K-Deer is a small, yoga-focused company out of New Jersey famous for their bold stripes and patterns. After all the buzz surrounding the Athleta/K-Deer copycat saga that some of you might recall, I was especially interested to try out a pair of K-Deer’s stripes. So, when K-Deer reached out and offered to send me a couple pairs, I said heck yeah! Since I know many of you have been curious about trying K-Deer, too, I hope my thoughts help you decide if they’re for you.
Disclosure: these leggings were gifted to me from K-Deer. As usual, everything here is my own honest opinion and experience.
Trina Stripe
I’ll be honest: I spent a long time really hesitant about K-Deer’s bold stripes. So many people rave about them, but I was worried there was a little too much clown factor and that they weren’t for me.
But… I’m the same person who freaked out about cats in space on my leggings, so I’m not really sure who I was kidding there. I am definitely not a “serious leggings only” kinda lady.
Sure enough, as soon as I put these Trina stripes on, I fell in love. It’s hard not to feel a little happier when you’re wearing pants like this. I love the teal and the punchy peach ombre. I’ve already worn these several times–I even snuck them into a work under a dress. ;) I hate to play favorites, but…Trina stripe is pretty much already my favorite out of these 3.
K-Deer does run a bit small. I wear a street size 00/0 and XXS/XS depending on the brand. My K-Deers are a size XS and the fit is perfect. They are tight when you put them on, so you can’t just pull straight up. Instead, you have to work them up your legs a few inches at a time. Once they are on, they do.not.move. I would reiterate what K-Deer says on their website: if in doubt, definitely size up.
The rise is very, very high, coming up just over my belly button. They aren’t really made to roll down, but you can kind of make it happen if you need. If you’re both particularly petite and short-waisted, the high waist might be a little overwhelming for you. Also, as with many high waists, there is no waistband pocket.
K-Deer’s fabric is a smooth-faced fabric with a lot of stretch. The fabric is reminiscent of a pair of (extremely thick) pantyhose or a swimsuit. It’s lightweight, which means it will work year round, but still provides a bit of compression. The fit and fabric together make these an excellent choice for a wide variety of workouts.
As far as coverage is concerned, they weren’t quite 100% opaque in a bend/deep squat, but totally fine with suitable underthings. I’ve heard others say there’s were totally solid, so your mileage may vary. On that note, the fabric does seem prone to show seams, so be sure you wear something no-show underneath.
Another unique thing about K-Deer is the construction of the front panel and the gusset. You’ll notice that there’s no vertical front seam. In addition, the gusset is very unique. It actually extends horizontally all the way down to the knee. The photo above is the easiest way to show that without a straight-up crotch shot (no thanks). The end result of the flat front and long gusset is that these are pretty much the lease crotch-clingy pants you will ever put on. I don’t know if you’ve ever tried leggings that have been a little “grabby”, whether in the leg crease or worse, but it’s really unpleasant both aesthetically and comfort-wise. The construction of these pants means that will never be a worry with these pants.
I noticed that the gusset seam is flatlocked, but the lower leg and the rear vertical seam were not. The more detail-oriented of you might note that in the above photo, you can see the transition around the knee from flatlocked to overlocked seams. I believe this is a stylistic choice: a flatlock seam disrupts the stripe pattern a bit. You’ll notice that the tribeca print (see below) is flatlocked at the bum, which reinforces my thinking that the non-flatlocking was done on purpose just for the stripes.
Jennifer Stripe
Another one in the stripe lineup, the Jennifer stripe is named for Jennifer Bandier, the founder of the fitness fashion retailer by the same name. The black and grey with pops of red is not as in your face as other stripes, but still makes a statement.
Like the Trina stripes, I suggested going with dark or neutral colored underthings, especially if you plan on doing some squatting or bending.
I pretty much covered the fit and fabric notes above, but one thing I didn’t mention yet is that K-Deer leggings run loooooong. Their website states that they have a 30″ inseam that stretches up to 34″. Since I’m only 5’3″, I have quite a lot of extra ankle scrunch. This extent of the scrunch is demonstrated by the asymmetrical ankle situation in these pics–oops. :) Even if you’re a pretty tall lady, you’ll get full length out of the deal. Us shorties can leave them scrunched (I’m used to it), hem them, or try their capri length instead.
As far as workouts are concerned, these were awesome. As I mentioned above, the lightweight fabric is nicely breathable. I’ve heard that people like these for hot yoga–I could definitely see that. The high stretch also makes these ideal for workouts where you’re bending a lot, like weightlifting or yoga. You’ll never feel pinched or constricted, but you’ll still feel supported.
Tribeca Print
Last but not least: Tribeca print. As I mentioned above, one difference to note on the print is that the back seam is flatlocked. If you really like all your seams flatlocked, you might be happier in prints over stripes, though honestly I didn’t notice a difference in feel when wearing them. Overall, K-Deer pants are some of the most comfortable leggings I own.
Again, the same fit notes apply to these as the other leggings. Although the fabric didn’t feel substantially different, unlike the stripes, I found Tribeca to be 100% opaque even in a squat/bend. The simple geometric print will work casually as well as for workouts, and of course matches anything.
Another thing I really like about K-Deer is that all their production is done in the US, specifically within 15 miles of their New Jersey studio. I love the idea of supporting small, locally-oriented operations. That factor, combined with the fit, feel, and look of the pants, means that I think their $98 price tag is worth it.
Overall, my feelings are definitely positive toward K-Deer and my first set of their leggings–these won’t be my last!
P.S. K-Deer also sent me this adorable printed “nama’stay in my leggings all day” printed tank, which pretty much sums up my feelings every day. It’s a simple, fitted cotton tank with lots of stretch and lots of softness. Their cotton tanks are only $25, making them an economical and cheeky option to pair with their bold pants.
Shop K-Deer
Limited K-Deer styles are also available via Bandier and Carbon38
These look great on you, and I love the shirt! It’s a bummer that they’re too long. Love the printed ones though!
I think for my next pair I’ll try a pair of crops–no length issues there. :)
i love that tank! i was ready to ask where it was from (my guess was spiritual gangster) and then i saw your last note about it. it’s on my “buy in march if i still NEED it” list :)
i really like k-deer. i have the jennifer stripe in crop version (good alternative for people who don’t want the super long leggings), and i have the all different shades of grey full length legging (not sure what it’s called – i think it’s bandier exclusive). they are faboo!!
The grey monochrome gradient are Jody stripe–they have them on the K-Deer site too. :)
I have 2 pairs of K-Deer leggings and a pair of crops along with their shelf bra tank (made out of the same material as the leggings). I’m only 5’1″ so I took them to my alterations place and she was able to hem them for me with her flat lock seaming machine. She did it with black thread on a black stripe so no one would ever know they were hemmed. Just an idea for anyone who is bothered by the LOOONNNNGGGGG length. ;)
Oh, good thinking about the hemming. I might get mine hemmed at some point if it ends up bothering me, just a shame to hem off the red accent on the Jennifer stripes. : I think I’m going to try their capri length next and see how that goes!
Thanks for the review! I love all of these. Someone mentioned that she thought the fabric of the stripes legging was a bit scratchy. Did you notice that?
Mine do feel a little scratchy. I have the grey/black Bandier exclusive stripes. I am a size 4 in lulu tights and I went with a small. They fit through the bum and thighs but they slide down. I spent my whole Crossfit workout yanking them up. An XS was too small though. :/
I otherwise love the look of them.
They don’t feel scratchy to me, no.
Thank you so much for the review! After your comments on IG I decided to get both an XS and S to compare since they have a great return shipping policy. My measurements put me at the higher end of their XS range but below the S measurements and I decided to keep the S. So I agree with your assessment. They both felt okay on, but I was concerned with opacity so kept the larger size. I mainly run in them and I have to be careful about hiking them up adequately before I start running or they do slide down a little in the crotch area. I probably wouldn’t have had this issue in the XS. I love the fun colors. Started with the green Maranda stripes and have since ordered the gray Jody and louder Sophia.
Thanks for sharing your size notes! :) Glad you’re liking them.
As a follow-up, I did order two more pairs. One pair came with the stripes not lined up which really bothered me. Though they ultimately would have made it right (gotten another pair to me without repaying shipping) the way the company handled it really rubbed me the wrong way (made me feel as if I was asking too much to have the stripes lined up — even though all the other pairs I have personally seen in person had lined up stripes — and made me feel as if they were doing me a favor by sending out another pair). I decided because of this I won’t be supporting them in the future. Customer service counts for a lot.
Aw man. :( I’ve never seen one where the stripes didn’t line up, either, so I wouldn’t think that’s too much to ask. Sorry you had a sour experience!
I’ve been thinking of getting kdeer tights for my daughter and me for a spring race. Their kids tights look adorable, too.
Matching stripes would be so cute! :)
I’m only 4 feet 11 inches, so I think I may want to try these leggings in kids because of the long inseam…once my ban is over. thanks for your review!
Yeah, I have a friend about your height who got the kids version and they’re better for her. They also have capri length, but not sure if those would end up a reasonable length on you or not. Good luck! :)
Weird question, but do you feel like these leggings give you more of a “uni-butt” because of the gusset shape compared to other leggings? I can’t really tell from the pictures, but I personally always try to find leggings that give my booty a little more shape and separation, if that makes any sense? I’d be interested in trying these in kids, but I can’t figure out if the xs would be an equivalent to a kids large or xl…
Heh, can’t say I’d thought too much about that one! :) I’m not sure if I’d say the gusset shape affects things or not. If I had to guess what you’re getting at, I’d say they are light on the “shape and separation” thing. Since they aren’t very clingy, they tend to stretch over the bum instead of mold around it, if that makes sense. I can’t be totally sure I’m answering your q, but I hope that helps a little. :)
Also, I have a friend who bought their kids size. She is quite petite, a lulu size 2, and she bought the kids L. She says she has to pull up the waist occasionally (I’m guessing they’re cut pretty straight) but they’re not too bad.
LOVE these! Especially the Jennifer stripe. I have been eyeing K-Deer for a long time now… I may just need to try these out. I know you said good for most workouts- do they show sweat? I’m a sweaty beast at they gym and have been let down by many a legging in that area.
Honestly, I’m not sure about that. It’s freezing in my gym this time of year, and I’m cold-natured and don’t sweat too much anyway. So, I don’t have any insight there unfortunately!
Interestingly, Athleta’s copycat pants appear to have been pulled from their website… I wanted to compare, but now cannot. And I’m guessing they didn’t simply sell out of every size in their colors of this pattern. Hmmm…
They pulled them pretty quickly actually. Within a couple of days of the outcry and posts on social media (First week of January). Both from online and in-store shelves.
Yeah, like the other commenter mentioned, they pulled them a couple weeks ago, they didn’t sell out. Most reviews I saw about the Athleta version weren’t positive anyways. :
Wish you had a coupon code for these! Love the Jennifer stripe and need that tank. Just FYI, some of your posts haven’t been on FB lately.
Someone told me today that code grateful10 was working, you could try that. :)
Also, thanks for the FB note! The one I posted today worked–not sure why this one didn’t. The plug-in that auto-posts is kinda glitchy sometimes!
I think these look fantastic on you and sounds like they perform well. I’ve been contemplating a pair for a while and this makes me want them more.
Thank you! :) Let me know what you think if you try them out!
All of these look amazing on you! The Trina stripe is so pretty, perfect for spring! Loved your description about how to put them on…you put it into words perfectly! I definitely thought that the first time I tried them on. I have the crops but I really like how the pants looked on you…I’ll have to try those next! Hope you are doing great!! xo
Thank you Andrea!! :)
I have eight pairs of K. Deer leggings, so obviously I like them well enough. I do have three main complaints about them, though. One, I have major camel toe issues with them. You can kind of see it in your pics — the fabric loves to settle into crotch creases. I find it crawls into the vulva as well if I buy my normal size. It’s less of an issue if I size down — the fabric is forced to stretch more tauntly — but then I worry about popping a seam. Speaking of seams….Two, the stitching on most of my pairs is not the best. Loose and pulled threads are pretty common. And finally, you are right that these leggings are not opaque. Try a wide legged forward fold and look up. Nothing is left to the imagination.
Despite these pretty major flaws, something about the stripes keep me coming back. As I refuse to wear underwear while doing yoga, I mostly treat K. Deer as super cute (insanely expensive) tights under dresses.
I agree, one of the first things I noticed in AA’s pics, particularly on the Trina Stripe pair, was the V-shaped darker shadow they created in her lower abdomen/crotch area. I do not want more attention drawn to this area lol! leggings settling in my crotch creases is a common issue for me so I have to cherry pick my leggings. I find that I’ve had the best luck with lulu’s luxtreme. for some reason, I have no issue with that particular material. I have decently muscular thighs so I think this “helps” my leggings create those creases unfortunately.
and for my personal knowledge, do we consider “crotch settling” camel toe? I call it V-crotch lol.
also, props to you Leggings junkie for using the word vulva! I get really annoyed at everyone using the word vagina all the time.
AA, you look awesome in all your recent try-on pics! all that cross-fit is really paying off, you look really strong :)
Thank you for the kind words!! :)
My thoughts on the v-crotch issue: I think part of what you’re seeing is just the fact that my legs aren’t perfectly straight relative to my hips. In other words, there has to be a shadow/crease of some kind there because of the angle of my legs. With most leggings I have, the fabric folds and creases in a whisker pattern when this happens, which perhaps is less noticeable (or at least, we’re more used to seeing it). With these, because the fabric is pulled taught, it tends to just create a shadow, no crease. Between that and the flat front, it definitely does create a different visual in the front hip area compared to most of my leggings. For me, fabric doesn’t actually settle into the crease as I move around. So even if I do a bunch of squats or what have you, if I stand back up straight, the fabric is still sitting how you see in the photos. Anyway, just my 2 cents! Clearly it’s not the same for everyone. :)
thanks for the reply! yes, I do see what you mean. it’s probably because your legs aren’t straight w.r.t. your hips in these pics. about the whisker pattern, I’ve noticed that in some of your pics too, the captain crop in cerise for example. I always thought that meant your leggings were a tad too big. you do say that these K-Deer run a bit small, so it makes sense that the whiskers don’t happen here :)
and the v-crotch issue is common for me, that’s just how my body is unfortunately. but that does mean less purchases ;)
My opinion on the whisker thing is that it can go either way. Excessive bunching definitely is a bad sign as far as fit goes. But some wrinkling/whiskering is kind of inevitable for the hip/leg bend reason I mentioned. That said, the captain crops you mentioned are bigger on me than some of my other pairs (mostly through the leg), so your observation definitely isn’t without merit. :)
thanks AA, great feedback! i wish we could have these convos face-to-face, i feel we could talk during hours about athletic wear :) if i ever come to Arizona, i will let you know, for realsies! and keep up the awesome blog work, I’m enjoying it!
Heh yes! Let me know if you’re ever in my (obscure) neck of the woods. :)
More thoughts on awkward female fit issues. I consider camel toe and crotch creases to be separate but often coexisting issues, neither of which has to do with gussets that so many manufacturers like to pretend are magic. The crotch crease is that v shape outline where thighs meet hips, and the camel toe is that center bulge of the labia that often presents with the pudendal cleft in the middle. I suspect that the crotch crease happens when there is too much extra fabric in the front and/or the fabric doesn’t have a lot of structure (like K. Deer’s pantyhose-like leggings), and the camel toe happens when the rise is too short. Since I am overall petite but have a big ole bubble butt, it is really tricky to find leggings that have a high enough rise that will completely cover my butt, but not be too big in the front or require me to pull them up so much that it creates the dreaded dromedary. Another factor is the way my thighs settle into my hips. They turn inward, creating a more noticeable crevice. I’ve noticed that if I focus on rotating my thighs outward, I can minimize the crotch crease, but I can’t maintain that posture indefinitely.
In terms of leggings that do work for me, I’m partial to Dharma Bums high-waisted leggings and Liquido (with the caveat that Liquido’s sizing is all over the place, but when they fit, they fit really well). I also love Eagle Rock Werkshop for having enough structure to provide a smooth frontal fit (and also for having the most awesome prints), but they are a bit low rise and do not completely cover my Grand Canyon when I bend.
thanks for the thorough explanation! :)
on a side note, i tried on some zella leggings today and they do not fit me well at all (it was my third time trying)! i’m a lulu 6. the small had a lot of extra fabric and gave me a mega V-crotch. the x-small gave me a mini V-crotch and a mini camel toe since the rise was too short like you mentioned. i was so sad because the fabric felt really nice, the cobalt blue was gorgeous and the price was very affordable! but now i know that zellas just aren’t for me :(
Thank you for such an insightful comment! I think you’re right about the causes of both creasing and CT issues being more to do with excess fabric and the nature of the fabric itself (and perhaps body type as well). I agree that gussets are no magic fix. In my experience, bad seaming/gusset placement can create CT problems, but good seaming does not guarantee that CT won’t happen if there are other issues. Also, I’ve been wanting to try Dharma Bums. I’ve seen a bunch of cute stuff on Instagram lately.
Thanks for your input! Sorry you’ve had some issues. : People’s experience with this brand seems to vary quite a lot, as evidenced by this comment section as well as other reviews I’ve seen. Not sure why that is.
P.S. I, too, appreciate your anatomically correct choice of words. ;)
Oh wow! I LOVE these!!! I just ordered the Maranda Green Ombre Crops, and of course i couldn’t resist that tank :)
I went with Medium, I’m a size 6/8 in lulu, and usually an 8 in jeans. Hopefully they work out!
Woohoo! :) Fingers crossed the size works!
Got my order!! The size is perfect. The material is silky soft and the stripes are too cute! The fact that they line up in the back really make your butt look nice. The lack of seam in the middle front is a little weird for me though. Nothing too bad, I will deal with it or wear a longer top. The tank top is great too! All in all I am happy with my purchase! I might venture and pick a crazier pair of stripes next time :)
Hooray! :) I’m glad it was an overall success for you!
All of these look amazing! I have Jennifer Stripes, they are so comfy and so cute!
But my leggings have got light grey gusset seam (the same fabric as the leggings, but light grey stripe). Nothing too bad, but it is slightly see-through, especially with bright colored underwear ;)
I’m not sure if all of Jennifer Stripes leggings have light grey gusset or it is random fabric, it looks dark grey/black on some pictures.
Yeah, I could see how the light grey gusset would cause a problem–yikes. I guess I got lucky that mine are dark in the gusset!
The Tribeca print look like the only “practical” fashion-friendly style I (personally) would want out of the three. The others look like either a Halloween/Steam Punk/Cheshire Cat-costume accessory or prison stripes(!).