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“Ladies, leggings are not pants,” local man <a href="https://x.com/dalepartridge/status/2028482118918283663?s=46">Dale Partridge</a> preached on X, unwittingly nailing the reason why your favorite pair of Lulus leads a <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/activewear-market-report">$440 billion activewear industry</a> that has every fit chick, supermom, and It Girl singing its praises. Yeah, buddy, leggings aren’t pants. That’s why we love ‘em! They’re flattering, forgiving, easy to dress up, and just as perfect with flip-flops. But is the stretchy pants era hanging on by a thread? 
I’m preemptively dabbing my eyes with the nearest pair of <a href="https://shop.lululemon.com/p/womens-leggings/lululemon-Align-No-Line-High-Rise-Pant-25/_/prod11900026?color=73715">Lululemon Align</a> No Line High-Rise 25” Smoothie Wash Blueberry Multi leggings. I&#8217;m also suddenly wondering if Britney Spears’ “<a href="https://youtu.be/LOZuxwVk7TU?si=ro_iFRV5Dj4WI0Fx">Toxic</a>” was about Spandex this whole time: “<a href="https://genius.com/Britney-spears-toxic-lyrics">With a taste of the poison paradise</a>, I&#8217;m addicted to you, don’t you know that you’re toxic?”
Luckily, it’s not you, it’s the pants. And it’s not the concept of leggings (phew); it’s the toxic chemicals used to make them. Still wearing your go-to black yoga crops from 10 years ago? Maybe, like me, you’ve never stopped to really consider what buttery-soft “<a href="https://shop.lululemon.com/c/women-leggings/n1udsq">Nulu</a>,” “PowerLu,” or “Everlux” even is, and, instead, you&#8217;ve been much more focused on that flawless contour and how $130 leggings cost just seven cents a day over the course of five years, which is rounded down to free! Girl math for the win.
Spoiler alert, leggings don’t just magically last forever. And this freakish longevity could be thanks to synthetic compounds called “forever chemicals” (aka perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, or <a href="https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/pfas.htm#:~:text=Some%20grease%2Dresistant%20paper%2C%20fast%20food%20containers%20or,popcorn%20bags%2C%20pizza%20boxes%2C%20and%20candy%20wrappers.">PFAS</a>), which in turn might be <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/91110811/microplastics-toxic-chemicals-absorb-into-skin">leaching into your skin</a>. They’re known for <a href="https://mamavation.com/product-investigations/non-toxic-activewear-guide-pfas-workout-leggings-yoga-pants.html">sweat-wicking</a>, quick-drying, stain-resisting performance. But these types of compounds get their nickname because they <a href="https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-pfas-forever-chemicals#:~:text=VASILIOU:%20PFAS%20are%20often%20called%20'forever%20chemicals',long%2Dterm%20concerns%20for%20ecosystems%20and%20public%20health.">never break down</a>. Just like leggings. 
When we signed up for <a href="https://www.zumba.com/en-US/">Zumba</a>, we were hoping for a rush of feel-good endorphins, <a href="https://mydoctor.kaiserpermanente.org/mas/news/regular-exercise-benefits-both-mind-and-body-a-psychiatrist-explains-1903986">dopamine</a>, and a smoothie afterward — not toxic residue from an <a href="https://www.runnersathletics.com/blogs/news/where-is-lululemon-made">Indonesian</a> clothing factory. No wonder more of us are talking about <a href="https://livehealthillie.com/blogs/news/top-16-low-tox-activewear-brands?srsltid=AfmBOorEnQusFgawX6-LMsTJhcUrpRrMkcuEiqPsDAPmo3socx-FNkvW">ditching synthetics</a> that <a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/synthetic-fabrics-hormone-levels">mess with our hormones</a> in favor of activewear made with natural fibers. It seems that once we latched onto contouring pants that hold our keys, phone, and booty all at once, it wasn’t long before we realized we were no longer cool with <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/advice-plastic-in-workout-clothes/">being contaminated</a> by athleisure.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-lululemon-using-forever-chemicals">Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton</a> just announced he is taking on Lululemon. With an investigation into the wellness brand’s product manufacturing, restricted substances list, and supply chain, he’s hoping to uncover whether the brand is misleading its loyal followers — basically all of America — by making us think we&#8217;re buying a product that’s less toxic than it is.
“[Lululemon] markets itself as a wellness-focused lifestyle brand emphasizing sustainability and performance,” an <a href="https://www.texasattorneygeneral.gov/news/releases/attorney-general-ken-paxton-launches-investigation-lululemon-over-potential-presence-toxic-forever">official statement</a> from his office read. “However, emerging research and consumer concerns have raised questions about the potential presence of certain synthetic materials and chemical compounds in their apparel that may be associated with endocrine disruption, infertility, cancer, and other health issues.” 
Lululemon publishes a <a href="https://corporate.lululemon.com/~/media/Files/L/Lululemon/our-impact/lululemon-rsl-9-0.pdf#:~:text=As%20part%20of%20lululemon%20athletica%20inc.'s%20commitment,hazardous%20to%20guests%2C%20workers%2C%20or%20the%20environment.">restricted substances report</a> covering its sustainability practices, packaging, footwear, and fashion. But a quick scan reveals a 50-page list of chemicals sprinkled with images of happy workout people and their incredible abs. Okay, even if it’s legal for a company to sell us leggings with up to 1,000 parts per million of diisobutyl phthalate, do we want something known as “<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8724091/">plasticizer</a>” seeping into our pores?
One time during a kickboxing class, someone else’s sweat flew into my mouth. This sounds worse. 
And it’s not just Lululemon. They might not be facing Texas justice, but certain leggings from brands such as <a href="https://www.ehn.org/pfas-clothing">Athleta</a>, Gaiam, Old Navy, and Yogalicious also tested positive for forever chemicals.
Still, before you panic-chuck all your leggings, you’ve probably already been exposed to <a href="https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/pfas.htm#:~:text=Some%20grease%2Dresistant%20paper%2C%20fast%20food%20containers%20or,popcorn%20bags%2C%20pizza%20boxes%2C%20and%20candy%20wrappers.">PFAS</a> today. These chemicals can be found in <a href="https://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/chemical/pfas.htm#:~:text=Some%20grease%2Dresistant%20paper%2C%20fast%20food%20containers%20or,popcorn%20bags%2C%20pizza%20boxes%2C%20and%20candy%20wrappers.">drinking water</a>, food packaging, non-stick cookware, makeup, and shampoo, along with all sorts of fabrics. This very second, according to science, most of us would test positive for <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12681035/">PFAS in our blood</a>. Just like we are what we eat, we can also form a long-term toxic relationship with plastics in our clothes. Over time, PFAS <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304389424028620">build up in our tissue</a>, and after a few decades spent wearing leggings loaded with chemicals every day, you could see damage to your <a href="https://www.ageist.com/wellness/fitness/what-your-workout-clothes-are-doing-to-your-hormones-after-50/">thyroid</a>, liver, kidneys, immunity, and reproductive system. 
I&#8217;m in full <a href="https://modoyoga.com/savasana/">savasana</a> (corpse pose) just thinking about how many years I’ve been wearing synthetic leggings. Yes, stretchy pants have been around since men first wore them in <a href="https://www.whowhatwear.com/history-of-leggings-trend">1300s Scotland</a>, but I blame early-2000s Lindsay Lohan for popularizing the No. 1 alternative to hard pants. 
Good news, though: We don’t have to die of leggings. Keep the opaque, lifted, buttery breathability and eliminate the junk from the ol’ activewear stash with a low-tox brand for your next workout slash coffee run. You might not see a huge cut in cost, but not accidentally poisoning yourself during Pilates? Priceless. 
Skip the plastics with mainstream favorite <a href="https://matethelabel.com/collections/move-by-mate?irclickid=yk9zQ9xBNxyZTrozAy0jnREAUku3mkT5MUyVUI0&amp;sharedid=&amp;irpid=2856961&amp;utm_source=affiliate&amp;utm_medium=impact&amp;utm_campaign=ecocultcom&amp;irgwc=1&amp;afsrc=1">MATE the Label</a>, which sources toxin-free organic cotton and just 8% spandex to provide stretch for leggings, sports bras, skorts, and socks. Made of 100% alpaca wool, <a href="https://armsofandes.com/collections/womens-alpaca-wool-leggings-and-sweatpants/products/womens-alpaca-wool-leggings-300">Arms of Andes</a> leggings feel soft, wick moisture, and regulate temperature in any season. And <a href="https://jungmaven.com/products/hemp-leggings-orosi-mid-rise">Jungmaven’s</a> super stretchy hemp blend leggings will have you thinking, “Lulu who?”
Other highly rated user recommendations include BRANWYN, Pact, Happy Earth, Boody, PAKA, Cottonique, and Wellicious. And non-toxic, vegetable-dyed organic cotton brand <a href="https://groceriesapparel.com/collections/bottoms">Groceries</a> obviously understood the assignment based purely on its name.  
It might take a minute for larger brands to adapt to customer preferences. But we can “be the change” by voting with our wallets and leaving the toxic content to the gym bros on TikTok. 

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The $130 Leggings In Your Closet Could Be Packing Chemicals Linked To Infertility

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The $130 Leggings In Your Closet Could Be Packing Chemicals Linked To Infertility