the body

– It is moisture wicking, breathable and quick drying

– Suitable for yoga, gym, pilates and most other workouts as well as worn casually for everyday style

– Lined gussett & non sheer

The fabric is super comfortable and super colourful. The waistband is high enough to cover what I need it to without digging in and making me look like a sausage (a problem us apple shapes can sometimes encounter). The fabric isn’t at all sheer and I’ve never once been worried that I might be displaying more than I’d intended to mid squat or stretch.

I’ve worn these for bodyweight and static weight lifting sessions and they’ve been great. They’re also good for things like yoga and Pilates. They’re not so good for running – I tried it and they fell down, the waistband isn’t secure enough to stay in place – it would need a drawstring to secure it. I’ve also tried them for a plyometric type workout and had to stop quite a lot to pull them up. So overall I think they’re best for workouts where you’re not jumping about too much.

I have these in a Large as per the sizing guide on the website and they fit well. At £60 they aren’t exactly cheap but I love them and think they are going to last well. With so many colours they are also super easy to coordinate. So overall a big thumbs up from me!