Lululemon Just Gave Its Meghan Markle-Approved Leggings a Long-Overdue Upgrade

Hint: The new addition makes it easier to carry your phone, wallets, and keys from the gym to brunch.

Published on March 16, 2021

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lululemon-pocket-leggings — Photo: Lululemon

Lululemon's announcement of extended sizes last year caused a ton of buzz — and it was hard to believe the activewear company could top the excitement of its reveal. But then 2021 rolled around with another bombshell: The brand's legendary Align Leggings (Buy It, $128, lululemon.com) finally have pockets.

ICYDK, the buttery soft style is one of Lululemon's most popular designs and basically the gold standard for comfy leggings. It's inspired countless dupes and attracted celebs fans like Meghan Markle and Lucy Hale. Designed for yoga but equally suitable for non-sweaty activities, the Align pants are stretchy, sweat-wicking, and breathable. Some reviewers even argue that they're "perfection." (P.S. They're on Shape's list of the best workout leggings.)

But the best-seller fell short for anyone obsessed with legging pockets — until now. The new and improved version of the Align pants builds on the key features of the beloved pair. It's still made with Lululemon's signature NuLu fabric, a super lightweight textile woven with Lycra that molds to the body and holds its shape wear after wear. It also has the same extra-high waistband with a hidden pocket that's perfectly sized for keys. Plus, it comes in both a full-length 25-inch design and a shorter cropped 23-inch option.

lululemon Align™ High Rise Crop — Lululemon

Buy It: Align High Rise Pants with Pockets 25", $128, lululemon.com

But there is one major change beyond pockets: Extra seaming along the legs. It's a necessary byproduct of adding pockets deep enough to hold all the essentials like phones, keys, or even resistance bands. Not only are the seams a necessary design feature to offer more support, but they also wrap around the calves (in both the full-length and cropped versions), which helps to elongate the legs. (BTW, leggings that make your butt look perkier also exist.)

Really, the only downside of the new Align release, which also includes a bike short with pockets, is that they come in fewer colors and sizes than the OG. You'll only have a choice between seven colors in sizes 0 to 14 for the full-length style, while the regular Align pants come in 16 colorways up to a size 20. However, that's likely to change when the updated style becomes a best-seller — and considering select colors and sizes are already selling out, it's only a matter of time.

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