Jeans are a fashion item anyone has heard of. They are the most popular choice of bottoms for a reason. Jeggings, on the other hand, are newly made types of pants that combine the two words jeans and leggings, making them exactly that, leggings that look like a pair of jeans.
If you want to find out what the differences and similarities between them are, you might have to ask yourself the next question first. Which of these is better; jeans vs jeggings? This article is here to help you.
Related: Jeans vs Sweatpants
Key Takeaways
- Jeans were invented in the 1800s as a denim-made solution for the conditions of hard labor jobs. They are very durable but can be uncomfortable to wear because of them.
- Jeggings are the midway point between jeans and leggings, making them more comfortable, but while still retaining some of the qualities of jeans. Despite of this, they’re not as durable as jeggings.
- You should not wear jeggings in a formal setting.
- Ultimately, it comes down to a question of comfort vs. durability. If you want to go for comfort, go with jeggings, and if you want to go with durability, go with jeans.
What Traits Do Jeans Have
Design
Jeans are a type of pants made out of denim or dungaree cloth. Their key features are what make jeans distinguishable from other pairs of pants. Obviously, denim is used as their preferred fabric. They have front and back pockets, are famous for having a zipper, and are incredibly durable. A long straight-cut pair of blue jeans is most often not what we mean when we say jeans. However, there are a lot more types than just the original straight-cut.
The original purpose of jeans was for miners to wear them during the late 1800s, as their rough denim material made them capable of withstanding the physical strain that miners and other physical workers were forced to undergo. With time, they became a popular clothing item for everyone.
Jeans are easily recognizable and typically have the same design with few modifications. They also almost always have rivets on them to support the areas that are more prone to tearing, such as pockets. There are many popular brands of jeans known for their quality and longevity in the industry, such as Levi’s, Wrangler, etc.
Durability
Because of the reason they were originally intended for, jeans are considered one of, if not the most durable type of pants you can have. They can withstand all sorts of harsh conditions and are especially good in the winter because the denim holds in heat very well. That said, a good pair of jeans can last you for at least several years.
The only weakness in their durability is water, as the material isn’t made to be soaked in water. Getting jeans too wet may ruin them because the denim will absorb most of the water, making them hard to dry and even put on. Of course, this doesn’t mean jeans shouldn’t be washed, but generally, it’s not recommended to wash them more than once a month.
Comfort
One downside to jeans is that they can sometimes be very uncomfortable to wear, especially if they’re not a good fit. This is because the material is made to be durable, not comfortable. This isn’t to say they’re completely uncomfortable to wear, but they are much more uncomfortable than other types of bottom clothes.
When it comes to comfort, they’re also not a good pick for summer, because no matter how thin the material is, they still absorb a lot of heat and can be too hot to wear on sunny summer days.
Also Read: How Can I Stop Burlap From Fraying?
How Do Jeggings Differentiate
Design
Jeggings, from what we can tell even with the name, suggest a pair of leggings that have a jean-like design. This means that they can be defined as a mix of leggings and jeans. This means they try to resemble the jean look, but that doesn’t really turn them into jeans. Unlike jeans, they are a lot stretchier. Jeggings are made out of stretchy fabrics such as lycra and spandex, which ensure a skin-tight fit. They are for sure a lot more comfortable than jeans, entirely because of this.
There are two main types of jeggings:
- Jeggings that are made out of legging materials.
- Jeggings that are the literal middle ground between leggings and jeans.
The former has a design that mostly resembles leggings. This ranges between anything from the materials used for their manufacturing to the fact that they don’t have real pockets. They don’t even have a denim look to them, they just have fake embellishments, whether that be faux front or back pockets, or zippers that are used to create the illusion of a pocket. These are usually made out of cotton, polyester, and lycra blends. This creates stretchy fabrics that give them a much more casual look than jeans.
Also Read: Which are More Comfortable Regular Fit or Slim Fit Clothes
Durability
Although jeggings are more affordable and more comfortable than jeans, they don’t last as long. Since jeans were made specifically to be durable, it’s hard to top that. But because jeggings are a midway point between jeans and leggings, they’re still a better option in terms of durability compared to sweatpants or leggings.
Comfort
Because of the stretchy nature of the material jeggings are made of, they’re so much more comfortable to wear than jeans. They’re not as comfortable as leggings or sweatpants, but they are still comfortable enough for wearing them both indoors and outdoors.
This of course mostly applies to the type of jeggings that are made of legging materials. The jeggings that are referred to as “denim jeggings” share more similarities with jeans than they do with other, more comfortable types of pants.
Also Read: Differences between Nylon and Spandex
Final Verdict – Which Is Best and Why?
As always, it depends on what you’re looking for specifically. If you’re looking to spend slightly more money but get something that lasts a lot longer, then you should invest in a good pair of jeans, because they can last you through the worst weather for up to several years.
If you’re looking for more comfort in both wearing and pricing, then jeggings are the better choice because the types of jeggings that are closer to leggings are made of easily stretchable material that is good for wearing in every season, even summer.
It is also important to note that while jeans are worn casually just like jeggings, they are more acceptable as formalwear than jeggings are. You absolutely wouldn’t go to a business meeting wearing jeggings, but you could pass with jeans!
Sewing is definitely one of my biggest hobbies. I’ve been doing it since i was young, thanks to my mother. I specialize in sewing, and that’s what i mostly write about.
