I for one am embracing the legging trend for the first time since I was 9 and there were stirrups involved. I’m even loving the so-trendy-they’ll-be-out-by-March jeggings.
Amelia: There is nothing innately wrong with leggings. They can look super with tunics and under dresses, long cable knit sweaters and such.
There is something very wrong, however, with “leggings as pants.” And that my friend is my chief issue with leggings.
Leggings aren’t pants. Otherwise they’d be called ... pants.
But here we are at the cusp of 2011 and leggings as pants abuse is an epidemic.
Too often have I seen a fresh-faced beauty abuse this fashion anomaly.
They bop here and there and reveal almost all.
Left to their own devices and following the lead of airbushed models in glossy magazines, many a woman has caused me great eye pain.
I didn’t want to know THAT much about other women in the ’80s and I don’t want to know that much about them now.
Luckily there are more than a few signs that a wider leg will return to its rightful place in our lives.
Point: Leggings are the best option for nonskinny girls embracing the skinny pant concept.
Katie: There is nothing I — a woman so far from a size zero they make me put a 2 in front of it — hate more than shopping for pants. Jeans, forget it!
This is because it is very hard to find pants that fit me right. And the skinnier the cut, the more difficult it is. So if I choose to be on trend this season, which is every female’s inalienable right, then the practically one-size-fits-all, wonderfully stretchy legging is my best option.
Counterpoint:
Amelia: Just because your friends are jumping off a roof doesn’t mean you should wear leggings.
Too often us girls with curves have been made to feel like we can look like the stick. Truth is that we can’t and neither can the sticks.
That said, my misgivings about leggings have very little to do with size.
Fact is that I don’t want to know that much about anyone’s backside and it doesn’t matter if the backside is a 2, a 22 or a 42.
And for the record, skinny jeans look best on punk rock boys and 12-year-old girls.
Point: Getting jiggly with it
Amelia: There is often too much action going on when it comes to leggings, jeggings and the like, if you get the drift.
Too much tushie, too much time.
Counterpoint:
Katie: Don’t blame the car because its owner doesn’t know how to drive.
It’s not the leggings’ fault that some people leave their wobbly bits exposed for all to see.
Fashion disasters can happen with all types of garments. Worn incorrectly, your beloved slacks can be just as offensive to the optical nerve.
My love of leggings comes with a covered caveat.
Point: I spent enough on boots; I deserve to show them off.
Katie: While booties have ruled the sidewalk in the recent fashion past, serious boots are back. Embellished, strappy, knee-high and even over-the-knee boots are all the rage. And who in their right mind is going to shell out $50, $75, $125 for a pair of fabulous faux-leather, knee-high chocolate boots just to wear them under a pair of bootcut jeans? Not this girl.
In years past, I’ve worn my boots with a skirt and tights. But if you need to be outside in January for any extended period of time, tights won’t cut it. Leggings fit perfectly inside all boots and help show them off. Admit it, there is nothing as sad as seeing a woman who has tight-rolled her flared jeans and shoved them in the top of her boot.
Counterpoint:
Amelia: You’ve got a point here about the need to show off boots, but a girl has to remember that leggings aren’t the headlining act.
At best, they are a supporting character. Think of them as Joan Cusack — incredibly awesome, but not exactly Julia Roberts.
More than that, they aren’t made of the warmest materials.
Heck, most are only slightly thicker than the tights I’m wearing right now. Only the brave among us would go into a snow fight with tights.
All that said, layering, layering and layering is key to remaining warm when the temperatures drop. It is also key to looking great and making the most of your wardrobe.
Leggings can make a most excellent base for a look.
There is everything right with wearing them under skirts and dresses. This way you get to wear the skirt, show off the boots and get your legs some attention.
Point: Don’t even get me started on jeggings.
Amelia: Every generation has its plaid bell bottoms and coonskin hats. Jeggings are ours.
Years from now, jeggings wearers will have to explain this to their children. How they thought it was a good idea. How all the cool kids were doing it. How they were young and foolish. How jeggings were the comfortable alternative to skinny jeans. I wish them the best and will perhaps write a book that coaches them through such a conversation.
Counterpoint:
Katie: I contend that if a woman is wearing a good pair of jeggings — with contrast stitching down the side and a realistic denim color — and she has the part where the zipper should be hidden beneath a tunic, then the majority of average Joes on the street will not even know they’re not jeans.
I love the way super skinny jeans look with high boots and, say, a sweater and pea coat. But I can’t squeeze my behind in super skinny jeans, so I fake the look with jeggings.
I have yet to have anyone come up to me and say, “Hey! Those aren’t jeans. You lie!”
Point: I’m lazy ... And broke.
Katie: Leggings are not only easier to shop for, but they make it much easier to throw together an outfit in the morning.
I’m planning on subsiding on a rotation of leggings and boots on bottom, big warm sweaters and tunics on top all winter. What could be easier? Brown boots, jeggings, plaid tunic. Throw in really warm socks and big scarf if it’s sub-zero and I’m out the door.
Leggings also allow me to extend the life of some summer dresses so I don’t need to go buying a lot of new stuff. And maintenance wise, they’re a snap. Quick wash, quick dry. If they rip, who cares! They were $6 — buy a new pair.
I’ll take $6 compared to $60 for a pair of jeans any day.
Counterpoint:
Amelia: Yeah, leggings are inexpensive when compared to pants, but your money will go a lot farther if you invested in slacks. The right pair can also look great under those lighter outfits.
By the way, jeggings, the bane of my existence, can be as expensive as jeans. I’ve seen them for as much as $80.
Nevertheless, mix it up, buys some leggings if you must, just don’t show all of your world.
About the Author