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Yoga pants—leggings, joggers, or flared pants that you'd wear for exercise—might feel like an item of clothing strictly confined to a workout class. You might get a coffee and bagel while wearing leggings and a matching top underneath a jean jacket, but have you ever considered repurposing your yoga pants as actual pants? It's very possible to make leggings into an outfit, even one appropriate for a dressy occasion! The key here is to swap your yoga pants into any outfit where you might otherwise pick skinny jeans or straight-leg jeans. Leggings work as a phenomenal base layer, also known as the clothes that you layer underneath a jacket, blazer, vest, or other outerwear option.
Yoga pants, as you'll see in a second, are also the perfect way to show off a colorful or statement heel. Keep reading to see why these yoga pants outfits can be worn way beyond the gym.
Running to the Store
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Starting with the basics here, graphic leggings are a fun choice both at the gym and running a quick errand outside. You can quickly dress up your yoga pants with a cropped denim jacket and high-top leather boots.
Getting Coffee
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While getting coffee in athleisure might normally mean throwing a cardigan over your yoga outfit, a more thoughtful approach could be to match your jacket, bag, and sneakers to your leggings. It's all black, but casual.
Taking a Hike
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These yoga pants have a jogger cut: looser than leggings, but still close to the body. With a matching top, this tracksuit-and-Converse high-top look says, "Ready to do some serious walking while looking absolutely put-together."
Going Food Shopping
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You might not consider red yoga pants to be a fashion choice but think again: Adding a hoodie and leather jacket (or any chic coat, to be honest) gives the whole outfit a conscious, thought-out feel.
Taking a Quick Drive
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Similarly, a denim jacket over a casual exercise outfit gives much-needed structure to leggings and a tee. Pair some fashion sneakers with socks in a fun color pulled up over your yoga pants.
Grabbing a Casual Lunch
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Sophia Richie's streetwear looks have been on point lately. Here, she takes your basic black yoga pants and sneakers and adds a nice cropped sweatshirt, textured black bag, and (crucially) some gold jewelry and sunglasses to elevate the look.
Going Window Shopping
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Patterned leggings are super fun, but they're often most appropriate for a spin class, not streetwear. Here, though, the sunglasses in a matching color help tie the pants to the rest of the look, as does picking a more structured jacket and bag.
Doing an Actual Workout
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Olivia Wilde, who's really perfected the "walking to my car from the gym" look, somehow makes her post-workout outfit look fun and sporty (instead of damp and sweaty like the rest of us). Throwing a graphic tee over a sports bra and adding a colorful tote bag gives this look a casual but fun vibe.
Heading to a Work Meeting
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If you've got black leggings, it's shockingly easy to dress them up (so long as they're not worn out from years of barre class). Wear a black turtleneck, blazer, and cute strappy sandals—people will never know!
Getting Dinner
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If your yoga pants have a front split, that's actually the perfect opportunity to repurpose them and wear some heels. Paired with an oversized jacket and luxe bag (Chanel, in this case), it's a fun and surprising choice.
Going to a Nice Event
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A three-quarters-length casual legging should absolutely not work for a formal event, yet here we are! A statement jacket (with matching lipstick, naturally) makes everything feel luxe, and don't forget to pick fun heels that you can show off beneath the crop of your pants.
Doing Fashion Week, Casually
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Similarly, these knee-length leggings are a fun and surprising choice for a fashion week streetwear look. Pairing it with a top that looks like a sports jersey, but adding a more structured bag and shoe, gives it a more balanced, casual-but-thoughtful look.
Picking Up Your Luxury Purchase
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Technically, these are probably skin-tight jeans, but thick black yoga pants work just as well here. An all-black base outfit is the perfect foundation for a cool jacket and some trendy Adidas sneakers that "sort of" match in a fun way.
Attending a Fashion Brunch
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If you really want to lean into the sporty element of the yoga pants, as with this Tommy Hilfiger matching set, go for it. Even though this is a highly thought-out look, it's also like you threw on a pair of heels and an oversized oxford shirt over your exercise outfit.
Catching Up With Friends
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These pants have a bit of shine to them, which is the perfect match for chunky boots. An oversized, pleated cape shirt (or just a plain oversized collared shirt, if you want to keep it simple) draws attention to the upper half and helps you stay warm.
Shopping All Over Town
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You know those fun, lacy pattern tights you wear for an 8 a.m. exercise class? Repurpose them! These are probably a bit flouncier than your actual yoga pants, but anything with a pattern can go underneath a collared tunic and some upscale shoes.
Going On a (Fall) Date
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Flared yoga pants also work as an alternative to tights underneath a sweater dress. This pair goes for an intentional frayed effect, but you can stick to a plain black pair and some sneakers for a similar vibe.
Going Apple-Picking
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Even though black yoga pants are pretty ubiquitous, your lighter yoga pants will have their moment to shine, too. Beige leggings (or another neutral color) work well with a matching top and some knee-high boots to dress it up.
Visiting a Fashion-Forward Place
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Again, these are probably super-tight jeans, but leggings will work just as well. The base layer doesn't have to be fancy, since the statement belt and boots—plus the dressed-up collared shirt—do the heavy lifting for this outfit.
Going All-Day Sightseeing
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Honestly, this dress outfit doesn't even need leggings, but adding them gives a surprisingly layered touch (which is perfect if it's cold outside) and brings back a casual dimension that contrasts with the rest of the look.
Doing a Day of Activities
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Even if your yoga pants are old and worn out, they'd still work for this outfit. With long boots and a knee-length wool coat that covers the entire all-black base layers underneath, all you see is just a peek of black fabric right at the knee.
Heading to a Third Date
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If you've got sheer yoga pants that you'd never dream of wearing out of the house, consider this outfit your chance to rethink that stance. Putting on a long blazer or jacket will prevent anyone from seeing any visible underwear, and matching it with a sheer top will make it clear that the look isn't *accidentally* see-through.
Grabbing Drinks After Work
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We love fun leggings with built-in stirrups—they help the pants stay in place while you're working out. But in recent years, they've also migrated to fashion lewks. In this case, they're the perfect way to draw attention to bright pink mules.
Getting a Fancy Haircut
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When in doubt, match your black yoga pants with a simple black button-up cardigan, then throw a cool jacket and boots on top. Match with a bag that has a different texture than the rest of your outfit. For a winter-time wardrobe formula, it doesn't get much easier than this.
Braving the Cold in Style
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Again, the yoga pants serve as a simple base layer, while the lining of the chunky boots matches with the lining of the wool jacket and matching scarf. Cozy, personified.
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