世論 What Japan Thinks

In particular, this survey from DIMSDRIVE Research looked at leggings.

Demographics

Between the 6th and 20th of August 2010 4,756 members of the DIMSDRIVE monitor group completed a private internet-based questionnaire. 55.7% of the sample were female, 0.4% were in their teens, 9.0% in their twenties, 32.0% in their thirties, 33.5% in their forties, 17.9% in their fifties, and 7.2% aged sixty or older. Furthermore 63.1% of the sample were married.

I’m not a particular fan of leggings myself, in particular the ones with loops to secure them around the sole of the foot. It just annoys me for some unknown reason, just like too many shoulder straps do too. There’s also just far too many people wearing them this summer.

The word Trencker appears to be German for leggings, or at least appears to be a German word imported into Japanese to be used to label leggings. Searching the web, they now seem to be putting xylitol into leggings – yes, that silver birch extract that you usually find in sugarless chewing gum!

Research results

Q1: Did you know that recently spats have been called “leggings” and “Trencker”? (Sample size=4,756)

	Male N=2,109	Female N=2,647
Knew they were called both leggings and Trencker	18.7%	70.4%
Knew only leggings	36.4%	24.5%
Knew only torenka	0.5%	0.0%
Knew neither	34.3%	4.2%
Don’t even know what spats are	10.1%	0.9%

Q2: About how often do you wear leggings? (Sample size=2,647, female)

Almost every day (to SQs)	2.7%
Four to six days a week (to SQs)	4.4%
Two or three days a week (to SQs)	14.7%
One day a week (to SQs)	12.7%
Two or three days a week (to SQs)	12.0%
One day a week (to SQs)	6.6%
One day a month (to SQs)	14.5%
Almost never	32.4%

Not surprisingly, younger women wore leggings more often.

Q2SQ1: In the last two or three years, how has your frequency of wearing leggings changed? (Sample size=1,791, female leggings wearers)

Very much increased	34.5%
Increased a little	37.0%
No particular change	22.1%
Decreased a little	5.0%
Very much decreased	1.4%

Q2SQ2: Why do you wear leggings? (Sample size=1,791, female leggings wearers, multiple answer)

Fashion	53.3%
Easy to wear	48.5%
Prevent cold	44.1%
Feel easy when wearing short shirt, shorts	41.7%
Hide my bare legs	38.2%
In vogue	22.9%
Shows off my legs	15.4%
Diguise my style	15.3%
Relaxing	9.5%
Prevent swollen legs	4.7%
Prevent gropers	0.8%
Other	1.3%
No particular reason	4.9%

For the top six answers, easy to wear was about equal for age groups, keeping out the cold was more popular for older people, but the other four were more popular with the younger set.

Q3: Where do you buy leggings for yourself? (Sample size=2,647, female, multiple answer)

Clothes shop (to SQs)	27.8%
Internet shop (to SQs)	21.0%
Supermarket (to SQs)	20.5%
Sock shop (to SQs)	16.6%
Department store (to SQs)	11.8%
Variety shop (to SQs)	8.4%
Mail-order catalogue (to SQs)	7.6%
Co-operative (to SQs)	2.0%
Convenience store (to SQs)	0.5%
Other (to SQs)	7.8%
Don’t buy them myself	27.7%

Of the top five shopping locations, all bar the supermarket were more popular places for younger women.

Q3SQ1: About how many pairs of leggings have you bought for yourself in the last year? (Sample size=1,915, female leggings buyers)

Four pairs or less	74.7%
Five to nine pairs	17.9%
Ten to fourteen	2.6%
Fifteen to nineteen	0.5%
Twenty to twenty-four	0.2%
Twenty-five to twenty-nine	0.1%
Thirty or more	0.0%
None	4.0%

Q3SQ1: When buying leggings for yourself, how do each of the following affect your purchasing? (Sample size=1,915, female leggings buyers)

	Very much so	Somewhat	Can’t say	Not really	Not at all
Price	49.2%	42.7%	7.0%	1.0%	0.9%
Feel when wearing	43.6%	44.9%	9.5%	1.0%	1.0%
Fashionable	51.5%	36.9%	9.5%	1.1%	1.0%
Functionality	26.1%	46.3%	21.8%	4.5%	1.3%
Durability	18.6%	44.2%	24.2%	10.9%	2.1%
Deodorising	10.5%	26.1%	35.7%	19.7%	8.0%

Q4: What do you think about leggings underneath skirts, shorts? (Sample size=1,895, male who know what leggings are)

Love them	3.1%
Like them	10.1%
Not bothered	32.2%
Dislike them (to SQ)	10.6%
Hate them (to SQ)	18.3%
Don’t know	25.7%

Younger people liked leggings more than older people.

Q4SQ: Why do you dislike leggings under skirts, shorts? (Sample size=547, multiple answer)

Not sexy	43.1%
Feels half-baked	32.2%
Naff	29.4%
I’m a bare legs person	29.1%
Look too hot	28.7%
Can see their long underwear underneath	13.9%
Looks like a granny	13.7%
Everyone wears them, no individuality	11.3%
Feel wearer is skimping on fashion	11.0%
Prefer stockings	7.3%
I’m a long trouser person	2.0%
Just don’t like leg coverings like tights, stockings, etc	1.3%
Can clearly see silhouette	0.7%
Other	2.6%
No particular reason	11.7%

Q5: Did you know that men’s leggings had gone on sale? (Sample size=4,756)

	Knew that	Didn’t know that
All	34.1%	65.9%
Male N=2,109	22.8%	77.2%
Female N=2,647	43.1%	56.9%

Q6: What do you think of men’s leggings as a fashion item? (Sample size=4,756)

	Rocks	Don’t know	Sucks
All	13.7%	43.3%	43.0%
Male N=2,109	12.0%	39.9%	48.1%
Female N=2,647	15.1%	46.0%	38.9%