I know, readers, that I have already written a column about pants. There is definitely some truth to the fact that 90 percent of my complaints somehow relate to clothing. This column, however, addresses the issue of pants from an entirely different angle. I've been asked by a number of people to write this, so I hope that those people are happy when they open their Daily today and see this column in the Features section about ... leggings as pants!
I, like all of the people who suggested this column topic, do not agree with the use of leggings as pants. They're not pants - it's really that simple. You can use leggings as yoga wear, as exercise wear, as lounge?around?the?house wear, but when did this garment become a popular fashion staple? And when did it replace pants? I have many reasons to support the fact - yes, fact - that leggings make unattractive pants on nearly everyone. One: They're tight. That's how they were made, but it doesn't leave much "wiggle room." Two: They are very often see?through. Many people do not realize this upon purchasing leggings, especially cheap ones. I cannot tell you how many times the sun has shone on someone wearing these things as pants as they walk uphill, and I've gotten a full glimpse of the wearer's underwear. Three: camel?toe. I've said all I need to say, and if you don't know what that means, go look it up on UrbanDictionary.com.
Leggings come in all different colors of unflattering. The winner, though, has to be flesh?colored leggings. When worn as pants, it just looks like you're walking around naked. Nice. I feel like I should not even have to mention this as an aside, but while we're on the topic, tights are even less acceptable as pants than leggings.
I am pretty embarrassed to admit that I saw someone walking uphill last year wearing tights as pants. I had to do a double?take - I literally could not believe what I was seeing. Not only are tights see?through, they also have a huge seam right up the middle of your butt, which gives the appearance of giant granny panties. I did laugh to myself, but only after I was a safe distance away. To this day, my friends still do not believe this story, but I swear it's true! I haven't seen the tights?as?pants offender yet this year, but I'll keep an eye out.
Now, this is not to say that you should never wear leggings with a normal, everyday outfit. They are perfectly acceptable when worn with a tunic?length top, or something that's too long to be a shirt and too short to really qualify as a dress. They also work really well as warmer versions of tights when it starts to get cold, and I will sometimes even wear them under pants as kind of a thermal layer - when it gets really cold.
There is no doubt that leggings have become a part of pretty much every female wardrobe in the United States; let us not forget, however, that leggings are not pants and never will be. I feel self?conscious when I wear them to yoga, and couldn't imagine feeling OK with wearing them as fully functional trousers.
To each his own, I guess, but I think the grand majority of us can agree that jazzercise should stay in the '80s, and it would do well to take its shiny leggings back with it - only to be revived, of course, for frat parties and Halloween. Give me my leggings for yoga and workouts, and I'm good. Anything else - no thanks.
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