In the 1980s, celebrities popularized legwarmers. Following this trend, the fashion industry quickly appropriated and sold them to a wide consumer base. Eventually, however, legwarmers faded from retail outlets and the fashion spotlight.
But in 2024, these cozy footless socks have made a huge comeback and are trendy across an even wider audience. In line with this popularity, manufacturers have stepped up their game, creating a diverse selection of these products for eager customers. Add optimistic statistics to this creative mix, and sellers should easily be able to spot the profitability of stocking legwarmers in 2024.
This guide highlights some of the key points related to the market for legwarmers, and offers retailers key insights to ensure they are selecting the best options in 2024!
Table of Contents
Legwarmer market overview
Your guide to the best legwarmers on the market
The bottom line
Legwarmer market overview
Global fashion sales are projected to reach just over USD 157 billion in 2032, up from approximately USD 91 billion in 2023. They are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.09%. Adding to these figures is the growth in the wellness market, currently estimated at a value of USD 1,5 trillion and growing at 5 to 10% annually.
What is the connection between legwarmers, fashion, and wellness? Sportspeople like cyclists, ballet dancers, gymnasts, and swimmers buy legwarmers to protect their muscles. On the other hand, fashionistas buy legwarmers for warmth and to look good.
Google Ads offers one more perspective on the worldwide sales of the legwarmer in the form of keyword search rates. As proof of the high interest in the legwarmer, the data shows that people searched for this word 165,000 times between August 2023 and July 2024. The highest search rate during this year was 301,000 times in December and January, a 45% difference between the average and highest search volumes. In contrast, the lowest search rate was 90,500 times, occurring in August, September, May, June, and July.
Your guide to the best legwarmers on the market
The figures above are persuasive for stocking legwarmers in all their styles, forms, and colors throughout the year. Consequently, we have compiled a few categories below to give sellers an idea of the diversity of legwarmers that manufacturers produce. Browse these at leisure before deciding on a selection of orders to sell on your websites.
Knitted legwarmers
Chunky knitted legwarmers in Merino wool with a cable pattern or thin ribbing are made for chilly winter climates. In contrast, finer acrylic weaves work well for warmth and style in places with milder temperatures.
There are even more choices between the various sizes of these items. Customers love bright, legwarmer colors and subtle shades that give basic leggings a stylish lift. Specialized legwarmers made for yoga, cycling, and other sports are also available as knitwear and can double as casual wear with jeans.
Whether long or short, smooth or fluffy, thick or thin, there are so many knitted legwarmer designs to consider, giving sellers every reason to offer their customers a broad selection that encourages sales.
Short legwarmers
Typically reaching just below the knee, short legwarmers can be even shorter. People also wear super short legwarmers over their knees or inside boots to increase comfort or simply for fashion purposes. The fact that the patterns and materials of these short legwarmers are so diverse ensures they sell well. Consequently, retailers can simply leave the fashion decisions up to their customers, confident that their stock investments will reap positive returns.
Boot cuff legwarmers
They’re cute, they’re stylish, and people of all ages love them for their functionality and design. Short and made to buffer the leg from the boots, the boot cuff leg warmer sticks out just above the boot top. They are sold in chunky cable knits, with faux fur cuffs, buttons, and even frills, which customers pair with short ankle-length boots or knee-high boots as accessories. However, look a little further, and you’ll find them in various colors and styles for more winter outfit matches that appeal to a wider selection of your customers.
Ballet leg warmers
Ballet brands like Body Wrappers can be quite costly. This pricing strategy allows other sellers to stock quality ballet leg warmers at more affordable prices.
Consequently, a wide collection that includes the open heel legwarmer, thigh-high products, and shorter warmers is ideal. These items are manufactured from various materials such as stretch cotton and acrylic or wool, are worn over tights for injury prevention, and are game changers.
When planning inventory for this market, adding items to your cart for men, women, and kids is important. Whether they aspire to excel in ballet, jazz, or another genre, they must protect their health and wellness when dancing. Besides, they want to look cool while perfecting their art, too.
Fuzzy leg warmers
Faux fur fuzzy leg warmers or boot covers look cute. They are visually striking, available in multiple colors and styles, and are invaluable to any customer wanting to make an extra impact on their style. Customers can include these furry covers with their soft touch feel over leggings, boots, or shoes for warmth or just to express their inner fashion sense for warmth and fun.
The bottom line
Since this article only touches on a small part of the market for legwarmers, retailers can do their own research into all the different styles and trends available. On top of this, you will find that the Alibaba.com showroom opens up a surprising world of legwarmer options that you might not think possible for such a simple product.
So overall, despite their simplicity, legwarmer styles are diverse and creative—which is precisely what you want as a seller to attract a wide audience in 2024.
