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Spanx faux leather leggings are a constant on my Instagram feed. It seems as that every blogger on the planet believes they are the “end all, be all” of leggings. To be honest, I have been dying to try them. But spending $100 on leggings is a hard pill to swallow for me. Most of the items I share are on the affordable side of things and it is not easy to promote a product that costs that much to my followers unless I am convinced something is worth the money.
Back in January, I caught some of the Spanx faux leather leggings on sale and decided I would invest in them and try them. I felt like I needed to wear them and wash them to see if they held up also. When I purchased the leggings, I got them for around $48 because of a sale. I grabbed the snakeskin, olive, and grey moto leggings, all in the faux leather material. My friend, Michelle had the black ones and I used hers for the photo comparisons below. To see if you can choose the Spanx vs my top dupe, scroll to the bottom. The caption gives the answer, so don’t go too fast!
Spanx Faux Leather Leggings: An Honest Review
Spanx: Pros
The Spanx faux leather leggings do exactly as they claim when it comes to sucking everything into place. In my opinion, they make your silhouette more sleek and firm looking. Spanx was founded as shape wear, so it is not a surprise that they hold you in, while making your legs and booty look great too. As far as the shaping features go on the Spanx faux leather leggings, you will have a hard time beating it.
The lining of the Spanx leggings is very silky and it feels really nice on the inside. It is soft and I think it probably helps you feel like things are smooth. While the leggings are tight, as they are intended, they are still really comfortable. I can see what makes them easy to style. You can dress them up or down and they are super versatile. For reference, I wear a small in the Spanx. I could possibly size down, but I want to be able to breathe, LOL!
Spanx: Cons
The Spanx faux leather leggings have a very distinct sheen on them. It is almost a crackle effect. This is one thing that I love about them. However, over the last month or so, I have worn my faux leather leggings and laundered them several times. The sheen seems to flake off at times. So far, it hasn’t impacted the look of the leggings. But it is has only been a few weeks. I am concerned that over time, these leggings will show wear in the butt and thigh areas, as those areas rub against each other when I walk or as I am sitting.
The price is most assuredly a con, in my opinion. I have a difficult time justifying the $98 price. It is definitely a splurge for me. Personally, I would need them to be on sale around $70 or less, in order for me to purchase again. I don’t regret my purchases, but I got them for under $50. They are worth that, without a doubt.
Other Options:
To be completely transparent, I purchased three other pairs of faux leather leggings in 2019. I was determined to find some at an affordable price point. In my experience, there is usually a way to look fashionable and on trend, without breaking the bank. I have always been a bargain shopper and I love to create looks that others can attain and feel confident in wearing too. Comparison is hard in our society and everyone tells you what you need to buy to be fabulous.
Even though I am a blogger, I am telling you, do not fall into the “I need that” trap. If you have the money to buy something and it doesn’t put you in a financial bind, go for it. Otherwise, find an alternative dupe you can afford or save until you can buy it. I am #sorrynotsorry for the soapbox, I just know what it is like to be in debt. Debt can be a terrible trap and I never want people to feel like they have to “keep up with the Jones’s”.
Spanx Faux Leather Leggings Dupe 1: Express
Express is one of my favorite stores. They have some great items and I have shopped there for years. I saw they had high waisted, vegan leather leggings back in December and I picked them up for under $35. In my opinion, they are almost as good as the Spanx faux leather leggings. They are high waisted and suck you in well. Maybe not quite as good as the Spanx version, but still they are great! The finish is a dull leather, so they are not super shiny. They don’t have the crackle finish, however, the Express vegan leggings do not flake off and I don’t worry about the wear showing on them. I also think they are a bit warmer than the Spanx leggings. And to a girl that runs a heater in her office all the time, that is a big deal.
My only “complaint” about them is that I think they are a little long. I purchased the ankle leggings and they are still a little too long on me and I have to work with them to pull them up high enough so they don’t look bunchy. If they were available in petite when I got them, they would be perfect. They are available now. The Express vegan leggings run bigger than the Spanx so an extra small is a better fit in them for me.
I highly recommend these leggings if you are looking for a high quality dupe. I have a hard time telling them apart in the side by side photos. And when I polled some people, many of them chose the Express leggings over the Spanx leggings! The Express vegan leggings are my favorite Spanx dupe, hands down!
Spanx Faux Leather Leggings Dupe 2: Amazon
I love Amazon fashion. Typically, I can find some great dupe options on there and I love that I can have most items in a day or two. I picked up a couple of faux leather legging options from them to test them out. One has a duller sheen, which I love. The other is a shiny finish, more similar to the Commando patent leather leggings. Those are also pricey! I can’t speak for the quality of the Commando ones as I haven’t tried them, but the shiny ones are a decent dupe for those on looks, but they still aren’t as shiny as the Commando version.
As you might expect, the Amazon options don’t offer the shaping pros as much as the Spanx version. But to be honest, they are not that bad either. I wore the dull ones to work with a long leopard sweater and several people asked me if they were the Spanx version. The best part about this dupe? The price! They are under $20! If you are on a budget and want to experiment with faux leather leggings, I would suggest you consider these or the Express version. If you love them, you can always save and upgrade to the Spanx faux leather leggings.
Amazon Dupe-Duller Sheen
Amazon Commando Dupe: Shiny Sheen
Side By Side Comparison-Can You Pick The Spanx Leggings?
In close, if you have the means to buy the Spanx faux leather leggings, they offer the best in shaping and holding everything in place. However, if you are looking for some more affordable options, they ones I mentioned above are great too. Below is a side by side comparison of the Spanx faux leather leggings and the Express vegan leather leggings. Can you tell them apart??
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Great post! I too fell into the Spanx trap, and because the faux leather look itself is so on trend and easy to wear, I’ve caught myself wearing them almost once a week. Well, it’s been around 6 weeks, and I always wash on a gentle cycle, and hang to dry. Well, mine are doing the flake thing too. I was EXTRA careful when caring for these because of the price, but they still are aging quickly.
I’m actually disappointed bc of what I paid, and from here on out, I will be buying mine from other companies. (the reason I found your site was looking for the best “dupes”)
Again, I’m glad to see someone being real about the quality of the Spanx faux leather leggings.
I am so glad that you found my site. Please let me know if you like any of the dupes that I recommended! Have a great day!
Love your post and the time you took to research. I bought a pair of black faux leather Commandos from Amazon, on sale for $69. I LOVE them and would wear them every day!! I purchased a medium and am going to purchase small next to compare. They look and feel like lambskin. The inside is super soft. Unlike spanx, there is no outer leg seem (which I prefer) but there is an inner leg seem. The hem is unfinished versus hemmed. There is a center a butt seam. (No camel toe). Spanx has quilted black faux leather on sale $70, I’m going to try them next. My issue is being on the cusp of small and medium in Spanx sizing and debating on S or M??.. Thank you, DJ in Jax, FL
Hi DJ! Thanks so much for taking the time to read my post and for commenting! I really want a pair of the commando ones and hopefully will invest soon. As for the Spanx, I am a pretty small girl, 5’4″ and around 120 lbs. I normally wear a size 2, sometimes a 4 in jeans and pants. I wear a small in the Spanx. I might be able to squeeze in a XS, but I would not be sure I could get back out! LOL! I think I would size up if I was worried, but maybe the information on my frame and weight is helpful in your determination. Let me know how you like the quilted ones! All the best, Laura
Hi!
Great post! I own 2 pair of spank faux leather leggings….they have both dulled. The second pair hasnt even been washed yet! (I wear my pants several times before washing as long as they aren’t stinky, lol!)
I also own the faux leather skinny, they are awesome, not as sucky-inny but more durable in my opinion.
Could you link the ultra shiny Amazon dupe you’re pictured in? They look amazing but there’s no way I’m spending the spanx price on those!!
Hi there! I appreciate your comment and you stopping by my little blog. 🙂 I know exactly what you mean about spending so much money on leggings! I thought I had it linked, but here it is again. https://bit.ly/2l9OBlO I don’t think they are super thick and they don’t suck you in as much, but you can’t beat it for the price! They are not patten leather looking, but still shiny! Let me know what you think. Thanks again, Laura <3
I’m SO glad I found your article! I too TREATED myself to two pairs of faux leather Spanx. One was on sale and I decided to splurge with the other. I am all about quality these days…. And I have adopted the motto “I’m worth it!”
That said….. I am VERY disappointed as these BOTH turned out to be nothing more than cheap fast fashion. Both are losing the leather look and wearing out completely in the butt and thighs.
I am someone who cherishes my clothing and am always very careful and appreciative of what I have.
I took the time to write the company and let them know how much I loved the faux leather leggings – and how I would always tell anyone who complimented me that they were Spanx.
Spanx responded by offering me a 20% discount on a future purchase. That’s it. Sorry Spanx I won’t be wasting my hard earned money on something that does NOT last with normal wear! Quite frankly I do NOT buy into the throw away fashion mentality. And I do NOT buy anything that won’t last- except light bulbs! I’ve bought yoga pants that were waaaayy less expensive & they have lasted MUCH longer with NO signs of wear and tear.
The bottom line is: I don’t mind paying for QUALITY. Faux leather Spanx are NOT WORTH IT!!! Save your money and buy a look alike!!
I am so sorry for the late reply! I did not see the notification. 🙂 Thank you for your comments and your experience too. It is completely true that I think the less expensive brands are the way to go with the faux leather! Have a great day!