Men’s Leggings and the Great Seam Debate

So this post is somewhat in jest but I think it is worth the time I’ll spend tapping it out. From my perspective, there appear to be two camps in the world of men’s leggings. I am not talking about athletic vs fashion nor am I talking about black versus colorful patterns. I am not even talking about underwear vs commando - although that is an equally interesting debate in that arena. I am talking about seam placement and its polarizing effects on how men shop for leggings.

You see men have different anatomy than women - I know you can’t believe there is an issue here. I thought we were past gender you say. But no matter how you slice it there is the men’s member to be dealt with when wearing men’s leggings. As most of us call it the bulge. The way the material is sewn together in this specific area is the topic we’ll be talking about.

The Center Seam Dilemma

In the world of women’s leggings, this is a no-brainer. Sew em up like any old pair o’ pants and huzzah - finished, simple, easy. However, with men’s leggings, the center seam is something to be contended with. Early in my own journey into men’s leggings, I began wearing athletic tights designed for running. In these cuts, most brands - at least the brands I was purchasing - had opted for a different approach to the center seam. I call this the pouch, more on it later. So it came as a surprise to me when I started checking into the boutique brands to see that many of these brands were opting for the center seam.

Now, in general, this isn’t that big an issue but in my humble opinion, the center seam seems to be problematic on a multitude of levels. The first obvious reason is contour and fit. The center seam has to be handled with an articulated cut to give the proper space to actually fit male parts in a comfortable way. Jeffrey Scott leggings, for example, do this and they fit pretty well - they don’t fit as well as they could but they fit better say than Stitches (a now-defunct brand) ever did, or any pair of gender-neutral leggings for that matter. Men’s leggings should be built for men, penises, and all.

The second reason, and my particular pet peeve, is that the center seam can split the boys - which in my opinion is hardly a look worth sharing with the world. I have several pairs of center seem men’s leggings and I have to pay attention to this detail more often than one would think. I have to be mindful of which underwear I have chosen as some allow for this “situation” more than others. My greatest irritation is the best way to avoid the moose knuckle is to let the leggings hang a bit looser on the leg which then means they feel like they are constantly falling down. My favorite thing about men’s leggings is that they are like a second skin and introducing space feels odd.

Now the center seam has one major benefit. It doesn’t draw that much attention to the male member. As long as the leggings aren’t too tight and causing the aforementioned male cameltoe the center seam flattens the outline of the bulge and does provide a look that is more like a pair of pants. In this way, center seam men’s leggings tend to be a great choice for going out and about and when wearing men’s leggings for fashion. Which leads us to the other camp.

The Pouch and All Its Glory

If the center seam is like a pair of pants then the pouch is like a swimsuit. In this case, the construction is extremely situated to a men’s anatomy which is great, but… It showcases a current predicament in how we allow each gender to walk about and display their bodies.

The pouch cut fit is great - hands down. This is the biggest reason to wear them. The seams and construction work in such a way to form a pouch around, and in support of, the boys. For this very reason, many athletic brands feature men’s leggings with this kind of cut and construction. Men’s leggings designed this way move with you better, they don’t have issues with chaffing and they tend to stay in place throughout the day.

The pouch style however does show it off. Where the center seam breaks up the male bulge the pouch proudly displays the goods. Now, this may not be an issue for every guy sporting men’s leggings but, this kind of cut has clearly led so many dudes to opt to wear shorts over their leggings. Fit and function are one thing but that kind of presence certainly takes confidence, for lack of a better word.

In the gym, playing a sport, or running down the road we’re less inclined to care about the pouch. We are actively doing physical activity and the look of the pouch matches the activity. We’ve all watched Monday night football or Olympic swimming. Nobody bats an eye at the bulges moving around on the football field but if you take that look out of the activity the pouch has a hard time transitioning to fashionable men’s leggings.

Is There a Double Standard? Of Course, There Is.

This is where the debate can actively heat up. Why should we care that men have genitals while giving the entire athleisure movement of women’s leggings a pass on this fact? If gals can do it why can’t men?

Well, the simple answer is we can. But should we? Is the look the right look?

In my heart, I would vote to wear the cut that fits and feels the best. Shorts be damned. But in my head, there is the flicker of honesty that surrounds leggings. Leggings hug the body. They are like a second skin. In many ways, they are a celebration of the human form. We truly see each other when we see each other in leggings. They bring up deeper emotions around our bodies and our carnal existence.

Women look damn sexy in leggings. I feel damn sexy in men’s leggings. This is obvious - although we may want to deny it. This is something that we have to contend with when you go out into the world wearing men’s leggings. Do women have the same responsibility? I would say yes. I realize in certain circles that may be an unpopular opinion, but it is an opinion that understands the human condition.

Does all this really matter?

In my mind, the men’s leggings movement is just off the ground. Years ago when a few pioneering women began to wear leggings habitually I am sure the logic in my head was pontificated everywhere in response to them wearing what they wanted how they wanted when they wanted, but a bunch of women followed their hearts anyway. Which is a great thing to remember in this debate. The head and the heart are two parts of a whole human.

Comparing the center seam versus the pouch has been a fun way of exploring men’s leggings and I guess the only answer to the debate as I can see it reside in the two following statements.

Should we think about how we are displaying our junk in men’s leggings? Yes we should.

Should we shy away from wearing what makes us happy? No we should not.