March 16, 2007

Musing on Leggings

Lately the leggings trend has been everywhere, on the streets, in class, at the airport. . . its almost becoming a fashion cliche. But lets face it, we all love it and its probably going to be around for another season or so. What I'm wondering though is this: Do you differentiate them between leggings for under skirts/dresses and very tight black pants for under long shirts? It might sound a little trivial, but I've been wondering this because I always thought that they were tailored differently for different purposes. Tight black pants are typically tailored thicker because they are pants and leggings are more sheer and super tight for skirts, right? At least, this is how mine are made. So for under shirts where your butt is half exposed as in Mary Kate here (left), do you wear black pants? I mean, no one needs to be that acquainted with your butt. And for under long shirts where its not as in Ashley here (right), then don't you wear leggings/tights? (ps. don't they both look fab here with their cute short fur coats? I always thought fur coats were for older ladies, but I stand mistaken)
Ditto for Lindsey here. I wonder if they are tights or pants? I'm leaning towards pants because of how dark it looks and the crinkle at her knees.

Thoughts on this issue? How do YOU wear the trend?

37 Comments:

Blogger Christine said...

Unfortunately I don't find Mary-Kate and Ashley particularly fashionable. They certainly don't dress their age, and I think fur looks pretty bad and carries some contraversial connotations.

I do want a pair of leggings for myself though!

3/17/2007 8:07 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I agree with basically all BG said. I use black stretchy pants when my long shirts are a little shorter, since they are more like yoga pants than actual leggings. I'll only use leggings if my entire butt is covered. Call me modest, but leggings are a little skimpier and can tend to exaggerate the size of it, at least in my case.

The only problem I have with leggings is I have a pair of leggings cut off at my calves and they don't look good with anything but flats. Suggestions?

3/17/2007 9:38 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I wear legings with owersized shirt and cute dresses. I think its so adorable! :D

3/18/2007 1:50 AM  
Blogger emily said...

i hate the leggings trend!! i live in LA and girls are just taking it too far. wear something that covers your bits! i've seen girls wearing white leggings and cropped tops. no one needs to see that.

you will NEVER catch me wearing this trend! skinny pants are one thing, but leggings are much too 1980s to be respectable.

3/18/2007 3:50 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This comment has been removed by the author.

3/18/2007 4:09 AM  
Blogger Unknown said...

the only way i can stand to see this trend anymore is purely as "tights" and not leggings, meaning when they go straight into boots or closed-toed shoes. even then i'm getting pretty sick of them. i'm hoping they'll disappear over the summer.

but i agree that if you're wearing something that barely covers your rear, it's best to go with thicker fabric, though i'd recommend skipping the "legging" bit and just going with very skinny black pants. thinner fabric would be fine under longer shirts or dresses. you just have to remember that the celebs wearing the "no pants" look are like 85lbs and have no curves, so if you have anything back there you risk running into hoochy territory. just my two cents ;)

3/18/2007 4:12 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i like footless tights with dresses, but the long shirt thing only looks good on a select few in my opinion...
and i thought it was cute when it started but now the look is just getting too overdone...

3/18/2007 7:10 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i love leggings

3/18/2007 7:54 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

footless tights for under dresses and super-short overalls.

leggings under tunics.

both look cute :)

3/18/2007 8:16 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I personally am so not into the leggings look. All they really do is add an extra layer to your skin, which makes your legs look SO much fatter, because no legging is ever sheer enough. Bare legs look super fabulous, especially now that it's spring. I think black leggings are more of a winter look. I mean, they're black, right? And black is so not appropriate for warm weather. Maybe in Canda or something.

3/18/2007 12:12 PM  
Blogger Amber said...

I just call the thick ones leggings and the thinner ones tights. With a long top or blouse I always wear leggings and not tights (Lohan does that way too much), and with a dress I can wear either.. depending on how I'm feeling that day or what goes best with what.

3/18/2007 1:21 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the 3/4's footless tights for under skirts & dresses. I personally don't like leggings AT ALL. With long tops, I wear black skinny jeans - they're decent & class but still make sure that you're in touch with fashion

3/18/2007 1:40 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

the pairs of leggings i own are as follows

navy ones that are pretty thick (not sheer) -- i wear these with long tops. the perfect shirt for these is a long gray tunic style splendid tee that is super soft. it is long enough to cover my butt a little but not THAT long. like if i wore regular underwear you probably wouldn't get a good enough look to see a panty line. with little flats it's perfect.

i also have a similar pair in a heathered gray. sometimes i wear them under jean skirts or something. other times a long top or sweater does the trick.

lastly i have a pair of more sheer creme colored solow leggings with lace at the bottom. they're super cute but hard to match things with. usually i wear a long oatmeal colored cable knit cardigan that hits at mid thigh. more of a comfy winter weekend outfit.

overall leggings are a great way to make an outfit cuter and more interesting. i don't recommend wearing them with shirts that you would usually pair with jeans. this will make anyone look fat and honestly i find it disrespectful. especially at a restaurant or something.

leggings are also a great comfy item to wear around the house. many nights after i get home i slide on a pair with an XXL tshirt and snuggle with blankets in front of the tv.

3/19/2007 12:53 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

oh p-lease....
fur coat in this century???
fur coat in this world???
c'mon doesn't anybody heard of green house effect, species on the verge of extinction!?
is it really necessary for, let's say, fashion sake????
fashion is indeed cool as it is shopping, but don't we all have to be at least a little bit conscious about how our acts afects life?
just think for a while...

3/19/2007 6:41 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

This is an issue that I have wrestled with for a while now. I do think there is a difference between the legging and the tight stretchy black pant. You are right that the fabric on the latter is more durable - meant to be worn as a pant. I have a huge issue with the girls I see running around wearing their thin tights as pants!

3/19/2007 6:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'll admit that the leggings/tights trend seems to be everywhere now, but so what? when something looks good, it'll be popular anyway. I just think that if you're going for that leggings/tights look, at least do it right. I hate it when girls wear them with cropped shirts and expose their butt. They should wear skinny pants instead for a similar fitted, but not so revealing look.

I like wearing tights because sometimes I don't feel like exposing my entire leg when I wear short skirts (and my bf prefers I wear tights with all my short skirts when we got out, LOL). I think that they're great when it's not too hot and not too cold, and you just want an extra layer of clothing to wear. I mostly wear them with dresses and skirts.

I don't really wear tights with long tops because my long tops are usually more fitting and too much tightness all at once might make me look a bit skanky.

P.S. I don't think wearing black leggings/tights make you look fatter. It just depends on your figure. When I wear black tights, it actually makes my legs look much smaller than they really are. Also, I don't really think they're a winter look (maybe more fall) because over here, winter's too cold to wear leggings/tights, LOL.

3/19/2007 7:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I think you can pull off leggings if the top is long enough....i sually pair mine with ballet flats or slouchy swede boots....they'd look hot with ankly motorcycle boots as well or stilletos for a night out on the town....i think the leggins with a denim mini is done butleggings under a wrap dress or with a zip up hoodie or sweat that go just past your butt is such a comfy cozy way to look like you didnt try to hard, with a big slouchy colorful purse, instant movie star on your day off look!

3/23/2007 3:51 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I am getting sick and bored with legging. i never use them anyway because i have a big butt. i will not mess my outter look with legging. what make me sick more is, there's 30 something yo mother wear legging.so not appropriate!

3/27/2007 5:03 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

yea, i agree with the anonymous before me. leggings aren't for ppl of all ages, as a lot of things aren't. personally, i love them and i wear them all the time. i usually wear them under dresses, skirts, and occasionally shorts in autumn and spring. sometimes during the really cold winters, i would wear them underneath my jeans just for warmth.

just to say, i LOVE this blog! complete awesomeness!!

4/02/2007 3:24 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Lindsay is wearing leggings(not pants), and I think those knees are a total faux-pas in the leggings territory. Unfortunately she does it a lot.

I absolutely hate leggings, and I think everyone's going to look back 5 years from now and think "i wish i didn't!".. However I do like tights with short dresses(NOT long shirts), they add a warm touch to dresses in the winter. But they're definitely not a fresh look for spring.
Also i must add that thick leggings make legs look fat unless you have very very skinny legs, and pairing footless leggings with flats makes the legs look stubby, even on most celebs... But because tights are slightly see-though, they have the exact opposite effect, they make legs look longer and leaner.I see the leggings look as a teenage trend(and i avoid it although I'm 22 and have a good shape).

4/02/2007 8:09 PM  
Blogger Caribbean Lionesse said...

I think footless tights/leggings only look cute with tunic dresses/shifts. I hate seeing people wear them with long shirts- they are hardly ever long enough to cover the person's butt properly and then we're all one raised hand away from glimpsing but cheeks...so not neccesary!

4/10/2007 10:32 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love this blog too.

5/27/2007 8:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Can fat girls wear ballet flats?

2/17/2008 10:45 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

leggings - love them
more please

3/12/2008 10:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Black works in every season, I think. I believe seasonal trends aren't set in stone.

loves the leggings, and as for modesty, if you've got a nice ass I say show it off and screw the nay sayers.

5/01/2008 8:11 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I like leggings with long t-shirt...just a simple fashion for me

5/31/2008 8:49 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Leggings should be the everyday casual pants of choice for all women who have a nice athletic builds. They represent many things that women and girls should strive for, including (1) fit, healthy and attractive; (2) casual, relaxed and comfortable; (3) confident, with high self-esteem.

But no, dumb Americans all, we're mostly fat and overweight and we'd rather take our jealousy out by nitpicking what others are wearing.

Take off your Puritanical blinders and get with it. People have been wearing leggings for hundreds of years. Oh, wait, back then MEN wore leggings (think Shakespeare, Robin Hood, King Henry VIII, ...), guess leggings were even Ok with the Puritans, where in men they "revealed" a tad bit more than a butt and nobody cared. Get over yourselves people, your high horse is buckling under your own weight.

Leggings are comfortable, fashionable, casual, fun, and attractive, however you choose to wear them, as pants, or as tights under something.

If leggings DON'T look good on you, maybe you should stop reading this, get off your butt, and do a workout or something useful with your time.

8/04/2008 6:35 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

i personaly love leggings they are the perfect travel pant

8/04/2008 10:15 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wearing leggings (which are usually more opaque than tights or pantyhose) is very comfortable and people look great wearing them. Many like the form fitting feel of wearing leggings. The fit is right when the fit is tight. When wearing leggings you don't need any underwear and I advise people to pull them on all the way up for a "glove fit." You don't need shorts or a skirt over leggings, they are fine on their own.
When you do wear leggings, choose a well made pair - not with cotton fibers that bag out over time but a high tech fiber that retains its shape. Get over the body image constraints and just wear them. Go for the comfort and support. Leggings that go to the ankle have a greater positive visual aesthetic than capri style that chop the leg. Plus the full length leggings support you from your ankle to your waist and give you an energetic lift. Laugh, Live, Love & Enjoy!

9/28/2008 11:28 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I asked my finance out because I saw her wearing leggings and a form fitting top. Her body was nothing to really write home about. She was 45 at the time (I was 27), her butt had too much weight in it, and her stomach was a little too big, but her smile was really cute and she seemed to have some confidence about her that I wanted to see more of.

Turns out her husband of 20 years died a couple years before, and hadn't dated anyone since. She first seemed a little awkward with someone so much younger than her wanting to go out with her, but somehow we went on our first date, and the rest as they say is history.

As I got to know her she was really really sweet and kind, and would do anything else for just darn near anyone. She has worn leggings almost every day since I have known her, and she claims to have done this ever since they were popular in the 80s. She just doesn't like jeans, and doesn't like her legs bare.

Has she shared the outline of her granny panties more than just a few times? Yes. Do I wish she would cover it up a little sometimes and wear some sexier panties? Yes, from time to time.

But I can't get over that she has not a single self confidence issue. We have been together 5 years and are getting married next year.

So I wish all you jealous people would just hush up, and get some leggings and learn to live a little.

6/24/2009 12:30 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Personally I think leggings/tights should only be worn in darker shades if someone's on the heavier side and you should wear something that covers your butt. But I think leggings are great with a short dress and jumpers especially for cold weathers.

11/29/2009 6:49 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I have several pairs of leggings and I think they are very slimming to my legs, except the ones that are very heavy material that I got from target. I agree with everyone that your butt should be covered when you wear leggings, I like them because they are so comfortable, I wear them with long long sleeve shirts that cover half my butt and a tank top underneath that I pull down so my butt is fully covered. When I wear outfits like this people tell me I have lost weight, and when I wear jeans they dont say anything.

Overall I feel like wearing leggings gives me more confidence because I look thinner and am more comfortable.

PS. I also think if people are going to wear something that is a little bit longer like a short dress they should go with tights because leggings just make everything look bulky when you do it like that.

12/27/2009 5:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Keep wearing those leggings without skirts! I love the look. It is as if you gals are naked,and that is so positive. I enjoy seeing not only your butts, just about fully "exposed," but also your outer labia smiling their vertical smiles at me. It's truly empowering for you women to show yourselves off as sex objects. AAMOF, I am working on designing legging for men with an expanding crotch pouch that allow a guy to show off his anatomy to the fullest.

1/17/2010 4:16 PM  
Blogger Unknown said...

I'm not a fan of the leggings look, unless it's with really long shirts, and then they look okay. Leggings definitely need lots of layering.

4/16/2010 6:58 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

There needs to be a clear definition of what constitutes leggings and what constitutes tights.

If they are any degree sheer, they are automatically tights and must only be used with dresses/skirts (or shorts if you like that look).

If they are made of a thicker, cottony or spandex material and are NOT sheer, they are leggings. IMHO they should be worn with tops that are a bit longer. MK can get away with the slightly shorter coat in that pic with leggings because she weighs about 90 lbs and therefore has no butt. Basically, at least cover most of the butt (all of it if you're saggy) and all of the lady bits if wearing leggings.

I am wearing leggings with a long tunic top today. I would never wear it with footless tights because it is inappropriate since it's not at the knee or below.

Skinny jeans need to go away, IMHO, on ladies who just don't have great legs/hips. Go for a bootcut--that's universally flattering.

4/29/2010 10:10 PM  
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Anonymous Cheap FFXIV Gil said...

I just contact the dense ones leggings and the slimmer ones leggings. With a lengthy top or shirt I always use leggings and not leggings (Lohan does that way too much), and with a outfit I can use either.. based on how I'm sensation that day or what goes best with what.


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