They've discontinued my favorite leggings

[dbny]

I have been wearing Capezio sueded supplex leggings for 3 years and they are all springing multiple leaks now. I've been mending them, but it's only a matter of time before they become more hole than fabric. I went to DanceFactoryOutlet.com to get more and found that they are completely out of my size in any color. I googled the style number + Capezio + supplex and found NOTHING. It looks like Capezio is making a slightly different legging now and the lowest I found it for was $29 - which is simply beyond my reach.

Does anyone who is familiar with these leggings have any suggestions for a substitution?

I'm considering getting the Huetopia unitard at DanceFactoryOutlet and cutting the top off, but it is not the sueded supplex, and at $10 I think I want a finished product.

[flippet]

I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but www.discountdance.com has supplex tights. Try here. (http://www.discountdance.com/frame_set.php3?mf=http://www.discountdance.com/dancewear/product_1605.html)

[dbny]

Thanks, flippet, but those are tights. What I need are leggings to wear over my tights.

[jenlyon60]

Try Danskin.com ... They sell online now. They have a "clearance section" but I didn't see what's available. Under "BOTTOMS" they do have some leggings besides the infamous boot-cut that's everywhere.

http://store.danskin.com/bottoms-women.html

[Justine_R]

Have you checked in all the skating stores in your area?
Maybe ask the manager in one of those stores to see if they have any in the back or could get u some before they completly run out everywhere.

[mousey]

if u want exercise pants (like yoga pants), costco sells nice ones!! and they're pretty cheap too.

[dbny]

Thanks for all of your suggestions. Unfortunately, I'm extremely picky. The leggings I want have to be tight fitting all the way down to the ankle so they keep the laces in. I'm afraid to order without trying on, as I'm on the heavy side and short. I also cannot afford to pay very much.

The Danskins for $23 look the most promising. I stopped at a store that has Capezio yesterday and absolutely hated everything they had. Didn't even like any of the fabrics. I'm going to find a store with Danskin and try on some of those. Otherwise, I'll take another look at Conway's leggings, which always seem to be in stock, but are heavier than I like.

[flippet]

Originally posted by dbny
Thanks for all of your suggestions. Unfortunately, I'm extremely picky. The leggings I want have to be tight fitting all the way down to the ankle so they keep the laces in.

What do you wear on your feet when you skate? I'm assuming that you'd prefer to wear pants of some kind, as well?

Reason I ask is, I wear footless skating tights, even when I wear pants, precisely to keep my laces tucked in. (And, I just like the look of a footless tight over the boot.) I wear regular cheapie knee-high nylons on my feet. What I've done when I've just dashed off to skate and am wearing jeans or something is to pull the nylons up and then down over the laces. Works like a charm. Perhaps, even if you don't want to wear nylons on your feet, you can cut a 'ring' of nylons and slide them on your ankles before tying on your skates, and then just covering the laces with it. If you prefer skating tights on your feet (and don't want to wear two pairs of tights, top pair footless), Mondor sells skating socks (knee-hi type) made out of the tights material. I haven't tried them, but they seem like a great idea, and would probably fold down over the laces just like nylons.

[dbny]

Originally posted by flippet
What do you wear on your feet when you skate? I'm assuming that you'd prefer to wear pants of some kind, as well?


I think we have a little misunderstanding here:

leggings = pants :lol:

I wear lightweight footed tights from Jenskates.com. under the leggings. The terminology must vary by region.

I tried on some Danskin leggings today and hated them. They were not as forgiving as the sueded supplex and I don't think I could wear my knee pads under them. I also discovered that supplex without the sueded finish is a bit too shiny for me.

I did finally find some of the Capezio's I really want, but the place that has them (stirrup kind only in my size & black) wants $45 each!
How can I spend that much money on a pair of leggings that I know will last me three years at best? When these are gone that will be the end of them. Why, oh why, did Capezio stop making these leggings from heaven? No other fabric is as soft and pliable. Everything else I tried on felt like very tight elastic bandages compared to the sueded supplex.

[jenlyon60]

This place

http://www.skate-buys.com/suededsupplex.html

Has the Sueded Supplex leggings at slightly below full retail price.

I found another brand of supplex leggings at

http://shop.store.yahoo.com/uniflexdancewear/suanle.html

They're not Capezio, but they appear to be a non-shiny supplex blend, and they're cheaper.

[dbny]

Yes, that's the place that want's $45 each for them. I deliberately did not post the name or the link and would not buy anything from them. It feels like robbery to me. Dancefactoryoutlet was selling them for $10 each because they were discontinued, and these folks think people like me will be desperate enough to pay an obscene amount because there will be no more. I hope they never corner the market on a product vital to life, because their real name is "GREED".

[montanarose]

You might want to look for a line called "One Step Ahead", a San Francisco dancewear company. My local dancewear shop carries it and with any luck you may be able to find it at one of the online dancewear outlets.

They make a black legging, 86% supplex and 14% lycra, which may be very similar to your beloved Capezios. I would probably describe them as "sueded" in that they have a very matte, as opposed to shiny, finish. They are tight all the way down to the ankles. They are, unfortunately, on the pricey side: I think they were in the lower $30s when I bought my last pair a couple of years ago. The price is somewhat countered by the fact that they last practically forever and hold their shape and color through countless washings.

I wear these over a pair of footed tights, with my Skating Safe knee and hip pads in-between :lol: And then I add a pair of black ballet-type legwarmers over the top of my boots and pull them down to totally cover my laces and the heels of my boots.

Good luck!

[flippet]

Originally posted by dbny
I think we have a little misunderstanding here:

leggings = pants :lol:



No, I get it. :) I was just wondering if you preferred pants, as opposed to a skirt. Some people who like to wear pants don't like to wear tights underneath, for various reasons. I only mentioned what I did, because if keeping the laces tucked in is your main concern, there are other ways to do that, and you can then wear whatever pants you like without worrying that they have to be ultra-snug at the bottom.

Sorry you can't get your favorites, though! :(

[dbny]

Originally posted by flippet
No, I get it. :) I was just wondering if you preferred pants, as opposed to a skirt. Some people who like to wear pants don't like to wear tights underneath, for various reasons. I only mentioned what I did, because if keeping the laces tucked in is your main concern, there are other ways to do that, and you can then wear whatever pants you like without worrying that they have to be ultra-snug at the bottom.

Sorry you can't get your favorites, though! :(

Duh. It completely threw me that you asked if I wear pants "as well" because I virtually never wear skirts or dresses (although I would love to).

I just ordered 5 pair of the Jenskates brand lightweight tights in black, which is a temp solution, meaning that if my leggings sprout a new hole while skating, it won't show :lol: While there, I took a look at what they offer by way of leggings and ordered one pair of something that looks good and should have a matte finish. They were $30, but I don't think I am going to get away for much less. I'm planning a visit to a shop on LI to check out some cotton/lycra leggings for $20, but I have a feeling they won't be elastic enough for my knee pads.

Montanarose: I will look for the "one step ahead" leggings. Thanks for the suggestion.

[dbny]

Originally posted by montanarose
You might want to look for a line called "One Step Ahead", a San Francisco dancewear company. My local dancewear shop carries it and with any luck you may be able to find it at one of the online dancewear outlets.

They make a black legging, 86% supplex and 14% lycra, which may be very similar to your beloved Capezios. I would probably describe them as "sueded" in that they have a very matte, as opposed to shiny, finish. They are tight all the way down to the ankles. They are, unfortunately, on the pricey side: I think they were in the lower $30s when I bought my last pair a couple of years ago. The price is somewhat countered by the fact that they last practically forever and hold their shape and color through countless washings.

I wear these over a pair of footed tights, with my Skating Safe knee and hip pads in-between :lol: And then I add a pair of black ballet-type legwarmers over the top of my boots and pull them down to totally cover my laces and the heels of my boots.

Good luck!

Are these the ones you mean? One Step Ahead (http://www.allaboutdance.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=OSA200&Category_Code=exercise)

Another question about them: Are they stretchy enough to be able to pull the ankle over the knee for my knee pads?

[montanarose]

Hard to tell for 100% sure, but they certainly could be. Mine are 86% supplex and 14% lycra, and if this is indeed the same style then $24 is a great price (and thanks, I'll order some from the website myself!).

As far as the stretch factor goes, I'm not quite sure what to tell you. They're fairly stretchy yet also fit very close to the body. In my case, I wear the "Skating Safe" knee and hip pads and have no problem fitting them under the leggings. YMMV, depending on the size of your padding.

[dbny]

These are also 86/14 and I've emailed the store to ask if they are really leggings, as I can't see from the pic if they have feet or not. No reply as yet, and it's been a few days.

[skateflo]

Did you email Jen (jenskates) and ask her what she might recommend as a substitute? She really knows the various lines (including her own brand) and might be able to find something for you.

I know when she discontinued her own line of heavy weight tights for adults, she had so many requests that she finally found another manufacturer and has ordered 1000!!! I already put in my order for 10.

You have nothing to lose by the inquiry......and as others have said, let your fingers do the walking and call all the skate shops in your phone area. I do understand how price is an issue, but if the old ones lasted this long, figure on a per year basis....nothing stays the same in price or quality. Good luck and I hope Jen or someone else can help you. Did you check on the list of retailers on Sandra Loosemore's page for oneline skate apparel shops?

[dbny]

skateflo, I received the Jenskates tights and leggings, but the leggings are not stretchy enough at the bottom to accomodate my knee pads. I did email Jen about it, and she suggested the boot cut pants, but I like to have the pants hold my laces in, so I will just be sending back the leggings and am now out the shipping both ways. I've even been looking for sueded supplex fabric online with no luck so far.

[skateflo]

Gee, sorry to hear Jen wasn't able to help you.

I hate it when a product I have loved for years is no longer available....

Have you looked into skiing shops for products as an alternative?

[mikawendy]

Originally posted by skateflo
Gee, sorry to hear Jen wasn't able to help you.

I hate it when a product I have loved for years is no longer available....

Have you looked into skiing shops for products as an alternative?

...or shops that sell bike clothing?

[dbny]

Thanks to everyone who has offered suggestions. I've looked everywhere, and so far I think my best bet will be the really cheap leggings sold in stores like Conway. I might have a chance to look there tomorrow.

[jwrnsktr]

I think Mondor is selling to the public now and their stirrup tights are great and last forever.