Is It Really OK To Wear LEGGINGS As Pants?

If you’re gonna ask our male beloved friends, you’ll probably get a ‘Hell yeah!’ answer before you finish your question. I did. Just asked my husband. But since dressing and looking good or bad for them is NOT something we live for, nor strive to achieve… let’s leave the leggings as pants fantasy for them right where it’s at. In their fantasy world. Or it is too late?

Have leggings become the new pants out there?

Er… NO. Leggings are not pants, and if you’re wearing them as such, you’re pretty much asking for it, as somebody put it. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but I just so happen to think that very few leggings styles and even fewer leggings looks can honestly pass for a good #ootd or even chic/cool outfits. When in God’s name anyway did these gym pants cross the work-out attire boundary? Right onto the streets, to even parties or red carpets?

When? And why?

And please don’t play the ‘they’re so comfortable card’ crap, cause it ain’t working. So is being naked when you’re home alone, why not strut in your birthday suits then, with the same excuse on your lips ‘it’s sooo comfortable’.

That for the past couple of years leggings have translated into more than your regular tight gym style, is true, no doubt. Today they come in so many fabrics and prints and patterns it makes it so much harder to resist donning a pair as if they were pants. A while back we used to be more prude and rock them underneath skirts, dresses or long, very long tops. Today it’s like fuck that shit and show your bum and curves girl. Amen to that. Which brings me to my point here. Are leggings worn as pants a trend on the rise, courtesy of all this big buts mania happening today? When the likes of Nicky Minaj, Iggy Azealia, JLo or Kim Kardashian & Co are showing off their buns on every. freaking. occasion as if that’s all they’ve got going for them (oh wait. they might be right), hoping to get some Anaconda attention, you start wondering what the hell is going on. We get it, you’ve got junk in your trunk. And that’s fine. Hell, it’s great according to the media & body trends, which in itself is wrong on levels.

Somewhere on the road we must have hit our heads or something otherwise I can’t explain who in the right mind would come up, agree and encourage the idea of a certain body type as a trend. A while ago it was the skinny look, leading to so many eating disorders, at a certain point in time it was all about big boobs, hence the plastic surgeries, now it’s big buts + thin bodies. And what’s even funnier is that all of these women’s body types are out there, existing and coexisting, since the beginning of times, yet proclaiming one over another trendy, is not only wrong in so many ways, but unfair to us women and girls. Ridiculous. All body types and sizes and shapes should be celebrated, and if there’s one thing we should all actually give a fuck about body wise, it’s being and looking healthy. In any and every form that might come in. Cause seriously, in this media world/body image crap we’re all losers. Never too thin enough one month. Next month not curvy enough. Not tall or short enough. Not flat chested or no double Ds. Legs too short. Buts not fat enough. Waist not thin enough. It’s like a freaking pissing contest out there.

One thing this body craze did right was just cast more light on how it’s OK if you’re not skinny. Sure, for the wrong reasons  – different trend body – but something’s gotta give. The point is whatever your buns, legs, waist, size if you love leggings do them. Just have in mind a few styling tips. And work your shit! ;)  When & how are leggings OK to rock as pants? Are they?

In order to work leggings have to be made of a thicker very opaque tight fabric. Black & crazy printed leggings are the most flattering if you ask me, cause they cover and conceal much better than any other color. Prints are the best visual gimmick.

 

Leggings look best with lots of layers and longer tops that cover your crotch area.

Then… attention to the camel toe!

Wear them on weekends, casual meetings, holidays, grabbing a bite with your friends, going shopping. Don’t even think about pulling a leggings look for the office.

Here are a few styles everyone is doing out there, and what I love or not so much about them.

1. Leggings and heels. Er… rarely yes. This is a look that all of us have done at some point, myself included (not proud of it though) and few of us nailed it. A major ‘don’t’ here is rocking leggings with those platform sky high heeled shoes. No matter how great of a style and look it may be, with a long or short top, blazer or no, I’m not feeling this style at all. To me it’s borderline vulgar and kinda unfinished.

However, I actually love how high waisted leggings look with stiletto sandals and some baseball inspired top, even cropped. Think ghetto-glam a little bit. It takes a certain kinda personal style and swag to pull this off though. Leggings & heels looks I love: 2. Leather leggings. These are fabulous with just about anything, if you avoid the too-preppy style. I love them with high boots, flats, ankle boots and a plain oversized T-shirt, sweatshirt, or sweater on top. 3. Leggings and sneakers. BAM! This is the look that actually works. High waisted leggings in funky colors, wild prints or animal printed (I love these) work really great with sneakers, oversized tops of all sorts, crop tops even, a baseball hat, red lips perhaps. Again it seems like a laid back look, but it is pretty daring so it takes a bit of balls to rock it. Leggings per se are not wrong in any way. Especially if we’re to look at Alexander Wang’s collection for H&M this season: packed with sporty gym inspired attire, leggings and fitted crop tops, oversized jackets et all. It’s just how we style them – that’s the tricky part. There’s a thin line from cool to vulgar, or just inappropriate. If the leggings look is all about being laid back in that urban cool even casual sort of style, with an occasional ghetto-glam-sporty vibe I’m down with them. Still… my teen years are long gone, so are my early 20s, so I’m leaving some leggings worn as pants looks for more adventurous sartorials. For entertainers, celebrities, and Anaconda fans.

Here’s how the cool beautiful people wear them. :) 

For me… they’re a great gym-stay-at-home and weekend holidays & getaways style. OR everyday casual chic when donned with a long top or oversized sweater. That’s it.

Or maybe I’m just getting too old for this shit.