Apparently, men don’t like wearing real pants just as much as women. Maybe that is the reason why leggings for men, also known as meggings, are on the rise.

Men have been wearing leggings for ages, but we aren’t used to seeing them on the typical average Joe.  We’re used to seeing them on the badass rocker dude or the skateboarding pro.  While these guys rock (no pun intended) their leggings, you really have to wonder if you want to see guys wearing them when walking down the street.

We first saw meggings become mainstream in Givenchy’s spring/summer 2009 collection.  The brand said their leggings were meant to be worn under shorts or under men’s skirts.  I didn’t even know men’s skirts were a thing.

On the runway, meggings were used for styling purposes rather than being items on their own.  We didn’t even see them hit the streets until men started to wear them when running or working out.  But even then most men wore them under a pair of gym shorts.  It wasn’t until around 2012 when we saw men turn in their pants and take their leggings public, which should never have happened at all.

Now there are even stores that specialize in meggings.  For example, two men in Chicago decided to open their own megging store because they believe that the trend will become mainstream. In December, Adam Freck and Andrew Volk formed Meggings Man, an online store offering 15 styles starting at $29.95.

Their leggings are modified to better suit the male physique, featuring a faux zipper and a triangular insert along the hip and outer thighs to allow more room in the “front area of the man.”

My response to the trend can be said in a single word: No.  Just no.  What girl wants to really check out the curves of a guy’s ass as she stands behind him in Starbucks?  Or have his junk just staring at her as he stands in front of her on a subway ride home?  I wouldn’t.

It’s often been said that there are some things that are better left to the imagination.  In the case of leggings and the male physique, I think that this rule applies.  We all took an anatomy and physiology class.  We know what a male’s body looks like, but we don’t want to see it when we’re hanging out with our friends at the mall or on our way to class.

As a female, I understand the allure of wearing leggings.  I personally wear leggings four days out of the week because I don’t feel like wearing pants. And as males, I’m sure you wonder why this trend should be exclusive to the opposite sex.

The only answer I can come up with is appropriateness and comfort.  Most of the guys I know don’t like to wear tight, restrictive clothing.  They like to wear loose clothes that they can move around in.  What guy really wants to show the world that much of his figure on a daily basis?

And besides, we already have an alternative for those who don’t mind showing off their bodies.  It’s called skinny jeans.  While I’m not a big fan of those either, they at least don’t make me feel like I’m seeing everything.

Alexis McDonell is a sophomore magazine journalism major. Her column appears every Monday in Pulp. E-mail her at admcdone@syr.edu and follow her on Twitter at @AlexisMickD.

Published on February 2, 2014 at 10:04 pm