By Brenna Ellis
On a recent trip to Southern France, I brought my Chickfly leggings along for my hiking and biking adventures. What I didn’t anticipate was how much time I would spend in them outside of these activities. The comfort, pockets, and of course the pull-apart fly, were all game changers in my traveling experience.
The Pockets
When you think about leggings, pockets are usually the last thing you think they will have. Your typical leggings just have a tiny zipper pocket so you can always have a key with you. I’ve never understood this pocket, I rarely exercise with keys; if I need keys with me I’m likely carrying much more than that and use a bag instead.
Not Chickfly leggings. My Chickfly leggings are loaded with FUNCTIONAL pockets. The thoughtful design of these leggings let me carry everything I needed when heading out to walk around town and visit the many beautiful farmers’ markets. 
A discrete pocket to keep my passport and credit cards close and hidden? Check.
A pocket to hold my cell phone when I wasn’t busy taking pictures? Check.
Another pocket to have my euro coins at the ready for purchases? Check.
A pocket big enough to stash a freshly baked baguette? You bet.
The pockets on these leggings seriously blew my mind.
Before heading to France I’d been researching anti-theft bags for the big cities. When I had these leggings on, I didn’t feel like I needed the bag. I could carry everything securely on my body and stay stress-free.
Comfort
My visit to France coincided with the Great European Heatwave of 2022 you may have heard about. Though most of my time was spent in the weeks leading up to the worst of it, it was still in the high 90s every day.
I didn’t imagine I’d want to wear anything except shorts or a breezy dress for most of my stay. My initial thought was that my Chickfly leggings would be too warm for day-to-day use, but I was wrong. My go-to pair quickly became the Merino Eucalyptus Leggings. Not only did they look great while I was out exploring, but they were also extremely comfortable, and kept me surprisingly cool even in scorching temps.
I put the stretchiness of my leggings to the test as the trip went on. After weeks of baguettes, cheese, and wine, they still fit comfortably without being too tight. The amount that these leggings could stretch while still maintaining their integrity was unreal. They didn’t show the individual fibers or become see-through under stress like other leggings I’ve owned.
The Fly
My time was mostly spent in small villages, exploring shops, markets, and restaurants. I didn’t think the fly was something I would be using much in these scenarios but after a few days, I became very thankful for this feature!
I’d been to Europe in the past and hadn’t remembered squatty toilets to be the norm. This time, it seemed as though nearly every public restroom featured a hole-in-the-ground toilet rather than a traditional one. This caught me off guard, but then I realized that if I needed to squat to pee, my Chickfly leggings were the perfect pants to have on.
Having these leggings made going to the bathroom quick and easy. Not having to pull anything down to my ankles, especially in a heavily used public bathroom was a lifesaver. These leggings turned a less than ideal bathroom situation into a piece of cake.
My New Travel Companion
I had always viewed these leggings as great activewear but this trip was a testament to how well they can perform in a more urban setting. The versatility they have shown has made them one of my new favorite travel companions. From lounging with a morning coffee to hiking in the mountains and even farmers' markets, these leggings really can do everything.
I love that these leggings not only feel good on me, but they represent things I care about in our world. Their slow fashion production, takes our planet, animals, and humans all into consideration. They may cost a little more than some other name-brand leggings but with these, you know you have a high-quality and responsibly made product with features you won’t find anywhere else.
Whether you want a legging for hiking, biking or to wear around town, do yourself a favor and get your Chickfly Leggings now. Their versatility will amaze you.
4 comments
Dear Anna Birkas,
I have seen many benefits this pair of pants can bring, both to me and my boyfriend. Can I buy this pair of pants while I am currently in China? If not, how am I able to get one?
Emma Andrews on
Dear Anna Birkas,
I have seen many benefits this pair of pants can bring, both to me and my boyfriend. Can I buy this pair of pants while I am currently in China? If not, how can I get it?
Emma Annas on
Thanks for your comment of great concern care for the world. We have not sourced our wool from a mulsing-free factory. We have ordered swatches of wool from every mulsing free company we could find, though, and believe there will be a time in the future when we can, once they make a product that suits our needs.
Yes, the garments are sewn in California so they have better labor standards. We would like to see a world in which people that do this labor get paid a fair wage, and while there is still a long way to go on this, at least we are working with some of the highest labor standards in the world. Maybe when our company is bigger we can have even a further positive impact.
The dying of the bamboo fabric takes place in Canada, again where labor standards are better. The bamboo fabric is dyed with organic dyes.
We recommend washing our pants on a gentle cycle and hand drying both to increase life of the product and to reduce environmental impacts. However, both the bamboo and merino items do tend to do fine when washed and dried. They both hold their shape for a long time.
I, personally, have never had any societal pushback for how I pee. But I live in Cali where things are pretty liberal. Since our restroom laws changed to have gender-neutral restrooms, and lots of men’s restrooms became gender-neutral, I have had much greater access to urinals and have enjoyed using them. Maybe all of our use of urinals, as women, can help trans people be accepted too.
Anna Birkas on
Have tried to look for this information on the website, so far unsuccessfully so since this post mentions the merino leggings and caring for animals I thought it would be suitable to ask here. Is the merino wool sourced from farms that mules and/or tail-dock their sheep? If not, does the farm mention their alternative strategy for managing flystrike and the rate of incidence of flystrike in their flock?
Plant-based rayon and merino wool are not very durable materials. How long do you find these leggings last without losing their shape? Traditional wash care or dry-clean only? I assume the price of these leggings reflects that the bamboo material is manufactured in a more worker-safe and eco-friendly manner than has been reported in certain cases eg in China.
I very much applaud your efforts to help even the playing field when it comes to the impact of different toileting methods on activities and accessibility. Have your users encountered hostility and discrimination when urinating standing-up in public bathrooms? I ask because I know a cis woman who was attacked by a shopping centre security person when another woman reported “suspicious behaviour” in a stall. This woman was just emptying her colostomy bag after recent major abdominal surgery for bowel cancer, and the security guard kicked down the door and knocked her down, just because they thought she was urinating from a standing position. This was over 2 decades ago so I can only imagine how hostile the world is now for trans women. I appreciate and fully support your efforts to normalise different urination methods to hopefully reduce this unwarranted fear and aggressive reaction for all people. I just hope that when your product becomes available in Australia I can support your company from an animal welfare standpoint also.
Curious on