Squat proof is not a fabric. It is a combination of three things: how thick the knit is, how much the fabric is being stretched on your body, and how dark or busy the colour is. Get two of the three right and you are fine.
1. Fabric weight
Lighter knits go sheer when stretched. Anything under about 200 grams per square metre is a risk in a plain light colour. Brands rarely print the weight, so look for the composition instead. A polyester and elastane blend with at least 10% elastane recovers its shape; a very high elastane number with a thin knit is the usual culprit for see through.
The leggings in this guide
2. Stretch on the body
A legging that is one size too small is stretched further, so it is thinner at the seat. If you are between sizes and the brand says size down, that advice is about fit, not about coverage. Check the size chart against your hip measurement, not your jeans size.
3. Colour and print
Black and dark colours hide a lot. A busy all over print hides even more, because your eye reads the pattern rather than the skin behind it. Pale plain colours are the hardest to make opaque, which is why they cost more from the brands that do it well.
The changing room test
Squat to parallel, hold it, and look at the seat in a mirror under bright light. Then bend forward with straight legs. If both pass, they pass.
How ours are made
Our leggings are printed on a polyester and elastane knit of about 230 grams per square metre. The contour print is there for exactly the reason above. The Sculpt Pocket Legging is the one with a phone pocket.
