When’s the last time you saw this?
This afternoon probably, right?
I mean not at the office. (Hopefully.) But you saw it somewhere else this week. At the airport or the grocery store or the birthday party or the movies. It’s sort of everywhere.
So what’s the verdict on leggings?
This might be the point where I say all views expressed here are my own and not necessarily reflective of the most edgy fashion advice in the marketplace. I’m not 20 and I live in Texas and I have a career at an oil company – not exactly the hallmarks of cutting edge fashion. But I do think I have a good sense about sense. That’s right, a little common sense in a fashion marketplace that seems to be losing most common sense.
However, I don’t wear leggings and would love to master them because without them, as I’ve mentioned, wearing riding boots over my jeans give me elephant knees. Here are the rules I have gathered based on my market research:
1. Leggings are NOT pants. If the occasion calls for trousers do not substitute leggings/jeggings/or any other eggings. This includes anything work related if you have a desk career and are ambitious (in the best way).
2. Cover your rear. Y’all, there is nothing that bugs me (and certain of my friends) more than seeing someone wearing leggings with a shirt that stops at her waist. Uh-uh. No sirrie bob. Cover your rear. It may be a sweater or a long tee or a blazer but cover that up. (See rule 1, leggings are not pants!)
3. Test drive fabrics. Leggings intentionally cling to you. You may not have one spot of cellulite in which case you don’t need super heavy duty fabric but a lot of us, me chief among us, do have it. And you can see that stuff right through leggings if you don’t test drive fabrics and materials.
4. Don’t buy cheap. Not only does the fabric often come too thin (see rule 3), but it doesn’t wear well, it fades or pills, and it cheapens your outfit. Not to mention, all too often cheap comes in an assortment of bad patterns. Please avoid bad patterns on your legs. There’s WAY too many out there.
If you’re going to do leggings, here’s some great ways to do it:
The jegging with oversized top and boot.
Perfect for running the kids to a party on Saturday or for meeting a girlfriend for shopping. And think of colored denim when you’re investigating jegging options – a great way to combine several fun trends.
My girlfriend recommends Jag Jeggings from Nordstrom’s. Gap has an assortment, and they have them in black as well as denim. From Anthropologie (for the budgetless among you) to Express, you can find a panoply of options just be willing to make returns if you buy on line.
Winter cozy.
Combine a patterned sweater and oversized scarfs or layers to make your outfit downright huggable. For those of you in the great north, this look could work for you all the way til April. For us Houstonians, we basically have one more month of this – by rodeo we’ll be done til next November.
Sophisticated chic.
The best way to do this is with a gorgeous blazer. Dress it up further with great accessories like oversized pearls. (Are you dying for that gorgeous orange jacket? I can’t find it!)
The legging option with footwear other than a boot.
From chic flat to sophisticated pump – the legging can be paired with something other than a riding boot though that’s the look dominating the fashion field.
So tell me, what’s your take on the legging? Do you wear them? What’s your favorite brand and way to keep them sophisticated?