Yes, fashion trends often come and go, but the “legging legs” craze that took over TikTok is something that many users across the platform hoped would never return.
The hashtag #legginglegs — which has since been deleted on the platform and replaced with information about eating disorders or disordered eating — first went viral after women shared videos of themselves in yoga pants showing off the gap between their thighs.
As a result, other TikTok users have pushed back, saying the trend is fueling eating disorders and low body confidence. “If you’ve seen this on social media, it’s disgusting,” said user Holly Essler, who is also a therapist, in a TikTok video.
“Basically, it’s a trend that says if you have leggings and wear leggings, your legs have to look a certain way in them,” she continued. “Again, this is disgusting. Don’t let social media tell your body it’s a trend. If you have a body and you have leggings, you have legs with leggings.”
TikTok has not yet responded to a request for comment.
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Legs in tights.
Getty
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According to the National Association for Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders, 9% of the US population, or 28.8 million Americans, will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. Another National Institutes of Health study found that social media use leads to body image concerns, along with eating disorders and disordered eating.
“Thank you for speaking out against these toxic trends that lead girls to so much insecurity and worse,” one person commented on Essler’s video.
Other TikTok users like Essler have also taken to the platform to share their frustration with the trend. Since @ashleyrosehartly posted her thoughts, her video has attracted more than 2.1 million views and 900 comments from other women who feel the same way.
“I just saw a new trend called ‘legging legs’ going around the internet and young people criticizing their legging legs and saying that the perfect legging legs are a big square gap between the thighs and the little leg…here to remind you all those legs are just legs,” @ashleyrosehartly wrote on her video.
One person responded to the video: “I’ve been crying for the last 4 hours before I have no ‘legs’ and my girlfriend is trying to comfort me the whole time.”
“I’m so sorry you feel that way,” she responded to the comment. “Just know that you are beautiful no matter what. Trends like this are designed to be exclusive, but still shine ✨”
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TikToker @emilyxpearl also shared her frustrations. In her video, she explained how she woke up one morning to see “legs with leggings” trending and was horrified.
“Do we understand what we are doing to the younger generation of women?” she said in the video. “Do we understand that there are 15-year-old girls who wear tights every day and now feel they can’t wear tights because they don’t have legs… stupidest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Do you understand that because of your video of you telling a little girl she has no pants on, she now feels like she can’t fit into society?” she added.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, visit NationalEatingDisorders.org.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education