Leggings

[John_M.]

Let me clear the air for a moment. I ALWAYS say that leggings are the ones ladies been trying to convince me to be excited about, especially when the leggings-under-skirt trend was popular. Tights are (and always will be) related to the tall hosiery. The only exception are kind of like tights most wrestlers wear. I'm usually confused with the mismatching of "leggings" and "tights" because I've always thought of tights as the hosiery I can recall that usually have some nice patterns to some tights. Or if you want to go on the route that tights are actually thicker leggings... then you're just confusing me more. Tights would have to be every bit of functional for pants if you want to think of tights (as in the ones you wear from the waist extending down to perhaps the ankles).

The way I'm accustomed, leggings are the bottoms ladies usually wear under long tunics. Tights are those stylish hosiery that either come in opaque or patterns. Maybe I'm thinking too much of 1997, but I'm really confused with how "leggings" and "tights" are almost interchangable among fashion types.

 

[kare2711]

I love my leggings and tunic tops. But where I live, nobody wears this style yet. I'm in the middle of nowhere. It's just coming in. Which is so insane to me! Because I've been wearing it for a while and I used to get stares like I was crazy-- you have to understand, I'm in BFE-- and jeans tucked into riding boots are just coming in here too. Insane isn't it?

Don't you think you're lucky? I wore it early last year in my country when no one wears it. But now, they're everywhere! Every one's spotting leggings at one time or other. Ugh.

 

[liashoes]

John M,

Tights have a foot, meaning the foot is encased in them. Legging on the other hand, do not. The foot is not encased. And there are longer leggings and shorter leggings. One trendy phrase for leggings is footless tights.

 

[liashoes]

I'm out of time if anybody else wants to carry on with more detail....

 

[ecman2wst]

Leggings or tights with shorts and ugg boots seems to have a trend here in Los Angeles. I was at a South Coast Plaza this weekend and I noticed both younger generation and young adults wearing leggings with shorts and tights with shorts. Ugg boots were also worn. This look is catching on here. I suggested it in a prior post but it is a fashion trend that will be worn into the spring and fall.

 

[John_M.]

Honestly, I've never understood wearing shorts with leggings or very long tights or stockings. That is, unless you pair them with some sort of boots. Something I've always questioned about UGG boots is if the ladies in question really do keep their feet warm. And in the case of pairing a mini skirt with UGG boots (a definite no-no to me), are ladies actually trying to stay warm or look cute? Reminds me a lot of when my parents and I went shopping for Christmas. It was a cold day, and my mom was saying "it's too cold to look cute." You'd see some ladies in shorts, flip-flop sandals, not wearing something to really protect all extremities, you get the idea.

Back to the leggings + shorts example for a moment. I've seen an Asian lady who used to be in my Government class that had some jeans that were just above the knees. Underneath the jeans, she wore leggings going down to just past the knees. She topped them off with either some white flat pumps or black flip-flop sandals. I can understand tights with any choice of footwear, but not really leggings under shorts. Only explanation I could give is that maybe women that try to pull these off want to have a slim look. Like, I've seen a number of pictures where a model is wearing some short-shorts and pairing them with long leggings and some sort of boots. It's okay to wear some matching leather boots to accompany the leggings, but I can already imagine what kinds of fashion disasters must be in Los Angeles to pair leggings with UGG boots while wearing shorts. If you're going to go with slimming leggings, I'd at least try to find some boots to accompany the color. If you can't do that, then the next thing would be to find some nice leggings and pair them with some different color boots. For example: gray tailored shorts + long white leggings + knee-length black or camel boots. I think leggings with any sort of cold or Arctic boots is not only overkill, but a horrid look. But since the world seems to revolve around L.A., it won't be too long until we see some UGGs + leggings disasters here in Southeast Texas.

 

[kimberwyn]

Leggings w/ shorts is not something i would try. Neither are shorts w/ boots, lol. SOme people can really pull it off but it takes a certain person. Jilian on PR wore them and it wasnt so bad.

I'm glad to see leggings on the runway for the F/W shows! I think the look can be very cute depending on how you wear it. i wouldnt wear them capri style; I usually put them on under layered long shirts w/ my over the knee boots.

And a look like this is very cute....

source: expressfashion.com

Protesting against leggings is just pointless; you won't win anyways!

 

[John_M.]

Actually, I think shorts with boots can be pulled off. I've seen several examples. Or more commonly, Japanese race queens and some go-go dancers with those patchwork 5-inch tall platforms by Demonia. But shorts and boots plus leggings? That look can be very easy to screw up, unless you WANT to look like no sense of style or a horrid sense of fashion. I'm curious as to wanting to see any pictures (I know I dissed the trend altogether) of those who wear shorts, leggings, and UGG boots at once. Or do I need a disclaimer saying, "WARNING: the following look may require eye surgery?"

Now to close this one out. I do think that look in Post #767 is very nice. Love the combination of black and magenta.

 

[shirleebee]

Done well:

garbagediscobox.com

Shirley's leggy outfit & boot combos are nearly iconic.

 

[jaimediane71]

^^I like that look a lot. But, not many people can pull it off. I find tights to be a staple in a wardrobe (winter especially), but leggings as more of a trend.

 

[Shopper400]

does anyone know where they sell leather leggings?

 

[Womanolo]

I'm curious as to wanting to see any pictures (I know I dissed the trend altogether) of those who wear shorts, leggings, and UGG boots at once. Or do I need a disclaimer saying, "WARNING: the following look may require eye surgery?"

I know this was a month ago, but I promise to be more assiduous with my camera as of tomorrow morning. This is something I see in my city a lot. It's actually a step up from pyjamas I suppose.

 

[lollicandy]

AA black leggins with AA red satin roller shorts is nice and comfortable. Nothing wrong with it. John_M. if you want to see maybe check out the AA website. Uggs fug up most outfits.

 

[kmccormi]

I can't really stand the whole leggings look, especially as the weather gets warmer and the bottoms start showing/you see where they stop because they get paired with tunics and flats/sandals.

However, I love how Keira Knightly pulls them off under shorts and a dress in the winter time with boots - they're almost like thicker, warmer tights:

livejournal & celebutopia

 

[PetitPuppy]

Are you sure these are leggings? I've got thick tights which look like Keira's.

 

[doll.face]

does anyone know where they sell leather leggings?

I want to know as well!

 

[nijuyanah]

Are you sure these are leggings? I've got thick tights which look like Keira's.

yep i also think they're tights!

anyway: i really CANT STAND leggings anymore. during spring/summer everybody wears them -no matter if they fit or not- .. so i'm quite happy when fashion brings up another "trend" for all those poor people (sorry)

 

[uberwench]

John M, I think you're overintellectualising this. Sometimes they look good, sometimes they don't. It's all about proportion and the personality with which you carry it off. And whether or not you carry it off is subjective. I wouldn't stress too much about the definitional locus of 'leggings' versus 'tights' or a schema for whether or not in x, y or z instance it's attractive. Fashion is individual.

I like them, I find them comfortable. I don't like the leggings-instead-of-trousers look even though one of my good friends can make it work. Sometimes you need leggings peeping out under a dress to add an extra layer of interest, I think.

 

[Dali]

I love legging, but I wear the like the keira pics with dresses and boots

 

[disco54]

leggings are very tacky , tights look cute but that express model looks like a hooker from 1985