Curvy Mom Bullied Over Yoga Pants Has the Last Laugh

A curvy woman was shamed for wearing leggings but turned the insult to something positive, with many feeling so inspired by her that they’ve taken to social media to share photos of themselves in colorful, bold leggings with the hashtag #LeggingsWin.

Kelley Markland recently took to wearing spandex because she “got compliments” on them and “started feeling better” in what she was wearing, according to Babble. “As a plus-sized woman, your options are limited,” Markland told the site. The 36-year-old said the more she wore her new leggings from LulaRoe, the more she wanted to keep wearing them because she felt “pretty and good in them.”

Before stumbling upon this newfound confidence brought on by a pair of leggings, Markland — a mom, teacher, and education student — wore mostly black, because she “tried to hide.” But the flashy leggings changed her wardrobe, throwing blues and pinks into the mix. “I’m happy I finally have the confidence to wear something that isn’t solid black,” she said.

Unfortunately that confidence was short-lived, as she recently came home to find hate mail urging her not to wear her favorite new pants. Using a printed image of Ron Burgundy from Anchorman, it read, “Your pants say yoga but your butt says McDonald’s.” It came with another image of a plus-size woman, who is not Markland, bending over in leggings. There was also a hand-written note that said, “Women who weigh 300 pounds should not wear yoga pants!!”

You know what we have to say to that? People who are so hateful should not tell people what to wear.

Markland told Babble finding the letter was surreal. “I was numb and I didn’t know what to think. I wanted to laugh like, ‘This is a really weird joke,’” she explained. “I kind of just froze. I walked to my bedroom to show my husband, Dustin, and he didn’t know what to say either. What can you say?”

She obviously got upset but didn’t brood for too long. As her husband began crumpling up the letter, she stopped him because in that moment, she decided she wasn’t just going to sit at home and cry over this act of hate — she was going to speak out about it. So, like any angry social media user would do, Markland took to Facebook to share her story.

“Anyone who knows me, knows that I care deeper and stronger than many. I am a sensitive woman and I despise cruelty towards others,” she wrote. “I’m sorry that some of you may not like it, but I’m not dressing for you. All the hate in this world, and you have to pick on me for this?!”

And, all of a sudden, the leggings that once brought her sorrow turned into a beacon of strength.

Women she didn’t even know were hearing her tale and posting their own stories of learning to love their bodies, sharing pictures of themselves in their own pants with the hashtag #LeggingsWin.

What started out as a horrid act of bullying turned into an experience that changed the way Markland saw herself for the better. “No one should tell us what we can and cannot wear, especially based on our size,” Markland said. “We have to love ourselves, because if we aren’t going to love ourselves then who will love us? A year ago, that letter would have sent me into a big downward spiral, but that letter doesn’t define who I am. I may not like the way I look all the time, but I’m a pretty good person. Any woman goes through that, we’re all kind of struggling to keep our heads above water and be better and do more, but not always appreciating where they are in this exact moment.”

This isn’t the first time stretchy pants have caused controversy. After a Rhode Island resident wrote into a local newspaper to express his disdain for adult women who wear yoga pants in public because they provide “an unforgiving perspective” that’s “inappropriate for general consumption,” the women he targeted organized a peaceful protest — a Yoga Pants Parade — right on their grouchy neighbor’s block.

Then there was the October viral video of a Tennessee woman ranting about her contempt for what she considers to be too-sheer leggings. In response, the folks at Fox & Friends decided to bring in a panel of men — including Duck Dynasty’s Willie Robertson — to dissect the situation further, because what women wear is up to men, apparently.

Finally, in October, more than 30 young girls were sent home from their Tennessee high school, not for acting out, defacing school property, or bullying fellow students but for wearing leggings. According to the school’s dress code, leggings are too much of a distraction for male students.

Anyway, to her bully, Markland says “watch out,” because she’s now “on a mission to wear the brightest and boldest leggings she can possibly find.”

And, getting the ultimate revenge, Markland thanked the anonymous critic. “Whoever wrote this letter, thank you, because you started something so much bigger. Because of this, I found some strength I didn’t have. Because of this act of bullying … the love that has come from it has been so amazing. It’s not about leggings. It’s about being confident in who you are.

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