For millennials who grew up trading rigid denim for the stretchy embrace of leggings, a new era has arrived. Popflex, the viral activewear brand that’s earned a devoted following (Taylor Swift included), is taking everything we love about athleisure and channeling it into the one wardrobe staple that’s notoriously been its opposite: jeans.
Gone are the days of stiff, unforgiving denim reserved exclusively for date nights and special occasions. Cassey Ho, the fitness entrepreneur and creative force behind Popflex, is on a mission to make jeans as comfortable as the leggings that built her empire. The result? A denim collection so stretchy, you can literally do the splits.
The daughter of Vietnamese immigrants who initially pursued biology at Whittier College before following her heart into fashion and fitness, Ho has built an eight figure business by listening to her community and solving their problems through innovative design. With millions of followers across her platforms, she’s transformed from a part time Pilates instructor uploading her first YouTube video in 2009 to a CEO, designer, and inventor whose viral Pirouette Skort sold out in 15 minutes after Taylor Swift wore it.
Now, she’s bringing that same problem solving approach to denim.
Launched on November 13, the Popflex denim line features four vintage inspired silhouettes that span decades of denim history: wide leg, straight leg, bell bottom, and flare, each available in flattering medium and light washes. But this isn’t your average throwback collection. Crafted from an ultra stretch blend of cotton, modal, polyester, and spandex with strategically placed five seam construction, these jeans marry ’70s freedom with modern functionality.
The devil, as they say, is in the details. Each style incorporates signature elements from Popflex’s cult favorite leggings: heart shaped, corset inspired seams that create a lifting effect, strategic placement pockets, and the brand’s coveted V front waistband borrowed from their bestselling crisscross hourglass leggings. It’s activewear engineering meets denim tradition, and the combination is exactly what your wardrobe needs.
“With my brand Popflex and all my other designs, I come from a place of problem solving. Jeans are traditionally really rigid and hard to squeeze your body into and I felt like I needed to create stretchy jeans so that they are as comfortable as leggings,” Ho told Forbes.
The journey from concept to creation wasn’t overnight. Ho began designing in October 2023, iterating through multiple prototypes to perfect the formula.
“Women’s bodies are treated like fashion trends,” Ho observes, a statement that cuts to the heart of why this collection feels so necessary. For someone who has built a platform inspiring women through workouts, nutrition, and entrepreneurship, she also wanted her clothing to help other women feel their best and instill that confidence. Sometimes, fashion, as we know it, can feel limiting, but the inspiration behind Popflex is to create designs that reflect different stages and moments of life, not just the gym.
While traditional denim often demands we conform to its shape, Popfex flips the script entirely. “What really inclusive about us is that we fit on all body types from XXS to 3X. The fabric is so stretchy and molds to your body, instead of your body fitting into a pair of pants.”
It’s this commitment to inclusivity and comfort that has cultivated Ho’s loyal community who constantly engages with her social media community to understand what her customer base needs. She wants to solve a problem that women are facing, but also to create innovative products that are functional. Besides her followers, she also taps into fashion history which she finds really inspiring, including outdoor fashion and men’s fashion.
Her inspiration sources are equally eclectic. “I’ve recently even started looking into eBay and am in problem solving mode to understand what future products to launch,” Ho shares. She’s constantly identifying gaps in the market and translating them into products that don’t just look good but actually work for real bodies living real lives.
The collection, priced from $80 for the straight leg to $105 for the wide leg style, is available exclusively through Popflex’s e commerce site. And if you’re wondering about care? Ho keeps it refreshingly simple: wash on the coldest setting (truly cold, not lukewarm), tumble dry, and they won’t shrink or fade away.
For Ho, building Popflex means solving problems for real women so they can go about their daily lives in comfort. As the brand moves beyond the gym and into every corner of our daily lives, one thing becomes clear: Cassey Ho isn’t just selling denim. She’s selling he freedom to move, to feel confident, and to refuse the false choice between comfort and style.