Leggings: the 80s pant of choice that was redefined in our generation when Limited Too started selling them in mass with matching tunics with your choice of a dog, horse, cat or monkey on it (I always chose the one with the monkey because monkeys are inherently sassy animals. Their curly tails are just so whimsical). As we grew up, the presence of leggings in the fashion world accompanied us and expanded by mating with jeans and coming in a myriad of colors, textures and patterns. But, even though leggings are versatile and appealing to those of the collegiate status, they are one of fashion’s drugs that you can’t abuse.
As we, as a population, have gotten progressively lazier, we have gone from wearing jeans as comfort, casual pants to wearing jeggings to just dropping the whole façade of being “put together” and wearing leggings as pants. Contrary to popular belief, leggings are not pants, unless they are actual athletic leggings, like the ones with those weird, little internal pockets that really can’t fit anything like keys or an ID that they claim they can, or the yoga leggings that Victoria’s Secret emblazon a sequin “PINK” on the butt.
The aforementioned types are the only ones that I really allow any decent human being to wear with a regular length shirt; otherwise you should be wearing some sort of longer shirt, tunic, oversized sweatshirt, skirt or dress over them. Don’t even get me started on the train wrecks I have seen with girls who cross (more like dive over) the line in the worst way by wearing tights as pants, control top and all. Just say no. Reevaluate your life choices when you reach that point.
I am not saying that your butt doesn’t look amazing in those curve-hugging leggings, because I know the Rec can do wonders in that department with those Stairmasters (have you climbed to the top of the Empire State building today?), but leggings are a layering piece. They are just not made to be the sole layer covering up those neon orange undies you are wearing that now pretty much everyone else can see. If that is the kind of attention you want, then I guess it is fair game, but don’t complain about boys staring at your but when they might be just trying to read the newest witty statement that PINK has proclaimed there.
That brings me to underwear and its love/hate relationship with leggings. Even when you heed my aforementioned advice, panties are the foundation to your outfit, and if that foundation is ridden with cracks of bad panty lines it will bring down the whole house. They are just so incredibly tacky, and they make me so sad when I see a nice girl with some bad camel toe or panty lines because it in turn makes her look sad about her life. So, retire your big boy short undies for sweat pant days and treat yourself to some 5 for $26 panties at Aerie or Victoria’s Secret and buy some thongs, cheeky style and lace back panties. It will be money well spent because now you can wear your leggings with confidence, and they pretty much look great under any clothes.
I want to clear up that I am not a legging hater. I actually own upwards of 15 pairs of leggings, varying from footless tight leggings to patterned leggings to sweater leggings to basic heather grey leggings. I love layering them in the ways I specified before. I even sometimes just wear them with a regular T-shirt to bed if I have been wearing them with other things throughout the day. I just worry about a society where people lose the will to care about their being so much that they don’t even wear real pants anymore.
So, I am not asking you to abandon comfort, I am just asking you as someone who cares about the well-being of fashion and society in general, respect yourself and put on some real pants. I promise it won’t be so bad.
By: Veronica DeStefano | Image: Source
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