Beyoncé's Anti-Athleisure Take on Leggings Includes Leather and Lots of Alaïa

Although expected at this point, it still comes as a surprise how Beyoncé continues to level up with every outfit. In just this week alone, Queen Bey gave us some much-needed holiday outfit inspiration when, on Sunday, she celebrated her husband Jay Z's 54th birthday in sequined hot pants and a sheer top (aka, the two biggest trends of the year). But she didn't stop there. When it came time to have a day out with the fam in the Big Apple, she knew the best thing to do was to be comfortable and stylish all in one go. And if there's anyone who can turn leggings—a basic, errand-running staple—into a fashionable street style standout, then of course, it's none other than the Beyoncé herself.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Renaissance singer was seen out and about in Manhattan along with her family, renting out the TikTok-famous Tea Around Town bus and driving around the city's bustling Midtown area. We didn't catch a good glimpse of her look until she posted an outfit carousel on Instagram. In it, she's seen sporting tip-to-toe black, including Alaïa's hooded top studded with chunky chrome earrings. The head cover hid most of her honey-blonde hair, leaving out a few strands to frame her face. She layered the top with the brand's cropped leather jacket that stopped right under her bust, plus a pair of high-waisted pin-embellished leggings coming from the fashion house's Fall/Winter 2023 collection. 

Beyoncé knows how to spruce up a monochrome outfit. This time, she completed her OOTD with Poppy Lissiman cat-eye sunglasses and strappy black Paris Texas heels. In the post, it seems she was torn between what handbag to wear (celebrities, they're just like us!), posing with both a tiny quilted bag and a white purse. When it came to glam, she matched her Santa-inspired French tips with her bright red lipstick. 

Now, there are lots to this outfit that we adore (The hooded top with build-in earrings! The leather jacket!), but we can't help but notice how Beyoncé approached wearing the relatively basic silhouette, opting to dress them up in a very chic, non-athleisure way.

It's been a while since we've last dusted off our leggings, other than on a lounging-around occasion, but 2023 marked their inevitable return as fashion-forward bottoms. After seeing the sleek style revamped on a slew of Fall 2023 runways, from Miu Miu to Saint Laurent, we couldn't help but rediscover our affinity for the evergreen staple. Luckily, styling it isn't so complicated. 

If you're looking for ways to zhuzh up your leggings heading into the new year, take sartorial cues from Queen Bey herself by going for a full-on black ensemble. She breathed new life into a simple look by playing around with both proportion and textures, wearing a slightly loose leather bomber jacket with an overall body-hugging outfit—down to the attached balaclava.

You can even swap out your go-to black ones for a style that's covered in adornments or a different color (might we suggest, red?) While we've gotten used to wearing our skinny bottoms to a workout sesh with chunky sneakers for so long, it's time to break out the wrong shoe theory and go for a pair of high heels. No matter how you decide to style it, though, it's clear that leggings are back with a vengeance, especially now that it's been Beyoncè-approved.

Shop Beyoncé's Leggings and Leather Outfit