Leggings have no season. They are pretty much appropriate 100% of the time, and thank goodness for that because I live in them. Several years ago, I was a “leggings aren’t pants” person, and felt as strongly about it as I did about Crocs. (And that is as far as you should ever go into the B&B archives. Woof.)
Something clicked over the last four years… I started caring less about “appropriateness,” began to buy things that made me happy instead of things that make my body look “right,” and decided to prioritize comfort over trend in my wardrobe. This change of heart changed the way that I dress, the type of clothes that I buy – it had me wearing leggings as pants pretty immediately.
First, I started out with basic black, exclusively. One day, I found a pair of olive green leggings that I loved, which opened my doors to colorful leggings. Then, I found a crazy pair of “satin jean leggings” that I had to have, which brought texture into my life…
Then I was introduced to Bombsheller.
At first, I was shocked because, in their introduction, they mentioned they were based in Seattle.
My Seattle? Least Fashionable City Seattle?!
Sure enough, Bombsheller is based in my hometown of Seattle, WA, and they are making some leggings that would definitely qualify as extra special. Much like other cult-favorite legging brands, Bombsheller has eye-popping designs that grab your attention with one of a kind designs (more on this in a moment) in extremely vibrant colors.
They asked me if I’d like to review a pair of their leggings. I mean, what else do you say to that other than a resounding “YES!”? Especially after cruising through their [extensive] catalog of designs, declining such an offer would pretty much be the worst decision.
Narrowing down the styles is borderline exhausting, but in the same way that binge-watching Jersey Shore is exhausting. (About as exhausting as sitting in your pajamas, occasionally gasping in disbelief can be which is not.)
The handful I narrowed down to were like the top 5 contestants in the Miss Universe pageant. Each had their strengths and their weaknesses, but each was stunningly gorgeous, and there were simply no other like it.
Click to enlarge.
My favorites were, from left to right, Peonies, 2×4, Seattle map from 1890, Lichen (!!!), Black Ice, and Urban Jungle.
The Lichen-print leggings were in second place, but ultimately, I chose these beautiful Deer Damask leggings because I felt they’d be more versatile, thanks to the purple being a bit muted (a very small bit, but enough of a bit). The damask is made up of deer antler, deer head and floral shapes, organized to resemble a high-class, traditional damask.
They were brighter than I expected them to be, for sure, but it’s a smart design and a smart color combination so it doesn’t overwhelm anything, as long as I don’t get pattern crazy. Pretty much all autumn tones (olive, navy, gold, burgundy, etc.) and neutrals (black, white, …grey?) work with these, and it’s fun to make these curious but awesome leggings the focal point.
The fabric is actually fantastic. It’s a 4-way stretch fabric called “Fabric Fatale“, imported from Italy, that is totally breathable, comfortable, and opaque – no embarrassing sheerness. Bombsheller suggests you take these from the street right into the gym, meaning they’re fit for fitness uses! I haven’t brought my deer damask leggings to my bootcamp class yet, but maybe when it gets colder, I’ll bust ’em out! I had no problems with them rolling down or bunching. I got a size Large based on the Bombsheller size chart.
You might think, after all this, that the designs, colors and general style are what make Bombsheller special. You’d be half right, but there’s an entire other half of their business that really sets them apart from pretty much every other fashionable legging joint out there.
I wear these for all of my bootcamp workout classes. They are the best athletic leggings I’ve ever owned and I played softball & soccer like it was my job for 10 years. These stay opaque no matter how far you squat or how long you stretch – no see-through. None at all! The moisture-wicking and breathable fabrics kept me agile and moving through 6 months of 3x weekly classes. I sing the praises of these leggings!
I used Bombsheller the easy way.
The best way to utilize Bombsheller’s awesome capabilities is by designing your own leggings. Yes, design your own leggings. Use their template and upload an image according to their specs, and voila – you could have leggings with pretty much anything you want on them.
The way that Bombsheller has set up their business allows them to make one-off designs for leggings (i.e. your design) without creating excessive clothing that will just end up in a landfill. This makes Bombsheller a great place to snag a gift for a friend, make some “inside joke” leggings with something random on them, or profess your love for Skittles by inventing Skittle leggings.
Speaking of that, what do you do if you come up with a brilliant design, and want to make some scratch off of your friends by selling them? Bombsheller lets you do that, too. When I said that I use Bombsheller the easy way, it’s because I used Bombsheller’s pool of talented artists (thanks, Emily Smith!) to pick a pre-created design.
So what does Emily get out of it? Well, Bombsheller’s base price is always $69, and everything on top of that is money for the artist! In fact, the artist even gets to set their own royalties. So my Deer Damask leggings retail for $74, so Emily chose to take home $5 for every pair of Deer Damask leggings sold! Yay, Emily!
Would I recommend Bombsheller? Eff yeah I would! At $75, they’re definitely an investment, but Bombsheller assures me that they won’t pill, there will be no stretch marks, and they won’t fade! Considering the amount of styles they have (and how much some people pay for other high-design leggings), these are a smart investment if you find a pair you love.
Check out the rest of the Bombsheller collection here.
If you end up falling in love with a pair – be sure you read this first! The cool family at Bombsheller sent over a 10% off coupon code for your first order of leggings! Just type this in at checkout and your discount awaits you:
STYLESEEKER
Photos by Cleary O’Farrell.